Artist Profile: Alvin Fall - Undiscovered talent battling in the trenches

Since the Sports Artwork Forum began this past summer, we have featured a number of highly successful sports artists. Folks who have reached the pinnacle of the industry, selling their work in various professional outlets across the country and making comfortable livings doing work they are passionate about. But for every successful sports artist, there are hundreds (including yours truly) who struggle to find their small place in the sun. The talent is there, but the opportunities, timing and luck just may not be. Such is the life of any artist, not just sports artists.

Alvin Fall is one such example. A trained and talented artist from Florida, Fall earned a degree in graphic art from Missouri Southern State University. He is the only student from MSSU to ever win the American Scholastic Press Association's Outstanding Artist award. Working primarily in watercolor and colored pencil Fall, designates his style as "watercolor illustration," bringing sports celebrities to an iconic presence on the canvas.

Alvin has made some impressive marks while forging his way in the industry, including the recent creation of a piece featuring Tampa Bay Rays player, Carl Crawford which was raffled off to 2008 season ticket holders. Despite these successes, Fall still struggles to reach the promised land of dedicating himself full-time to his artwork and like many artists, works a full-time job to support his passion.

Please read more about this talented and dedicated artist in this Sports Artwork Forum interview with artist, Alvin Fall.

SAF - How did you get started in art and what level have you taken your artwork to?
AF - I started in art at a young age. My mother is an amateur watercolorist and encouraged me to draw and paint early in life. When I was about 13 I did my first sports illustration. It was of Terry Bradshaw. I took great pleasure in creating it, and have been hooked ever since.

I believe I have taken my talent to the professional level. The quality of my work is comparable to any sports artwork out there.

SAF - Who are your main artistic influences and which artists work do you most admire (classic or contemporary)?
AF - At a young age I was influenced by Daniel Smith. He did a lot of sports artwork that was published on the Beckett magazine covers. I used to see his work and want to be like him when I got older. He has a very realistic style using airbrush. As I developed as an artist, I found I wanted to put a more stylized touch on my own artwork.

I also have a lot of admiration for Salvador Dali. I live near his museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. He had an amazing combination of technical skill and imagination.

SAF - Do you presently work full-time as a professional sports artist and if so, who is your primary clientele?
AF - Unfortunately, I am not at the full-time level yet. I do have some contracts with companies that sell prints of my work. I recently did a piece for the Tampa Bay Rays, and will be doing a piece for the USF Bulls. So, I am getting there, it is just a long, hard road. I feel I am as talented as any of the sports artists out there; I just haven’t made my break yet.

SAF - What is your preferred medium to work in and why?
AF - Originally, I worked in pencil, because it came so naturally to me. Then I upgraded to colored pencil to add color to my work. In college I began to use more watercolor.

Today, I typically use a mixed media of watercolor, colored pencil, and acrylic. I use watercolor to paint in large areas of color, then I will go over top of it with colored pencil to bring out detail. Lately I have been adding acrylic paint to the background. It is a system that works well for me and achieves the professional quality I desire.

SAF - Since you have been a sports artist, what accomplishment are you most proud of?
AF - When I was in college, I won the American Scholastic Press Associations “Outstanding Artist” award. The competition was among 2,000 colleges nationwide. I am the only student to ever win the award for Missouri Southern State University (my alma mater).

I am also very proud of meeting Carl Crawford and having my picture taken with him signing my artwork. That was my first “major league” deal.

I was also invited by the American Sports Art Museum and Archives to participate in the 2008 Olympic Sports Art Competition. That was an honor for me. It is nice to start to be recognized by some of the sports art organizations of the world.

SAF - What is your process for creating a piece – i.e. do you work from sight, photos; do you do multiple thumbnails and studies - how long does it take you to complete a piece?
AF - I typically work from photographs when it comes to sports artwork. I like my illustrations to have a very realistic quality. In my experience I am more likely to achieve the quality I am looking for if I am able to reference a photograph. I like to put in all the details, like grass stains, and wrist bands, tape, stuff you might not catch if you are working from sketches.

SAF - How do you feel about technology as it relates to art - has technology given you more opportunities as an artist or made it more difficult for you? What technical resources have you found critical to your art business (web sites, software, tools etc.)?
AF - I used to be a bit opposed to the use of computers in art. Then I realized that it is just another tool. I was a bit afraid of computers taking over and not being able to market my work. Then I realized that computers have made my hand painted work more valuable, because fewer people practice this type of illustration.

I use Photoshop almost every day. I use it to lay out compositions of my paintings before I start to illustrate them. I use it to color manage pictures of my artwork and resize them for viewing on my website. I use it to build buttons and logos for my site.

The computer is a tool, like a compass or a ruler, only much more advanced. I am sure that when the compass was invented, somebody said, “That’s cheating! I draw all of my circles by hand!” Is it cheating, or is it cutting down on your layout time?

Creating my own website was one of the most valuable steps in promoting my art career. It gives me such a broader audience for sharing my work, and allows me to market myself more ably. I have made contact with several companies and individuals from abroad that are interested in my work; people I might not have been able to interact with without the web.

SAF - What advice would you give to other artists who are trying to achieve some success in the sports artwork industry?
AF - I would tell them that if they are not 110% sure that this is what they want to do, they should re-consider. It takes a lot more than talent to make it in this field. There are more and more sports artists out there every year. You have to be persistent and outgoing. Even then, you will have a hard time getting jobs. I would say that it’s only really worth it if it is your sincere goal.

SAF - What new or interesting projects do you have coming up that you would like to share?
AF - The USF Bulls have expressed that they would like me to do an illustration for them. That is exciting for me! The more contacts and references I can make the better. It’s a great feeling to be wanted by an organization that I am such a fan of.

This fall, I am participating in a juried competition put on by The Artist’s Magazine.

In addition, I have teamed up with Matt Allinson of Access Athletes. We are putting together a game plan to showcase my talents.

SAF - What are the negative aspects to pursuing work in sports art? What things in your profession do you find to be stressful or irritating?
AF - I would say the most frustrating thing for me is being a “starving artist”. It was o.k. when I was in my 20’s but now I am feeling pressure to start making money. Several times I have thought seriously about throwing in the towel. I work 40 hrs a week to pay the bills and then I work about 25 hrs a week or more on my sports art. I feel that my Sports Art career is really what I want to do with my life, it is just very difficult to make it work.