Lessons from Asaro

By Molly Siple

John Asaro began this interview in a unique way, by handing me a piece of paper and a pencil and asking me to start drawing! He took a step back so that I could use him as a model, and asked me to draw as much as I could of him in a minute.
 
This is a standard test Asaro gives all of his students before beginning to teach them, to find out how they think of the human form. He's looking for lines that curve. As he said, "Most people tend to draw stick figures." (I was one of the great majority who don't draw curves. Small consolation.)
One of the hallmarks of Asaro paintings is the aliveness of his figures. As Asaro explains, recording the natural curves of the human body is one way this is achieved. His advice is, "Look for the gentle, curving line. This is the sign of life. When you paint the human body, start by drawing a snake, or think of it as a noodle. Begin by painting inside the form."
 
And he continues, "Then slowly build on the curves within, working from the inside out. The highlight will follow the curve. Also ask yourself this question, Where is the form heading? If you are drawing an arm for instance, look to see how it arcs through space. Be sure not to picture this direction as a straight line like a railroad track, because in nature, this line is never straight." Once you hear this explained by Asaro, it's hard to ever forget!
 
John Asaro is a master of figure painting, evident from his art and the way he describes the process of producing this art. He has been a much sought-after teacher for many years. From 1974 to 1981, Asaro taught three days a week at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. From 1982 to 1985, he taught at both the Laguna Beach School of Art and Design, and Palomar College in San Marcos, California.
 
In the 1950s Asaro himself was a student at Art Center, as well as at Otis Art Institute, and began to hone his talents, which were already quite evident. As a grammar school student, he twice won the "Optimist Art Prize" at the San Diego County Fair. In his teens, he also studied watercolor with J. Milford Ellison and became the prot‚g‚ of nationally-noted San Diego sculptor, Conal Hord.
When Asaro attended Art Center, the legacy of renowned painting teacher Stanley Reckless continued to focus instruction on the ability to draw. (Painting and sculpting were considered simply advanced forms of drawing.) Asaro studied with instructor, Harry Carmean, and by the end of his third semester, Asaro was awarded the "Stanley Reckless Memorial Scholarship."
 
The instruction at Art Center also put an emphasis on the applied arts. Asaro was encouraged to become an illustrator. Although he had reservations about following this direction rather than fine art, he headed for New York. In 1958, he enrolled at the Art Student's League to study with the eminent teacher, Frank Reilly. But, he longed for his old environment, and the next year, returned to Southern California and Art Center for three more years of instruction.
 
Asaro dutifully returned to New York City in 1960 to attempt once again to begin a career in illustration. When no work turned up, he headed for Detroit, a city that at the time supported many illustrators. The prestigious New Center Studios hired him to work on their automobile accounts, painting the figures and backgrounds for car illustrations. For the next 12 years, Asaro also took on assignments from New York and Los Angeles, which included record album covers, motion picture posters, paperback books, and magazines including Argosy, Good Housekeeping, and Cosmopolitan.

John Asaro Studio Doorway Oil on Canvas - 24" x 18"