Frank Mullins (1924-1978) was a regular contributing artist to Sports Illustrated in the mid to late 1960's and his unique style helped to define the look and energy of the magazine during this time period. His painting of fighter, Sonny Liston for one of the covers, showcases his great talent and style.With a minimalist feel, lots of white space and perfectly placed brush strokes, Mullins conveys Liston's power and aggressive energy during a practice sparring session. Amazingly, with very little body detail other than the fighter's arms and neck, Mullin's masterfully conveys Liston's powerful stance and intensity. The facial features, flanked by protective headgear give the feel of a Samurai warrior, ready for battle.
Mullins work is a true part of sports artwork history and his style and renderings helped to define the energy and competition of sports in the 1960's.
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I feel lucky to have the original painting (Frank was my father) hanging over my desk at home. It's amazing how well he was able to convey the power and energy of Liston---standing in front of it, you almost want to duck.
By the way, Frank did 2 paintings of Sonny Liston for Sports Illustrated.
I have an original sports characature sketch given from Wahington Senator Frank Howard...the artist is Bill Payne..looks like might be a sporting news type drawing...Where can I find information on this artist?
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