FredFixler.com

I met Fred somewhere around 1982. At the time I was fresh out of high school and very enthusiastic about entering an art institute. After much persuasion and a promise that I'll be able to make a living someday, my Parents gave in to the idea of sending me to an art school. Lucky enough we had one only minutes away. Brandes Art Institute was my second home and Fred was my second Father. He was stern, tough, and loving all at the same time. I spent ALL my waking hours at the school from early morning to late in the evenings. We even spent our Halloween drawing in class. I remember Morgan and I took a break to go trick or treating next door dressed as art students of course.

Fred had a way of choosing favorites in our class, so a stacking order was quickly made. It was interesting how he would constantly point out certain students and use them as examples. Being incredibly shy, Fred seemed to enjoy making an example of me. I guess deep down I kind of enjoyed the attention. I remember one event during my troubled teen years at the school, I came in forgetting to bring the requested photographic material we were to draw from that day. If you were stupid enough to do that, then Fred would have you pick from the scrap basket of bad photos. On this particular occasion, Fred decided to make an example of me because he was feeling a little spunky. He took me to the front of the class and announced how irresponsible I was to forget my material. With basket in hand, he decided HE was going to choose a photo for me. It was a small photo strip from a contact sheet that had 4 to 5 heads on it each about 1 inch in height. Feeling defeated before I began, I made my way back through smirks and grins to my seat.
A funny thing happened, working from such small material forced me to only see the big shapes. I composed a grouping of the heads on a large sheet of smooth newsprint. I created one of the BEST drawings I had ever done at that time. Fred was even surprised. He was so happy to see what I had done that he completely forgot about the punishment. I wasn't hoisted up on anyone's shoulders and danced down the hall in a parade, but these moments were like happy accidents and we thrived on that.

One of the most valuable lessons that Fred taught me was how to teach myself, how to be an art student for life. He gave us the tools and taught us how to use them.

I'll always have what he gave me...the tools to succeed as an artist. For that I thank him and will never forget.

God Bless,

Greg Pro

Fred Fixler picked up where my parents left off. I was encouraged to pursue my artistic talents my entire childhood. I studied my father's art books and copied my favorite comic books. But when I turned 14, my mother felt I needed real art instruction. We looked at all the art colleges in L.A. and none of them felt right. Then one day my mother found a little ad in the paper for Brandes Art Institute. We walked in and I immediately saw these amazing figure drawings on the wall. I looked at my mom and said, "I want to study with that artist. " Even then, with very little useful knowledge in my head , I saw someone that was capturing light on paper. It blew my mind. He was the most amazing draftsman I have ever known.


Fred Fixler would become a second father to me during my years studying under him. He made me feel like I had a real shot of making as an illustrator. I wanted to please him so badly. Those of us that studied with him in those early years were named "Cave 22" by Fred. We were taught to help each other get better. Fred was hard on us. It was like boot camp for illustrators. I loved every minute.
He made some cry and many of us laugh. He was a character. Greg and I would mimic his sayings to one another constantly. Everyone had a Fred impersonation.
Dan Cooper's was the best. (The fights they would have were epic.) He would make models cry sometimes when he would point out flaws and explain how to improve them in our drawings. He was oblivious to why they were running off the platform.
He was a presence always felt in any room he was in. He was adored and knew it.


Fred introduced us to all the great artists. He made us study the best and to have open minds towards those who pushed the boundaries a bit. He never claimed to be a great artist himself. In fact, was embarrassed to talk about his own career. He always pointed us towards the ones he felt were "real artists". I would have loved to have seen him do his own paintings, just for himself. But he only saw himself as a teacher.


When people would visit the school we would hear some criticize him because all our drawings looked alike. They didn't understand how important that was. That in our early development, it was the easiest way to absorb all the information. He always said that once we grasped the fundamentals it would be a natural thing that would come out of us. He was right. He produced students that went into every outlet of art that you can imagine. He gave us the tools that could work anywhere.


I 've talked about Fred in every workshop and dvd I have ever done. I always will. He became a legend before his death and will remain one. He is right up there with George Bridgman and Howard Pyle as influential teachers that spawned many successful artists.

I will miss him greatly.

Morgan Weistling

In 1983 I knew nothing about Fred Fixler, but received a phone call from him about me teaching a color class in oil. Having gone to Art Center, I always felt like my education was lacking in academics--having Fred ask me to teach was a great honor (though I felt like an impostor--which is a Fred quote about himself-though so not true).
His drawings were classic 50's illustration of the highest order.
I always wanted to take from him, but was a bit put off by his in your face style of teaching- I regret that. Through Fred, I met a young scrappy Morgan Weistling and an irrepressible Greg Pro (both in their teens at the time). I probably learned more from them then I could have possibly taught myself. Morgan is right...I had countless arguments with Fred- but that doesn't matter. I knew Fred and some of his great students. Mark Westermoe, Kelly McGraw, Laurel Blechman, Glen Orbik, Lucy Tanashian-Gentry, Andrew Burward-Hoy, James Kiere, Armand Balthazar, James Martin, Robh Ruppel, Gary Cornell, and more

Two stories that I'll never forget about Fred:

1) On the Last day I taught at the Calabasas school with Fred, he was using a buzz saw in the back of the classroom while I was trying to teach.

2) A group of us all went out to lunch, and Fred claimed to be on a diet. Fred proceeded to do the classic "are you gonna eat that?" all the way through lunch. Oh Fred....

Being Greg's younger brother, I was only about 8 or 9 when Greg was in Fred's class. I always thought he was Mark Twain... I was a dumb kid then...

Anyway, when I was a student at California Art Institute in 1995, Fred's wife Liz was a student of my teacher, Glenn and Fred would drop in every now and again to pick her. I never saw Glenn stiffen up so tight everytime Fred would come into the room. Especially if Glenn was doing a demo, he would get so nervous to have the Maestro in the room. Fred was so jovial about it and was so proud of Glenn for carrying on the torch.

The one thing that Fred ever taught me was during a quick sketch class of Glenn's and Fred came up behind me and saw that I was failing drastically at doing quick sketch. He put his hand on my shoulder and took my charcoal pencil and said to me, "Don't try to draw hair like, you think of it, see it in planes." He did a few planar strokes on the head of my figure and from that moment on I completely understood that fact.

I only wish I could have taken his classes, but to me, I think I had Fred through Glenn, and with a lot of help from Greg too, I got so much of his teaching. I also spent a year with Norm Nason who was Fred's student too and I would sit in on Shawn Zent's class who was also Fred's students.

May God bless Fred for sharing his amazing talents with all of his and may he rest in peace.

There is an old delicatessen in West Hollywood in which the waitresses are said to not only take your order, they make you eat the food. Fred was like that. You came to this flamboyant, cantankerous craftsman with a desire to learn how to draw or paint, and if you stuck with him, he made you learn. There was no escaping it.

Fred once told me that his goal was to produce artists who were better than he was. In my case I'm afraid he failed, but he had many, many successes. It is not an exaggeration to say that Fred helped produce some of the best illustrators and fine artists alive today.

I never wanted to earn a living as an artist, because art was the thing I loved, and I didn't want what I loved to become a necessity, an occupation, a burden. But even in my younger years I understood that love was not enough; I needed to learn the craft of art. I understood that art was not so much about dexterity, a facility with certain tools—pencils, brushes, paints—as it was about seeing.

Fred taught me to see. In the most fundamental way, he taught me what to look for, what to regard as important, and what to set aside. He taught me to look at the big picture, ignore the details. And the more I thought about it, the more I understood that what he said applied not only to art, but to life as well.

That was his most valuable lesson.

My first introduction to Fred was an uninstructed workshop at The California Art Institute in Calabassas. The first day of class Fred of course went around and gave instruction to everyone in the room. The young man who came in late, set up his easel next to me was to become Fred's target of abuse for the next years to come.
I had been out of Art Center Collage of Design a few years by then and had worked at Hughes Aircraft Company for six and I had taken many art instructors by that time I was 35, but never from the caliber of teacher that Fred Fixler was exhibiting.
He was brutal. Brutal, but by far the best teacher by example I had ever known. You never forgot what he was saying by the level of demonstration and emotional crisis that occured when he singled you out!
( I think he was easer on the women, because I think he hated tears.)
In the past, I had Fitelson, Dan McCaw, Asaro and many well know fine artists, who gave incredible instruction, but none who had Freds emotional connection with his students.
That day I most remembered was a fresh young student, (I will keep annonomous)The fellow came in and started setting up and slid his easle and made some noise. I never did notice, until Fred came over and kicked his paint box across the room and said, "Look at this girl, standing here quiet and nice,doing a fine job and you come in here and disrupt the whole class with your nonesense!" That day Fred pointed me out as a "good student" and a good example, but did not know I had many years of classroom experience.
The funny thing was(well maybe not that funny)but was six or seven years later Fred had created quite a talented young man and this young student who eventually became a teacher at CAC.
One day in this new teachers class (the day O.J.Simpson was aquitted of his crimes), the class was all a buzz talking about it. Unfortunately when the instructor (this young man who Fred had made the example of had his moment of revenge on me)he selected me to scold to stop talking about anything except art and kicked my purse across the room! I was now on the recieving end of a long awaited example.
I did stay and work it out with this young instructor and took numerous classes in drawing and painting. He was hard on me and gave me the same treatment that Fred did him in the past.
He followed in Fred's example of expecting only the best efforts from a student. He was a fine example of a great teacher and I suppose I have Fred to thank for giving those young boys, "the military approach to learning". They became great teachers and this one joined the ranks of Glenn Orbik, Greg Pro, Andrew, Morgan, Blacksheer, and now Ryan, Tony, Watts etc. etc . . . the legacy goes on.
If you have lived and studied as long as I have (now 30 some years) you will notice one great thing: with each new generation of students become greater and greater teachers. That is what Fred meant by "I want to make my students better that I am".
It is probably a good thing that some of these new teachers have more patience and are kinder, but still have the high standard of excellence they expect out of each student.
The competition on the street for fine art and commercial art is more and more demanding each year and it is absolutely amazing what kind of art is being produced in these fine schools by young artists. In this economy only the best survived.
Fred we have many good things in our lives because of your discipline and love of teaching. You hated bad art and we are never satisfied with our work. We strive to be the best in all cases and your legacy will survive. Thank you from the bottom of our beings. You stripped us of our egos and created better more humble artists and teachers.
As Always Lisa

When I first started taking figure drawing classes with Mark Westermoe and Shawn Zents I had no Idea who was who in the art world. I was fresh out of High School, and just wanted to improve my drawing so badly. then as time when by Mark would talk about fred and would show us photos of his drawings. he also had a couple of fred's originals framed and I though those were the best drawings I had ever seen. I just liked the way they looked. so sharp and so much characer on the heads. I went on and took many many classes with different Instructors at Associates in Art. Then finally one day I decided to make a move to the California Art Instute to study with Glen orbik whom I heard back then was also a student of fred and a really good artist, and quiet popular too..( I remember other students who were going both places carrying photos of Glen's demos to school). I just wanted to learn with as many instructor as posible who studied with Fred.
Through Glen I learned more about Fred and I was happy to be there hearing his stories and learning so much in every class. I didn't mind driving from Venice to westlake three days a week I loved every classs. I am so greatful to be part of this legacy of teaching. God bless our founder. and thanks to all his students for carrying on the tradition.
BEST WAY OF LEARNING HOW TO DRAW.

Israel Martinez

I first met Fred at Brandes Art Institute. They offered the first class free. I had been searching for a teacher who could draw well since I found my university art professors to be seriously lacking in that area. At the Art school I was amazed to see that the students from Fred’s classes were better artists than any of my professors. Fred always said to look at the student work before choosing a teacher.

At that first class I met another student, Laurel Blechman, who passionately tried to convince me that Fred was the best teacher ever. She was right! I quit my day job to study with him full time. The founder of the school, April Brandes, was so kind as to offer me part-time work in the office in exchange for classes. I practically lived at the school with some very talented and inspiring students, drawing 6 to 9 hours every day, and taking almost all of those classes with Fred.

Fred’s ranting and raving humbled us and we became teachable. I learned not to expect compliments, but now and then, a word of encouragement from him was worth gold. “I don’t need to tell you what you are doing right,” he would say. Sometimes his criticisms seemed unnecessarily harsh and it would make me mad but at the same time I knew that it was because Fred cared so much. It mattered to him that we understood and got it right.

One of my duties working in the office was to hire the models. When there was a no-show I would sometimes pose for Fred’s head drawing class. That’s when I learned that my “nostrils were too big”, that my lips needed to be “plumped up” and that my “eyes were too close together”. More humbling. I also learned that “women had very little muscle or bones in the neck” in order to idealize and to simplify. I remember that some of the models didn’t enjoy posing for Fred’s classes.

I think of Fred every time I paint or draw. Everything I learn from books or classes is understood in the context of his teaching. The best teachers teach their students how to discriminate between the good and the bad and thus enable them to teach themselves for the rest of their lives. This may be the most important lesson I learned from Fred. What a great influence he was, a master and a great teacher! Thank you, Fred, and God bless you.

Gayle Stratford

I remember searching for an art school that taught traditional techniques in drawing and painting back in the early 80's. I had just moved a from the Cincinnati area and almost had given up on finding what I was looking for. Then I heard about a school in Calabasas. When I went there I was truly amazed at what I found. The quality of student work was amazing. Needless to say, I was quite intimidated, but I knew I had found what I was looking for.
I met Fred that day. He seemed quite the character. I had no idea he was the reason behind all the great work hanging on the walls. That was until I took the first drawing class from him. With just a few charcaol strokes he had done this amazing drawing and likeness. He went from character to master in less than a minute in my eyes.
I knew him for such a short time, but he made a huge impact on my artwork. I only wish I had more time studying under him. he was truly a master, a great teacher, and a nice guy.

I first met Fred at Los Angeles Valley college where we both happened to be attending the same figure drawing class. This would probably have been around 1980 or so. Most of the other artists in the class were pretty raw, and the instructor wasn't much better. In fact I can still recall his lecture where he compared the limbs to ham-hawks, which he drew on the black board, probably because he couldn't draw an actual arm.

I remember one "old" guy sitting in the corner of the class working on newsprint doing his own thing. Of course that was Fred Fixler. I figured he probably didn't know what he was doing and was just there to ogle the models. For the first few weeks of class I didn't even bother to take a look at his work. One day I wandered over to see what he was working on and my jaw dropped. I'd always been a big fan of American illustrators like Andrew Loomis and James Bama and Fred's traditional, realistic style of drawing was exactly what I'd been looking for. I later found out Fred went to school with Bama and even shared a room with him. Quite a coincidence.

We started talking and I asked Fred if he'd ever considered teaching. Fred told me he "retired" from illustration at age 42, however he'd been thinking about getting into instructing as a way to make a little extra income. I think he was a little over 50 at the time. However Fred said he didn't know how to go about finding students or a place to teach. I offered to take some of his drawings around and find some students. So Fred gave me some of his drawings to show off, which by the way I still have.

At the time I was also attending a couple classes at Art Center College of Design. I couldn't afford to go full time but was able to attend some figure drawing workshops and a couple evening classes there. I honestly believed all I'd need to do was give some of the students at Art Center a peek at Fred's work and they'd come flocking to study under him. Wow was I wrong!. Not a single student at Art Center was interested and most referred to his style as being "old fashioned". I couldn't believe it. So I struck out at art center.

I was also attending class at a small school in the valley called Brandes art Institute. At the time Glenn Vilppu was their big draw. I showed Fred's work to the owner and she seemed interested and said she'd give him a call. Evidently when she finally saw more of Fred's work she was blown away. Not long after that Fred began teaching at the school and quickly developed a following. Of course Glenn's approach and Fred's approach could not have been more different which created for some interesting dynamics. But from a students perspective it was win win situation.

Years later Fred Left Brandes to start his own school which I attended and later taught at. Fred sold that school and went into semi retirement. One of his students (Mark Westermoe) left to start his own school where he continued to teach Fred's method. I also instructed there for a couple semesters. It was a very nice school and a good effort on Marks part but without Fred it just wasn't the same for me.

Donn Greer

I've tried starting this a half dozen times ...it's kind of hard to put down into words how much of an impact Fred's had in my life . He was, and forever will be, unique in my life - mentor, teacher, and friend.

I kind of stumbled onto Fred's classes.
I was 20 in 1984. I realized I wasn't making any progress with my drawing skills on my own and I thought an art class would help me focus and get to work. I met Glenn Vilppu out near my home in Acton at an art function and he told me of the school where he was teaching.
About 3 weeks later I made the hour drive out to Brandies Art Inst. Glenn was out that day, but Fred's class was in session. I took a look around, totally amazed at the work on the walls. I had no idea drawings could look like that! I was just amazed at the possibility of drawings which to me looked like beautiful, cool, little, realistic people. After 30 or 40 seconds of deep thought, I signed-up.

I was as nervous as hell in my 1st or second class and my drawings stunk, capital "S" ( and did so for a long time after wards). Fred made one of his sage comments to the class stressing pushing rhythms in the figure everywhere you could. I made some brilliant reference to George Gershwin which got a chuckle from all. Fred walked over to my bench and said, "Look kid , you're new here. I tell the jokes around here", which got a much bigger laugh. 5 minutes later, Fred walked back over to me and ( unnecessarily) apologized saying , " I was just kidding you know."

Fred didn't have the best bedside manner of teaching and sometimes it took a while to get used to his method of critiquing. It was always very constructive criticism, but he never missed the opportunity for a good one-liner to make a point. Admittedly, after so many years as a professional I think he would forget what it was like in the early days and sometimes just couldn't fathom why we newbies just didn't get it.
"Don't make the hands look like bananas!" was a standard or " I suppose you could make it more difficult if you tied one hand behind your back...." if I started painting in gouache class before intelligently laying out my paint and supplies. Seemed pretty trivial to me at the time but eventually the light pierced my brain - a little intelligent thought and time in the set up would save hours and meant that I could focus my full attention on the actual real problem-solving of making art.
Having taught classes myself now, I'm always amazed at the things, big and small, not properly prepped for which, even the most serious minded students would do. Looking back, I don't know how he put up with most of us.

....And those tracings of his ! He would explain a point to work on by drawing a tracing paper overlay on top of the student's drawing. He made it look so unbelievably simple! And they we're just Sooo beautiful! I've never ever understood the rare student who, after getting the info from a "Fred tracing" would then throw it away - were they nuts? I am still learning new things from my Fred tracings ( and the small stash of tracings I had rescued from the trash bin).

After around a year and a half of attending his classes ( by that time Fred had opened his own school ) I was invited to join the Advanced Class - you couldn't get in unless Fred said so. It was a big, big deal. At that point Greg was the master student - Morgan was off setting the movie poster sketch world aflame but did come in when ever he could. In that 1st class I slaved and sweated over and over on my 6 hour drawing of Robert Ward in costume. I did manage, finally ( after two full Fred tracings) to get my drawing up on the wall with Greg's . Of course mine was not complete and Greg's had been fully finished in far less than 2 hours. (His still graces the wall of the current school and mine's in a box somewhere in the back of my closet....).

A semester or so later my income was lowering (at that point, I drove a forklift at night in a warehouse and mom helped out when she could.) I scaled back my class-load big time and then Fred pulled me aside and asked what was up? I told him I was short on cash so I had to cut back. He said, " Why didn't you say something? We'll work something out". So we arranged I'd pay something like $100 a month - seems like it took years, but I did eventually manage to pay it off.

Fred's outlook, carried over from his days in Reilly's class of having Advanced and Intermediate level students mixed in and sharing with the new students made everybody learn faster : new students got it from the Intermediate and they in turn got it from the Advanced.... it's a really great system.

Fred made it clear that if we ever thought of becoming professionals that we'd be competing, not only with other art students, but with the big guys still out there working like Bob Mcginnis, Bernie Fuchs, Drew Struzan,... He treated us the way he did because he expected us to think like future professionals.

He likened drawing to a trade or a craftsman honing his skills in order to make a better cabinet. How to logically use the "tools" of a drawing -shapes, edges, value, construction along with idealization and elegance. He convinced you that anybody who really worked at it could master it. It was a craft , It wasn't magic. But it sure looked a like it when Fred did it...
He taught us how to teach ourselves. What's the difference between your drawing and what you see in a Loomis - how might you solve getting from here to there. After a while , instead of a chore, improving my work became a puzzle to be cracked by looking at the clues in any art which excited me. (Morgan and Greg used to copy Fred's old student quick-sketches like some sort of "CSI Art Unit" - "this line is fat, he must have pulled the pencil this way - this one sweeps to the right, so....")
He stated his job as teacher was something like being, " the guy at the gym, whose job it was to show you how to use all the equipment but you wouldn't get the big muscles til you did it for yourself."

Looking back, the real contribution Fred made as a teacher to all of us was the time and effort he put into it. He was never not thinking of ways to teach.
He'd spend so many in-between hours collecting reference scrap or movie stills for the student's use, encouraging us to start our own files of heads or hands to draw, scrap files of ideas or compositions , thinking of new ways to get an idea across or putting together boards of photos and drawings to show us so he could easily illustrate a concept in black and white.
He'd stop at used book stores on a regular basis to inquire - for his students- if they had any Loomis books or the like on hand.
"Photo-days" (which started out as a way to help keep the student's tuitions as low as possible) were the occasional class with no model. They were marathon teaching days, and often meant no breaks for him . Exercises focused on every thing from drawing heads, composition thumbnails , how to design 2-D pattern & shape experiments, seeing the decorative qualities possible as well as good draughtsmanship. Students would generally groan when we heard there wouldn't be a model but those always ended as the days we learned the absolute most on.
Occasionally, the six hour advanced class would book the model for only five and Fred would use the extra hour before the 1/2 time lunch-break to sit up front on the edge on the model stand and talk to us about art or illustrators or some of Fred's past experiences - basically a pep talk or the like. They we're great! I used to get so pumped up and eager to to re -attack my drawing for the second half of the class - and beyond.
For any subject he felt he was not an expert on he would try to bring in other artist's to fill to in the gaps. Neal Boyle, Dan Cooper, Mia Carpenter, Jack Leynnwood... many more I didn't get to study with - he was all about getting the students all the training he thought we really needed.
He always said he wanted his students to be better than he was.

Later, after he'd left the school, Laurel and I would touch base with Fred. At one point he told me how guilty he had felt at not having continued to teach - of not doing enough for the students. I told him how wrong he was but, as hard as he was on the students, he was doubly hard on himself. How much would have been enough?
The last time I actually spoke with him on the phone his voice was bad and he said he couldn't talk much , he could only force out a loud whisper ( it was just before the diagnosis of his throat cancer). I told him of my difficulties making some deadlines and he offered advice on how I might save some time. We ended up talking for well over a half and hour.


Honestly speaking, when I first started taking classes my only real goal was to learn to draw better. I had little idea of what I might do with that skill other than comic books or animation perhaps... ?
Fred taught me how to see, how to think and how to learn. Illustration grew in my estimation from virtual nonexistence to a noble profession to be aspired to and to be proud of.
It was a scant 10 years of classes he actually taught but he sure crammed a ton of invaluable information into that time.

In 1989 he sold the school and asked me if I might consider perhaps continuing on teaching there for maybe 2 years more after he left ? That was 20 years ago.

I'll never be able to fully pay him back...


Glen Orbik

The time I spent at the California Art Institute brought me the highest quality of education, an unmatched art curriculum, designed by it’s founder, Fred Fixler. I did not study under Fred Fixler, but to say I didn’t learn from him, would simply be false. I studied under teachers who were taught by Fred, Glen Orbik and Shawn Zents. They shared with me the philosophies, the guidance, and critiques that were taught to them by Fred himself.

I met Fred and spoke to him many times when he would visit the school . The first time I met him, I was warming up in Glen’s Figure Drawing class with a few 2 minute quick sketches. I remember the door opened and he walked in.. you could hear the air being sucked out of the room. I was sitting closest to the door that day and prayed the models timer would ring before he saw me attempt to draw from the model. The sound of that bell never came, and he stood behind me. I thought I was going to break the charcoal against my pad, and could remember the sound of my rattling drawing horse. He watched for a few drawings.. I thought.. maybe I am doing okay.. then he leaned in over my shoulder and calmly said two words into my right ear…
“LONG LINES,” An icy chill down the spine, then, he continued to watch me draw. I felt my eye lid quiver.. “Am I going to faint??” Laurel Blechman shared a story with me of the first time she heard the banana hands comment, and how she scooted downstairs to the parking lot to shed a few quick tears…. would I be next? I then laid down a few long lines instead of the slow land mark to land mark lay ins I was use to doing. I looked back and he nodded and walked away.. I remember looking at Glen and he was smiling knowing two things.. one, I needed to wipe the sweat from my forehead, but secondly, that I just learned one of the greatest lessons, from one of the greatest teachers, of all time.

After that I remember talking to him anytime he would come in. I use to set up and clean the downstairs studio for Neil Boyle to offset my tuition. I was also going to a University full time, and would drive down to CAI after spending my whole day at the “other” school…. but I remember setting up easels, making coffee, and cleaning the floors.. Neil would talk to me about color/temp and Fred would talk about simplifying/big shapes, pointing them out in great examples on former students drawings, as they yellowed on the wall of fame. The whole time I was thinking.. I am still having trouble not breaking the charcoals while I sharpen them with these damn razorblades. They were great… everyone was great!

True friendships were made as we worked hard to learn, sitting in a semi circle around a lit model.

I will always remember Fred because he gave what we do a language.. and all of his students, and their students, now know this dialect and are better for it. Thank you Fred, for teaching us how to “use” your language, to now “speak” with our art.

God Bless

George Kalcoff

I studied part-time with Fred for a couple of years somewhere around 1985-1987 starting at the ripe old age of 27 or 28. Looking back now, that seems silly but I remember being one of the “older” students and feeling a little “over the hill” compared to the younger students who were with him from their teens. Fred’s reputation had started to grow and many more experienced students started to flock to his classes and I was among them. Having studied at the Art Center College and working as a professional illustrator, somehow the full understanding of the fundamentals had eluded me and this is what Fred gave to me. Training in the fundamentals of drawing and the understanding of light and shadow that I still refer to today. In addition, he introduced me to so many artists and illustrators that helped to inspire me.

Reading some of the stories of his former students, it’s hard for me to relate to him as being a tough teacher. I recall him as being very kind. I remember numerous times, leaving his class, lost in thought, only to have him call me at home minutes later, to ask if everything was ok. Of course things were fine, but I appreciated his personal concern. At the time, I studied with him, there were older more experienced students taking his classes, and I sensed that he had to readjust his teaching methods and perhaps his manner in relating to these more experienced students.

My studies with Fred were relatively short and although he did not have the impact on me as many of his students whom he had tutored from “scratch”, the impression he made upon me was nevertheless significant. What many people do not realize, was he was very refined and sophisticated in his tastes in art. He repeated many times, that this was only the beginning and if you were truly meant for something more, your own identity would surface. And if not, at least you would be able to make a good living with the skills he taught. For me, he truly earned my respect and I was always interested in anything he had to say, whether about art or life. I went on to study with other artists but I count him as one of the few teachers who had a profound influence upon my development as an artist.

Its hard to believe that he taught for less than 10 years, yet his teachings have made such an impact upon Southern California figurative art, through the continued teaching of his former students and their students and so on. It seems to me, that it all started with Fred and many of the figurative art schools in the Southern California area and beyond owe a debt to him, whether direct or indirect. I’m happy to see this website open to do just that, but also hope that there might be more ways to celebrate and document his teaching and the enormous contribution he’s made upon realist art in Southern California.

Warren Chang

when i was attending Art Center we kept hearing about this drawing school way off in the hinterlands of calbasas. when i finished ACCD i still felt i needed to know more about drawing and painting. i drove out to this modest school and was amazed at the drawings on the wall. this is what i wanted! it was through Fred i really began to understand edges and form and design. it was there i understood what a halftone was and how it plays an important part in modeling form.
edges were the biggest revelation. i had always admired Sargent and Schmid but didn't ,until then, really get the concept of soft and lost edges.
it was here i started understanding planes. the rhythms of the head was also a big revelation which profoundly changed the way i saw and painted. Fred and his school made a gigantic difference in my life and education. he made the world better, so thanks Fred.
Robh

Though I never had the opportunity to study directly with Mr. Fixler, I did study with Norm Nason and Glen Orbik. It was with them that I learned the importance of values, shapes, edges, and construction as it pertains to the figure. These are the fundamentals of the Western painting tradition. Once you immerse yourself in mastering these fundamentals you finally feel a connection to the artists of the past, and once you start to pass on this information to others, you begin to have a connection to the artists of the future.

Not too long ago, it was difficult for an inspiring artist to receive a good education in the fundamentals of Art. Fred, was one of the people most responsible for bringing back the tradition of sound draftsmanship to California.

I met Fred when I was at a workshop that Glen Orbik was giving... Glen was right in the middle of a demo when a guy who looked to me like Mark Twain walked in... It was hysterical... Glen lost all his concentration and Fred had to leave and come back later! Glen's pretty amazing himself, so I knew this guy probably had to be Fred.

When Fred came back, he was really cool about helping everyone with their work and talking to us. I wish I had a chance to study with him. I was lucky enough to take some weekend classes at the Watts Atelier for a year and I studied with Fred's students who were great to me.

When I was at Associates in Art, there was one really amazing drawing of Fred's that was hanging and I spent a lot of time looking at. At that point in my life, I really had nothing going for myself except for these classes and I focused and used the discipline I saw in these drawings to really help pull myself out and make my life better.

It's overwhelming when I think of what Fred must have done for so many people... Because of what he passed along, I have a nice job and fun life and I'm sure there quite a few people who have gained similar benefits without even knowing much of this was passed along by Fred. I'm glad to see this site and I think it's a fantastic thing that you've put those handouts up here.

Thank you for making this site and I'm sure many people will see Fred's great work and remember him for all the good things he brought to the artists who were lucky enough to come in contact with his teaching and appreciate it.

I took a few classes with Fred Fixler at the old school in off Valley Circle Blvd. He was an amazing instructor and gifted artist. He contributed much to the arts through his talent, his works, the school he founded and the students that he guided. I think often of him and will miss him. When I first came to The California Art Institute, he took one look at my Portfolio (I had been taking art classes for about 15 years and usually got A's)"First', he said 'You need to learn how to draw." He was, or course, absolutely correct.
Thank you Fred,

Donna