I have always said to young artists that scholastic training and the studying of art history are crucial to fully developing as an artist.

I can easily ignore my detractors and feel the people who respond favorably.

I hold doors open for all the women. Men can open the doors for themselves.

I've met and sketched most of the great athletes from the past five decades and their movement, grace and energy have kept me captivated over the years. That's what the ancient Greeks first saw and that's what caught my interest.

But 'Playboy' was liberating. I was drawn to it and went for it full throttle.

You can't take yourself too seriously.

I guess I created LeRoy Neiman. Nobody else told me how to do it. Well, I'm a believer in the theory that the artist is as important as his work.