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| The preeminent tome on the craft of illustration |
Finally. The quest for this book has been a long journey, so when it arrived in the mail, it was a happy, happy day. I purchased my first book by Andrew Loomis about 20 years ago:
Figure Drawing for All It’s Worth. It looked interesting and I was trying improve my figure drawing skills. It was much more than I expected and remains my go-to resource for figures, proportion and perspective. After that I read everything I could get my hands on written by Loomis, all of which were via the library, since most of his books have been out of print for quite some time. Periodically I would search bookstores and online for anything Loomis. The best I was able to find were a few booklets on drawing hands, heads, etc. Most of those were excerpts from Loomis’ larger works and left me wanting more. Someone sent me an online pdf excerpt from
Creative Illustration. Owning my own copy became an obsession. The best I could find were a few used, first editions at various bookstores around the country, the least of which listed for about $400. Wish listed.
Then one day while ordering college textbooks for my daughter, I half-heartedly searched again, expecting the usual
No Results Found. There it was; available, resurrected and reprinted by a British publisher, Titan Books, with permission from The Estate of Andrew Loomis, complete with the original 1947 cover. Add to cart!
Most illustrators I know are generous about sharing their experience and techniques. Loomis is the epitome of benevolence
and talent. All of the illustrations in the book are his, and they are a goldmine of inspiration. But more valuable are his essays and instruction. They are not to be skimmed over. The design principles are timeless.
It won’t be long before crisp pages will be worn and smudged. (There’s already a sticky note poking out of the top.) This book won’t be just a possession, but a working companion. Another bonus? A note inside the book jacket states
“Coming soon from Titan Books — Fun With a Pencil,” another Loomis treasure. Wait listed.
I lost my voice.
Truly. The minute I decided to work with purpose, I lost it. There were plenty of other voices. There was one that said it was improbable that I could make a living as an artist, that it was selfish of me to try. There were encouraging voices, but they weren't strong enough to drown out fear. The loudest voice was the one inside my head that said it was ridiculous of me to put myself out there, into the world of existing talent. I could never measure up. But something kept pushing me, urging me to try. It's as if I have no choice to be anything other than the artist I am.
Today is a turning point. After trying to draw with a clenched fist and furrowed brow, I went searching for something – anything – a formula for success, some kind of brilliant inspiration. Instead I found my permission. I found that there isn't a formula. There is only my individual voice. If I don't speak, it won't be said. My only source is life and the truth therein. I am the only one that can express truth with the vision and experience unique to me.* Now it's up to me to use the knowledge and skill I've worked to attain, put it on canvas and let the work speak for itself. My responsibility is to be sure there is purpose in every line, shape, color and nuance. Noting more, nothing less, nothing else.
Let us re-create, as does the good writer of fiction, the poignant truths of life in so far as we are capable of discerning them and employing them for a purpose. – Andrew Loomis
*This is not to say that truth is relative. I'm speaking here of the difference between literal, lifeless rendering and drawing with purpose.
The Permanent Mark
Permanent Mark banner available at http://www.honoring911.com/
What struck me the most, while watching documentaries yesterday on post-9/11, was that many of the families and friends of first-responders are now attending funerals again. This time it is for those that survived the day but are now victims of cancers caused by exposure to air-born toxins that resulted from the
Typography can play an integral part in illustration, sometimes taking a staring role in an image design. A typeface communicates much more than the words it constructs by the very nature of its illustrative style, whether its form be block or flourish, casual or elegant. Here are some fun places to see the typographic art form:
Seb Lester's limited edition print "Dreams" from his site I Love
A recent article in the New York Times, “Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children” by Julie Bosman, provoked almost as much discussion as any article on taste in music, another subject guaranteed to create debate. The internet buzz about the alleged demise of the picture book prompted many to take a nostalgic look back at their favorites and wonder what life would have been without them.
It was a love for books that led me to a love for illustration. After all, my first books were picture books. It was in the first grade that I got my library card. For me that was a ticket to the world. I could go anywhere the printed page and my imagination could take me. The library was less than a block from school. I would walk there after school and spend time looking through the shelves,
The most difficult aspect of the gulf oil disaster is the feeling of helplessness most of us have. With Hurricane Katrina and other tragedies there were at least ways to donate dollars and supplies, if we didn't physically travel there to lend a hand. With the oil spill, the only thing we have been able to do is listen to the news, pray that those in charge can get the gusher plugged, and the
It's a wonderful thing to put my art into a computer and develop a painting right there on the screen. If I make a mistake, all I have to do is delete some steps, a layer, or push that magic combinations of keys: Command+Z. No more discarded paintings, wasted paint, and it's much faster to complete a project. That being said, there is also no substitute for the old fashioned method of drawing
So very well said! (See, you DO have a voice!) Truly - there's only one way to guarantee failure - not to try. HUgs, e