Drew Struzan (born March 1947) is an American artist. Struzan has painted album covers, advertising, collectibles, and book covers, but he is best known for his extensive movie poster work.
Popularly known by his signature first name on his work, Struzan is one of the industry's most recognized talents, having provided artwork for over 150 movie posters, including many of the best-known films of all time. A particular favorite artist of film directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Struzan created distinct and indelible images for many of their film releases, with Spielberg decreeing that Struzan be the only artist allowed to render the space-creature character E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Spielberg says that Struzan is his "favorite movie artist"; Lucas has called him "the only collectible artist since World War II"; and the Boston Globe called him "the greatest poster artist of our day".
A Portland, Oregon native in a family of meager means, Struzan was born a child prodigy with the rare distinction of skill in art. As such, Struzan and his artwork were studied by researchers at Stanford University.Ironically, it would be many years later, in 1969, that Struzan's parents would discover one of those early childhood works being offered for sale in a Los Angeles art gallery on Melrose Avenue, for thousands of dollars. Although Struzan struggled with dyslexia as an eight-year-old, his South San Francisco elementary teacher discovered the reason for his inability to read, and he was held back one year by his mother in order to catch up.
In 1965, at age 18, he enrolled at the Art Center College of Design then located in West Los Angeles, California.
"The first thing the counselor asked me was 'what do you want to major in,' so I asked what the choices were." He was informed that he had two choices: fine art or illustration. The counselor went on to describe the two careers, telling Struzan that as a fine artist he could paint what he wanted, but as an illustrator he could paint for money. It didn't take him too long to choose his course of study. "I'll be an illustrator," he announced. "I need to eat." In his first year, he married and became the father of a son, Christian.
Working his way through school by selling his artwork and accepting small commissions, Struzan graduated five years later with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree. He would also complete two years of graduate studies and eventually return to the school in later years (the campus relocated to Pasadena, California) to teach for a short time.
About his career, Struzan has said: "I was poor and hungry, and illustration was the shortest path to a slice of bread, as compared to a gallery showing. I had nothing as a child. I drew on toilet paper with pencils — that was the only paper around. Probably why I love drawing so much today is because it was just all I had at the time.
Popularly known by his signature first name on his work, Struzan is one of the industry's most recognized talents, having provided artwork for over 150 movie posters, including many of the best-known films of all time. A particular favorite artist of film directors George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, Struzan created distinct and indelible images for many of their film releases, with Spielberg decreeing that Struzan be the only artist allowed to render the space-creature character E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Spielberg says that Struzan is his "favorite movie artist"; Lucas has called him "the only collectible artist since World War II"; and the Boston Globe called him "the greatest poster artist of our day".
A Portland, Oregon native in a family of meager means, Struzan was born a child prodigy with the rare distinction of skill in art. As such, Struzan and his artwork were studied by researchers at Stanford University.Ironically, it would be many years later, in 1969, that Struzan's parents would discover one of those early childhood works being offered for sale in a Los Angeles art gallery on Melrose Avenue, for thousands of dollars. Although Struzan struggled with dyslexia as an eight-year-old, his South San Francisco elementary teacher discovered the reason for his inability to read, and he was held back one year by his mother in order to catch up.
In 1965, at age 18, he enrolled at the Art Center College of Design then located in West Los Angeles, California.
"The first thing the counselor asked me was 'what do you want to major in,' so I asked what the choices were." He was informed that he had two choices: fine art or illustration. The counselor went on to describe the two careers, telling Struzan that as a fine artist he could paint what he wanted, but as an illustrator he could paint for money. It didn't take him too long to choose his course of study. "I'll be an illustrator," he announced. "I need to eat." In his first year, he married and became the father of a son, Christian.
Working his way through school by selling his artwork and accepting small commissions, Struzan graduated five years later with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree. He would also complete two years of graduate studies and eventually return to the school in later years (the campus relocated to Pasadena, California) to teach for a short time.
About his career, Struzan has said: "I was poor and hungry, and illustration was the shortest path to a slice of bread, as compared to a gallery showing. I had nothing as a child. I drew on toilet paper with pencils — that was the only paper around. Probably why I love drawing so much today is because it was just all I had at the time.
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video - Drew Struzan's Step by Step DVD Hellboy Movie Poster
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