Robert Rodriguez’s Lasting Impact, From Quaker Oats to Broadway

From the Quaker Oats man to Broadway posters and U.S. postage stamps, Graphis Master Robert Rodriguez has shaped America’s visual landscape while staying largely behind the scenes. His masterful technique bridges classical illustration and digital innovation, earning him Grammy nominations and Graphis Platinum Awards. Despite decades of commercial success, Robert approaches each project with fresh enthusiasm, whether crafting circus posters or wine labels. His ability to elevate everyday products into enduring artistic statements has made him one of advertising’s most influential illustrators.

Introduction by Greg Spalenka, Artist/Illustrator

I had been having breakfast with Robert Rodriguez for years and did not even know it. The iconic Quaker whose face peered at me from that tubular Quaker Oats box on countless mornings was illustrated by none other than Robert himself. I should know these things, but alas, such is the conundrum of the illustrator whose work can sometimes be seen everywhere and nowhere at once. However, it was obvious that the painting on that box was a beautifully crafted piece of art produced with the brush strokes of a master. I have followed Robert’s work for years, even though, as a fellow illustrator, we were on opposite ends of the spectrum, with him focused on advertising jobs while my eye was set on editorial, social, and political themes. What sets Robert apart is that he always endeavors to capture and evoke a stylized beauty and grace within his imagery. He takes the classical principles of form, composition, light, shadow, color, and texture to higher states of designed elegance and reflects a highly personal vision. A professional career filled with accolades—from Gold and Silver medals awarded by the Society of Illustrators to a Grammy nomination for best album cover artwork—only touches upon what Robert has achieved so far. What makes him truly impressive is his desire to transcend what he has accomplished in the past. Whether it is an advertising image for a wine company, a theatrical poster, or even a Quaker Oats box, he is sure to bring a visual intelligence to a project that will have a lasting impact long after it is finished.

What inspired or motivated you in your career?

When I was trying to decide between a career in fine art or illustration, a teacher asked me, “Ten years from now, you work a day job, and on nights and weekends, you go into your studio and paint. You haven’t sold anything in ten years, but you paint because you love it. Would you do that?” I had to honestly answer in the negative because I needed my art to be what I did for a living. It wasn’t that I didn’t love it enough that I wouldn’t paint even though I didn’t sell anything, but I just couldn’t imagine having a day job that didn’t include art. So, it was illustration for me.

Where did you get your artistic training?

I went to Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. It was also known as the California Institute of the Arts, or CalArts nowadays. It was owned by Walt Disney, and one day, a friend came running into the painting studio yelling, “The Man is downstairs right now!” I went down to the print shop expecting to see a police drug bust, but there was Uncle Walt walking around talking to everyone. I got to shake his hand—a real thrill since I had wanted to be an animator until I was 14 and got a tour of Disney Studios and saw what animators actually did. That cured me.

What led you to the craft of illustration?

After I had decided to focus on illustration, I fell in love with the old art directors’ annuals in the school library. All that work from the late 1920s into the 1950s just blew me away. And when I saw what the current illustrators of the time were doing, it was exciting. I graduated in 1969, and I know the Golden Age of Illustration was over—but when we were doing the work, it seemed pretty Golden to me. Los Angeles was a hotbed of new ideas at the time.

What is your most often used medium?

Nowadays, computers are always used for illustration. Many years ago, it would have been acrylics, airbrush, and Prismacolor.

Have you found it challenging to do illustrative painting in a world that’s gone digital?

No! I love the computer. I hate it, too; such a stupid machine, but it has opened up everything, and you don’t need to use a damn airbrush anymore. That was a devil device. I have done a few oil paintings over the last few years for gallery work.

Is there still a demand for the kind of art you create?

So far, so good. There was a point in the 1990s when illustrators were dropping like flies, myself included, but I reinvented my portfolio. Things seemed to turn around, and I am more excited about work than ever.

Who is or was your greatest mentor?

During my first few years out of school, I worked for Peter Palombi and his partners. Peter was a great type designer; we often did jobs where I did the illustration, and he did the borders and type. Pe- ter would come in at four in the afternoon with a six-pack of Pepsi and a carton of Hershey bars and work all night. In the morning, his illustration was finished, along with the candy and sodas. I would show him a project I had just finished, thinking that I had done something that would blow him away. He’d be very complimentary, and I would want to see what he had done all night long. Damn! My piece might have been better than anything he had done up until that point, but his new piece would be better than anything I could ever imagine! Very exciting.

What is the most difficult challenge you’ve had to overcome? 

Working faster. I am definitely slow. I meet deadlines and all, but I still work all night.

Who were some of your greatest past influences?

J. C. Leyendecker and Wilson McLean. J. C. is still with me in my design, my use of reflected light, and his powerful people. To me, he is the best illustrator ever in every way. Wilson made me cry. When I first saw his work, I had the feeling that he had beaten me to my style. It was exactly what I wanted to do if I had only known it, but he did it first. For years, I wanted to be Wilson. Looking at his work made me realize that every little part of a painting is all about design. He taught me how to design palm trees. A highlight for me was the time he asked me to recommend a shipping company in California to pick up a painting he had sold that had just gotten in the Society of Illustration Exhibit in New York City. I recommended myself to do it, so I had a huge, original Wilson McLean in my studio for a week before I shipped it out to him. Of course, there were many others at various times and for different reasons: Ken Dallison, Barron Storey, Maxfield Parrish, N. C. Wyeth, Dean Cornwell, Gil Elvgren, Gary Kelley, Dave McKean, and type designers Tom Nikosey and Michael Doret…

Who among your contemporaries today do you most admire? 

Charles E. White III is up there. Charlie keeps reinventing himself. Every time you think he’s finished, he bounces back with something amazing in a whole new area. Greg Spalenka is like that, too, and a great artist. Paul Rogers also.

What would be your dream assignment?

I have come to realize that it hardly matters. The important thing would be an assignment where I am involved in the planning stages, and even though I might not get to decide every nuance of the final piece, we work as a team and come up with the best solution for the project. I have had projects like that, and they always work out better than when I am just the illustrating machine that the art director turns on and programs.

What is your greatest professional achievement?

I would say that my greatest achievement hasn’t happened yet.

What do you require from a client to do successful work? 

Teamwork. I love projects where the art director can explain what they are trying to achieve and let me come up with the best way to show that. I even do well when they have tight sketches that show what they want. As long as I can bring something new to the project, we can do something good together. A good art director can inspire an artist to do even better work, while a weak art director can destroy any chance of doing something good.

What is the greatest satisfaction you get from your work? 

Honestly, when it is done. It’s great when I have finished a painting I am proud of and study it to see what else needs to be resolved in it, and there isn’t anything. Of course, a few weeks later, I see all kinds of things—“If I had only done this…”—but for the moment, when I first finish a piece, there is nothing better.

What part of your work do you find most demanding? 

Coming up with an exciting design and composition or way to show a concept. It is also one of the most freeing parts of the work. I hardly know where the ideas come from; they just float in. I can fill pages with little thumbnails that no one can understand but me… and I’m always surprised at how I can tell from a scribble that it will make a good painting.

What professional goals do you still have for yourself?

I never really had any particular goals other than to keep getting great assignments, being inspired, learning, and loving what I do. The best thing about illustration is that it can never get boring. If it does, that just means you aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. I suppose one thing I’d like is to do a poster for Jazz Fest in my hometown of New Orleans.

What advice would you give to students starting out today?

I have known a lot of students who get burned out on illustration, and I do think it is more difficult today. Art directors don’t have the power to influence clients like they used to. I would tell people they should try to develop their own projects. If it is done right, illustration is fantastic! You learn new things, and you have to research things that you never considered before. If you don’t like the job you are doing at the moment, finish it quickly because as soon as that one is gone, you could have something more exciting on your drawing table or computer.

What interests do you have outside of your work?

Travel. But I suppose that is misleading because while traveling, we go to museums and look at monuments and architecture—a lot of it has to do with art. Talking to my kids on the phone (sadly, they live in other cities now). Going to plays.

What would you change if you had to do it all over again?

I might have gone into fine art… or done limited-edition prints. I considered it, but I was too busy at the time. But if I had, I would have missed out on amazing assignments. I don’t know, really; who is to say that would have been any better? I kind of like where I am and where I am heading.

Chances are, you’ve been having breakfast with Robert Rodriguez for years and never knew it. If you’ve ever made yourself a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal, his painting of the old Quaker has probably been watching over you. After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute (now CalArts), he worked with Peter Palombi for five years before going off on his own. Like most illustrators who have managed to stick around this long, he has his share of gold medals and awards. From being a Grammy Awards finalist for best album cover art to winning a Graphis Platinum Award for his “Cowboys of the Silver Screen” postage stamps, from doing Broadway theater posters, a Super Bowl poster, movie posters, and a half dozen Ringling Bros. circus posters, up to creating the official posters for the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans for the last nine years, he’s been busy.

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Read other interviews with top creatives in The Graphis Journal issue #359 today!