Chuck
Pyle . .A Master artist Charles Pyle was born in Orange County, Ca., and spent most of his growing up years in Bakersfield. He always drew as a kid, for himself and friends. He did illustrations for his high school yearbook and cartoons for the spirit posters. His art heroes were in comics and especially political cartoonists, which he hoped to become.After a year in junior college, he visited the Art Academy, which was the Academy of Art College back then, and was hooked by what he saw on the drawing boards in the 2A studio at 625 Sutter. It was a magic moment to him, and those artworks were speaking to him. The School of Illustration founding director Barbara Bradley interviewed him and suggested, trying Illustration. He has been with the Academy since 1972, first as a student, then as successful alum and now Department Chair.
value to that for a long time. Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors? A Mixed bag. Dad? No. Mom? Sort of. Teachers? Some worried about me, some encouraged me, but let me draw and paint. In junior college, my art teacher, Ray Salmon, said that I should go to art school and suggested that I visit the ones in San Francisco. What kind of kid were you? Painfully shy, goofball. Where did you grow up?
When did you first think about art as something you wanted to do? Were you encouraged or discouraged by family, friends, teachers, mentors?
Bakersfield, Ca.
It has always been a calling. You get picked by the muse in that it sets you apart from everybody else in class. It was what I was good at, though I did not assign much
Mad, comics, sort of National Geographic Tom Lovell stuff, lots of books.
What were your influences?
