The Reilly Factor

Frank Reilly was a successful illustrator who went on to become one of America's greatest art teachers.  At the Art Students League of New York, Reilly taught Drawing, Color Abstraction, and Painting & Picture Making for 35 years, and America's best artists passed through his doors during that time.  His innovations as a teacher are still felt today, as his legacy continue to teach in his tradition.

Before I even knew who Frank Reilly was, I was continuously drawn to the work created by his students.  It's been interesting for me to find out that the artists I admire, and with whom I had chosen to study, were almost all from Reilly's line.  Whether the students followed Reilly's teachings to the letter, or chose to go a different route, it was obvious that Reilly had influenced their technique, and that many still employ his scientific methods and share his analytic approach to painting.

An early mentor of mine when I entered illustration was Eric Peterson, a gifted artist, who received some of his training at the hands of one of Reilly's students.  Eric is extremely talented and his intelligence shows through in all of his work.  Though we've lost touch, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of the lessons he so freely gave on everything from color to perspective.

Artists like Tony Ryder and Jacob Collins studied under Ted Seth Jacobs, one of Reilly's top students.  Though Jacobs later divested himself of Reilly's technique, there are still exercises from Frank Reilly that he uses when training his many talented students.

Jeremy Lipking received training at the California Art Institute, which was founded by Fred Fixler.  Fixler too studied under Reilly, and brought Reilly's methods to the West Coast.  CAI, the Watts Atelier, and the LA Academy of Figurative Art all teach methods handed down from Reilly.

Marvin Mattelson, with whom I studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, was already an established illustrator and teacher before he decided to expand his personal education by studying with a student of Frank Reilly.  Marvin now incorporates Reilly's methods when teaching students painting, though he has modified the palette to eliminate cadmiums, making it easier for new painters to control their color mixing.  It is amazing to see how quickly his students progress.

Other artists who count themselves part of Reilly's legacy include:  John Asaro, James Bama, Morgan Weistling, Glen Orbik, Tony Pro, Shawn Zents, and Jeffrey Watts, to name a few.

Reilly devoted his time to teaching, and helped train these many great artists.  The top lesson Reilly gave was his gift of teaching, which so many of his students continue to pass on to new generations.  Maybe you too have learned from a Reilly student, either through book, class, or workshop.

Happy Painting!