JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Blog Posts by Tag
In the past 7 days
Blog Posts by Date
Click days in this calendar to see posts by day or month
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Illustrated Books, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 25 of 25
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Illustrated Books in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
The goal of the pictures in a field handbook is to present the essential type, the Platonic ideal of the species in question. His son Lee Allen Peterson says that his father's rendering of a robin:
"was not just any old robin, but the perfect robin. Somehow, he was able to convey a bird not at a specific moment in time, awkwardly posed with feathers in disarray, but rather, as the mind saw it, the robin idealized, with feathers neatly patterned and plump."
In order for the art to include the characteristic and diagnostic features, the artist must be more than a convincing realist painter. He or she must possess a large body of knowledge and experience, accessible from memory, from which to screen out any accidental or non-essential detail.
American Robin, photo courtesy Wikipedia
Lee Allen Peterson continues:
"His results were all the more remarkable when one watched how they were achieved. He worked mostly from memory, using only a dry, beat-up specimen of the bird for details of anatomy and occasionally a photograph or two. And he was able to piece together an image of the bird as it should have been. Not just any robin, but all robins."
Last weekend the Norman Rockwell Museum introduced a new illustration history website, which provides an rich resource for fans, collectors, and scholars.
Some of the major names in illustration are featured with bios and sample images. There's also a growing collection of essays which will be written by museum staff and scholars of illustration around the world. The list of resources includes blogs, recommended books, college study programs, and interview videos.
For example, in this 2004, video, (Link to video) Illustration historian Walt Reed (1917-2015) talks about how he got started as an educator for the Famous Artists School, how he got to know Norman Rockwell, and how that led him to opening the Illustration House gallery.
The scope of the website encompasses genres such as editiorial illustration, comics, cartooning, storyboarding, tattooing, and architectural illustration.
The focus is primarily on American illustrators, and there are a lot of important names that are inadvertently left out (please mention 'em in the comments!). And they have overlooked many genres of illustration, such as natural history, medical, paleoart, concept art, pin-up, imaginative realism, reportorial, editorial, and paperback covers. But I trust they'll fix these gaps—they're just starting out, and they're open to feedback.
(Link to video) The Rockwell Museum has a lot of other videos and audio interviews in their collection that they're happily beginning to release, such as this video where Mr. Rockwell talks about how he found "plain, everyday people" from his small New England surroundings to stand in for people of all religions in his painting "The Golden Rule."
Just announced today Amazon has a new subscription service for e-books called Kindle Unlimited. For a flat monthly fee of $9.99 you can enroll and download up to ten e-books at one time. When you are done, just return them and then you can download more. We know young children can be voracious readers and we are excited about the opportunity to reach new readers with this program. Now parents can download books for themselves and load up on some quality children’s books too for one low price. There are over 600,000 titles currently available and they can be loaded onto any device. What a bargain!
Try the new Kindle Unlimited FREE for 30 days HERE
Title: The Cat Who Lost His Meow | Author: Angela Muse | Illustrator: Helen H. Wu | Publication Date: June 1, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3+
Summary: Chester the lazy calico cat has suddenly lost his meow. He’s looking everywhere, but can’t seem to find his voice. When Chester puts himself in a frightening situation he not only finds his voice return, but he also finds his courage. This experience makes Chester appreciate things a little bit more than he had before.
Priced at only $.99 during this promotion.
About the Author: Angela Muse
Angela Muse
Angela Muse was born in California to a military family. This meant that she got used to being the “new kid” in school every couple of years. It was hard trying to make new friends, but Angela discovered she had a knack for writing. In high school Angela began writing poetry and song lyrics. Expressing herself through writing seemed very natural. After becoming a Mom in 2003, Angela continued her storytelling to her own children. In 2009 she wrote and published her first rhyming children’s book aimed at toddlers. Since then she has released several more children’s picture books and released her first young adult romance series, The Alpha Girls, in 2012.
Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)
Contest ends: July 29, 11:59 pm, 2014
Open: Internationally
How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.
Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Angela Muse and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.
In the Shadows Text Story by Kiersten White Art and Art Story by Jim Di Bartolo
In the Shadows alternates between two related stories, one told in text and the other entirely in pictures. It's hard to talk about In the Shadows without risking revealing too much. The stories themselves unfold gradually, and at first it's hard to understand what's going on or how the stories fit together, but as the details unfold the pieces start to come together.
The text portion alternates between five young people: Cora and Minnie, whose mother runs a boarding house in a small town in Maine; Arthur, a mysterious young man who comes to the boarding house; and two brothers, Thom and Charles. Charles is dying from a terminal illness, and their father sends the two young men from New York City to Maine for Charles' health, although a conversation that Thom overhears between his father and a woman seems to indicate a more sinister reason. The five teens begin to suspect that there is evil lurking in the town, and all five of them are linked to it in some way.
The art story depicts a young man traveling around the world, apparently searching for something or someone. We don't know who he is, and at first it's hard to understand what's going on or what the connection is with the text story. By about halfway through, you begin to suspect, and then later details in the text story make clear what's happening in the art story.
In the Shadows is an intriguing, beautifully made book. I love this kind of story, where the connections aren't always clear and you have to puzzle it out as you go along. I actually found that after I finished the book, I wanted to go through the art story again from the beginning to pick up on all the details and fully appreciate it.
The text story is well-written and holds your interest, the art is beautiful, and the two fit well together stylistically. There is a dark, creepy, and mysterious feel to both stories. With evil lurking in a small town in Maine, it's hard not to compare this to Stephen King, but stylistically it's not really similar to King's writing. The compelling story and short chapters conspire to keep you reading; "Just one more chapter," I kept telling myself.
Diversity?
Other than a few incidental characters in the pictures, I didn't see any diversity.
Who would like this book: With the short chapters, artwork, and fast-paced read, this may be a good book for reluctant readers. Graphic novel readers may also enjoy it, even though it isn't strictly a graphic novel. Any teen or adult who enjoys dark, creepy stories with mysterious conspiracies will enjoy In the Shadows.
FTC required disclosure: Review copy sent by the publisher to enable me to write this review. The bookstore links above are affiliate links, and I earn a very small percentage of any sales made through the links. Neither of these things influenced my review.
0 Comments on Book Review: In the Shadows as of 5/8/2014 3:34:00 PM
We are so proud of our children’s book, The Bee Bully. He is being featured currently on Bookbub.com through April 17th and he is being very well received. He is currently #4 on Amazon’s Movers and Shakers List for kindle and he is #1 in the Children’s Ebook category. He has been reduced to $.99 during this promotion period and has over 80 five-star reviews. Be sure to get a copy today and see what all the buzz is about!
Moldylocks and the Three Beards (yes, Beards) is the first book in a new heavily illustrated early chapter book series by Noah Z. Jones called Princess Pink and the Land of Fake-Believe. Princess Pink has seven older brothers, and her parents were so happy to have a girl that they named her "Princess." Their last name is "Pink." She is the exact opposite of her name:
"Princess Pink does not like fairies. She does not like princesses. And she REALLY does not like the color pink.
Princess Pink does like dirty sneakers, giant bugs, mud puddles, monster trucks, and cheesy pizza."
When her refrigerator turns into a portal to another world one late night, Princess finds herself in the Land of Fake-Believe. Her hair turns pink, but her new friend Moldylocks thinks that it looks cool. Hungry, she sets out with Moldylocks to visit the home of three Beards she knows, in the hope of sneaking some chili. A mix of expected and unexpected events follow, culminating in a daring rescue. And at the end, when Princess is back in her own bed, there's a suggestion that it just might have all been true.
This series is designed to appeal to first and second grades, with a grade 2 reading level. But I have to say that my just-turned four-year-old adores Moldylocks and the Three Beards as a read-aloud. When she realized that it was a satire on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, she didn't quite get it, but she pealed with laughter anyway. She liked trying to predict what would happen next.
But really, I do think this this is going to be a very nice series for new first and second grade readers. It's funny, and just a little gross. (Eating chili that a spider has been bathing in? Yuck! Green, moldy hair? Yuck!) It riffs on standard fairy tale tropes (there's a Mother Moose, for example, with a Tunacorn), and has entertaining illustrations. It's a nice introduction for kids to the concept of fractured fairy tales, and the way that they confound expectations.
Princess is about as non-stereotypical as she she could be, with medium brown skin, ragged shorts, and multi-colored socks. And I have to say, she looks pretty cool with the pink hair. She runs away from the Beards at first, but goes back bravely when her new friend needs her. In short, she's a delightful heroine for the modern primary schooler. And really, despite being about a girl named Princess Pink, the story is certainly boy-friendly, too.
Moldylocks and the Three Bears is something of an early reader/graphic novel hybrid. Much of the story is told through colorful, comic-like pictures and text call-outs. But there's traditional narrative on every page, too. Princess's words are shown in pink, while Moldylocks' are green. The girls are wide-eyed with expressive features. The Beards are a little odd, but funny. The spiders are surprisingly cute. And Moldylocks' green-tinged apron, well, that's a bit gross, but funny, too. The vocabulary is quite straightforward, and should be accessible to second graders. There are plenty of clues in the pictures as to what is going on anyway.
In short, I think that The Land of Fake-Believe series is going to be a nice addition to the ranks of early chapter books. I've even checked online already to see when the next book will be out (not until August, alas). School and public libraries will definitely want to give Moldylocks and the Three Beards a look. Recommended!
Publisher: Scholastic (@Scholastic)
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
FTC Required Disclosure:
This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
<!--StartFragment-->
Marc Jacobs Show 1.14.13 photo credit: Kathy Willens/AP
On the heels of New York City Fashion Week, you may be feeling the void that often follows once the glut of theatrical runway shows, six-inch-heeled models, and designers--both new and namesake--have disappeared from the streets of Lincoln Center. We know that sometimes nothing could be worse than the need for a
0 Comments on Get Your Fashion Fix at Overlook Press as of 2/22/2013 1:21:00 PM
It is really, very cold outside. It's supposed to stay like this for a few days so I'm hunkered down, working on a commission which I expect to be done a day or two and writing a little chapter book which I want to pitch as soon as I can. After Maddy is finished I'll be pitching books like mad, both for my own stories and for collaborations.
0 Comments on Deep Freeze as of 1/22/2013 1:12:00 PM
Reading – we all recognise it as a core skill. By ‘intelligent reading’, I mean reading with a level of comprehension commensurate with the child’s experience of the world they inhabit. Fortunately, reading to children is now encouraged as being supportive of reading literacy and as a sound foundation for future learning.
Not that long ago, children were seen as passive recipients of the eager parent’s input via the quality time spent in ‘read to me’ and ‘bedtime story’ sessions.
I always felt sure my children were taking in much more than the professional opinion allowed.
Recently, I borrowed a copy of Dr. Virginia Lowe’s very excellent book, “Stories, Pictures and Reality: Two children tell” (Routlege 2007) based on the record of her own two children’s responses to books from birth to adolescence. Dr. Lowe’s book vindicates what I felt all along as a parent! This book should be set reading for students of primary, early childhood and remedial teaching, child and family psychology and for anyone with an interest in literacy!
Her children had a smorgasbord of stories proffered continuously, both Dr Lowe and her husband being librarians who were passionate advocates of children’s literature. The children’s reactions to and responses concerning elements of story and illustrations provide a wonderfully insightful peek into the psyche of the child. Both Lowe children clearly had a blessed and privileged childhood, but being ‘read to’ is within the reach of most children. Public libraries and school libraries are accessible to most families. Even if parental work commitments make a nightly ‘reading’ impossible, there are weekends and visits to grandparents when a ‘storytelling’ session can be included in the agenda.
And online resources such as “Ripple Reader” and “A Story Before Bed” provide a way for even absent grandparents and parents to read to their children. In the USA and Israel, ‘bedtime stories’ are part of official early education policy. Programmes like “Reach Out and Read” and “Read to Me” do a monumental job in promoting literacy and the power of storytime to be a deeply meaningful and bonding time in families.
0 Comments on Intelligent reading – Comprehension in young children as of 12/16/2012 4:08:00 AM
I agree. with Jbyrd--I'm wearing out my copy of Color and Light referring to this page and that--it's helped me. A lot. And it's not on the list, but I found Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain helpful, years ago.
Now I voted for "An Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists by W. Ellenberger et al." but my MOST favourite and helpful book is "Die Gestalt des Menschen" by Gottfried Bammes. To bad that there is not an english version of it (I think that it is possibly the reason that nearly nobody knows it).
These are great suggestions, thanks, but I had to leave out Schmid and Betty Edwards because their books aren't more than 50 years old. I know it's a bit arbitrary, but I wanted to focus on the older tomes. Bammes unfortunately didn't come up in the preliminary round of nominations.
Its not in print, and may be, oh,, a tad racist, but Andrew Loomis'/ "Fun With a Pencil" is probably the best beginner's book to instill confidence and get peopel to draw for theri on amusement and motivation, later slipping in sound fundamentals. First published in 1937.
How I paint a picture by Jon Witcomb. Advance painting course from Famous Artist School. This course was an extension to the Famous Artist Course but was not popular. So they stop producing the course. Norman Rockwell praised him for his beautiful work. Some guy had it on ebay but he wouldn't sell it to me as the reserve was not met. AGH! Regards Henry Fong
I'm also missing the Bammes on the list. I do read German, so I've got it easy, but I've always found even just his (tons of) illustrations much more concise and illuminating than any other anatomy book I've looked into, including Loomis and Bridgeman.
Also, Robert Henri, 'The Art Spirit'. I sometimes feel like Hawthorne, Nicolaides and Henri are in a very lively dialogue, sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, thus forcing you to think for yourself, but always interesting and enlightening.
I like how loomis organizes drawing into "the five C's and the five P's" in his book Successful Drawing. So i voted for that.
I find bridgeman, vanderpool and Speed hard to get into compared to loomis. Bridgemans drawings are quite abstract so it's hard to make out what is going on, as for vanderpool and speed i think thier writing style is little old fashioned.
What do bridgeman, vanderpool and Speed ofer that Loomis doesn't? I'd like to be convinced to give them another try!
Rich--There were several treatises on perspective and paint chemistry in the Renaissance, and there's Leonardo. In the early 1800s, romantic tourism encouraged a spate of books for artists, including those by Ruskin, Durand, and Harding.
Iliya, if you like controlled realism, I'd recommend Arthur Guptill's "Color in Sketching and Rendering."
Ken, I like Bridgman for solid, muscular form, and Vanderpoel for tonal thinking and grace. Though Loomis deserves his first place position.
Oona, thanks for mentioning Henri. His book is a fire-up.
Dash, I only left out Hamm because no one nominated him, but I recommend his books on figure and animal drawing--lots of practical tips.
Anon, I've got most of those FAC master courses in photocopy form, and I agree, they're wonderful because they allow each instructor to unfold his own approach.
you're missing: http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819 Figure Drawing Design and Invention by Michael Hampton and the greatest book ever: Die Gestalt des Menschen by Gottfried Bammes, which is the greatest life drawing book that has ever been printed.
Jon and Blake, thanks for mentioning those books, which are great. Please remember this list can't be totally comprehensive. Hampton's book isn't included because it's too recent (I'm looking for classic books older than 50 years), and I don't believe Bammes was nominated by the commentators on the first round. We can do other lists in the future.
Yeah, I know it can't be in the list, Jim, I just wanted to say Hampton is great - I mean, I've ordered the Bammes seeing as people above say it's worth it.
I've looked up some in the list on Amazon - the Fawcett looks good - the problem is the list is long and I have the feeling many of the books are somewhat unfamiliar - we're all voting for Loomis because not only is it good, but his books are the ones we all know!
This morning Shelf Awareness serves up this quote of the day, and it stops me. I think I might just move on, but I can't.
Because Parks' assertion that reading the e-book frees us from "everything extraneous and distracting" ... "to focus on the pleasure of the words themselves" in no way jibes with my experience. Yes, I have downloaded dozens of books onto my iPad. Sadly, I've left many of them stranded. Unable to scribble in the margins, dog-ear the pages, underline emphatically—unable, in other words, to engage in a physical way with the text—I grew distracted, disinterested, bored. Yes, Michael Ondaatje will always keep me reading. And so will the work of my friend Kelly Simmons, and the words of Julie Otsuka, Leah Hager Cohen, A.S. King, Timothy Schaffert, Paula Fox, and Justin Torres—though I wish I owned all of that work on paper. But here on my iPad—stranded, unfinished—sit Jesmyn Ward's Salvage the Bones, Andrew Winer's The Marriage Artist, Margaret Drabble's complete short stories, and many other tales. These are, most likely, extremely good books, and yet, I find myself incapable of focusing on them in their e-format. I need to interact—physically—with the texts before me. I can't do that, in the ways I'd like to do that, with a screen.
I am also, as a footnote, intrigued by Tim Parks' final lines, when he speaks of moving on from illustrated children's books. With the rise of the graphic novel and the increasing insertion of images back into teen books (and I suspect we'll see that illustration encroachment continue), I wonder if we have really moved away from illustrated texts. I wonder, too, if we should. Art is not just for juveniles, after all.
Here is the quote at length, as excerpted by Shelf Awareness.
"The e-book, by eliminating all variations in the appearance and weight of the material object we hold in our hand and by discouraging anything but our focus on where we are in the sequence of words (the page once read disappears, the page to come has yet to appear) would seem to bring us closer than the paper book to the essence of the literary experience. Certainly it offers a more austere, direct engagement with the words appearing before us and disappearing behind us than the traditional paper book offers, giving no fetishistic gratification as we cover our walls with famous names. It is as if one had been freed from everything extraneous and distracting surrounding the text to focus on the pleasure of the words themselves. In this sense the passage from paper to e-book is not unlike the moment when we passed from illustrated children's books to the adult version of the page that is only text. This is a medium for grown-ups."
--Tim Parks in his post headlined "E-books Can't Burn" at the New York Review of Books blog
5 Comments on Do e-books free us from distractions? Responding to Tim Parks, last added: 3/1/2012
I don't see a move away from illustrations in books, but a move toward greater illustrations. I have a kindle and some books on it, but I have yet to read any. This is a sad statement. I have played one word game on the Kindle though.
Funny, I am in complete disagreement with Parks on almost every account. I think e-books invite distraction because they can and will allow a different kind of interaction with the text, to a point where an entire book could become a giant hyper-link, allowing you to jump out of the text at every opportunity. (Sorry, I have an inexplicable fear of hyper-links.) His argument that the medium is for grown-ups is absurd. Adults are adapting to this technology. Children are raised on it. And moving away from graphics... Readers and tablets are, at the end of the day, at the most basic level, screens.
Close than the paper book, closer to the literary experience? Come on, there is a time and place for e-book readers (vacations, waiting an hour after your scheduled appointment for the doctor), but the essence of the actual page, the literary experience, is the feel of that page, that it was printed and bound with others and exists complete in your hands for your reading pleasure, ready for easy access (not so on an e-reader) to flip back and be reminded who a certain character is or to look ahead to see how many pages before the end of the chapter—not to mention marking passages that sing the language. The essence of e-readers is to narrow the focus to a partial page; not unlike a horse with blinders, unable to see the buggy behind or anything to the side that has just moved out of sight.
Very interesting, Beth. You're definitely on to something. The one thing that I love about ebooks, though, is the dictionary feature. I look up so many more words now. However, I, too, miss writing in the margins and underlining favorite passages.
Although I have read some ebooks, I prefer the physical book, largely because I can see the book's structure and appreciate it, coming and going. Ebooks flatten that aspect completely.
Continuing the story of how the illustrated book, Dinotopia, came to be....
I believed that the book should have enough scope to feel like a novel, and should be no shorter than 160 pages, fully illustrated with color on every page. This sort of “long-form picturebook,” was pioneered by the Dutch illustrator Rien Poortvliet (with Wil Huygen) inGnomes andNoah's Ark.
Producing that much artwork would mean that I would have to cut myself off from all my freelance illustration clients. My wife, our two little boys, and I would have to survive on the sale of art prints and originals until the book was published.
I had about a hundred and fifty paintings to complete in about two years. A few of the paintings could serve double duty, both as book illustrations and as art print subjects. Those keynote images had to be larger and more finished, and they also had to stand alone outside of the narrative.
The longer form gave me plenty of scope to develop the fantasy. It was five times the length of a typical thirty-two page children’s picture book. It wasn’t like a graphic novel, because each page had only one or two images, and it didn’t require dialog and word bubbles to tell the story.
The running text could be a mix of narration, description, and dialog. The text didn’t have to match the pictures exactly. The pictures could provide side excursions into details of the world.
I felt that the illustrated book medium, since it allowed the reader to skip around or pause on a single image, lent itself to a mode of conjuring that could be found in no other medium.
James, Thanks for including some conversation about the practical, financial aspects of the choices you made during your project. It helps to see that even a successful artist had tougher times.
James, I echo Ledeaux's and Brueggert's comments. It's very instructive to learn that these projects don't spring fully formed from your forehead, and that they involve struggles and the willingness to take chances - not to mention a supportive and understanding family!
A question: are the three sculpted heads next to your drawing table related to Dinotopia, or some other project? Are they your own work?
Tom, those are little plaster heads that I cast from clay originals that I made, long before Dinotopia, (and long before I knew of Sculpey). They're standard reference heads.
I really admire and appreciate all of the hard work that went into the making of this book; just as it was inspired by what you read as a child, Dinotopia in turn inspired me in my childhood.
Flesk Publishing has just released a new collection of artwork by William Stout called “Hallucinations.”
This is the first of two 48-page softbound collections of Stout’s watercolor and ink artwork. The subjects include dragons, genies, and witches, as well as scenes from Oz and Aesop. The penwork is ornate, intricate, and sometimes whimsical, with smaller details and subordinate characters adding levels of fascination to the pictures.
In the introduction, Stout credits the inspiration that he draws from the early 20th century children’s book illustrators, especially Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, John Bauer, and William Heath Robinson.
This is the first of a two related volumes. The next one will feature women and wonders, and will be called “Inspirations.”
I just saw and spoke to William Stout at Famous Monsters Convention in Indianapolis (I had a vending booth there too) I had a great conversation and was going to come back and buy his Hallucinations book later in the day but he left early (it was on the last day) I want one, but I would rather have liked to buy it from him in person. It was a VERY beautiful book full of magic and wonder. Very worth having on the art book shelf!
When Berkley books asked me to design the ultimate monster truck, I scaled up a lot of features of trucks that I liked. The book was called “Starrigger” by John DeChancie.
I imagined a giant vehicle that could make long runs across a planet that was basically a huge dry lake bed. When the sequel assignment came along, I was unfortunately too busy to take the job. But I was delighted that one of my heroes, John Berkey, received the commission. His painting, for “Red Limit Freeway” closely followed the design I came up with.
I was able to find time to do another sequel cover called "Paradox Alley," which shows the truck going off a cliff and the driver flying out in an ejection seat. That oil original is in the collection of Art Center College of Design.
I have also been wondering how to digitalize oil paintings. I tried to take some digital photos, but it didn't work very well, I got some reflected light on the digital photos.
It looks like a dinosaur. Seriously, I love art directors and editors who understand that if you are a really good painter you can paint anything. Very cool design.
This series of books is one of my favorites, both for the content and the cover art. It was really cool to learn from this blog that you'd done two of the covers, Mr. G!
I've actually done some concept sketches of other vehicles from the series, a few different takes of the huge trucks, the Roadbugs and other wheeled vehicles from the series. I should dig them out and show them somewhere.
My mom got me the first book for Christmas one year when I was in high school - either 1981 or 1982 - and I really enjoyed it. I didn't even know there were sequels until around 2000, when I happened to Google "John DeChancie" just to see if he'd written anything else. I immediately put in orders with Amazon to find me used copies of the 2nd and 3rd books. It took five years for them to become available and of course I snapped them right up.
I'll have to go on a quest to see the third cover original up at Art Center. Where's the first cover original? Is it viewable anywhere?
I would also buy a poster or large inkjet print of any of these. :)
Jeff and Ben, thanks for the nice comments, and sorry that there's no poster version. Starrigger does appear in Imaginative Realism.
DragonLady: Different artists lend a hand with a series like this, and it's OK and expected to match up styles and designs, since our job was to get people excited about John DeChancie's books. If John Berkey had wanted to present a different interpretation, that would have been OK, too.
Abey: I usually have the art shot by a professional photographer, or it's shot by the publisher. When I shoot my own artwork, I use a digital single lens reflex camera on a tripod with the art on an easel.
The illustrated newspapers called The Illustrated London News, The Graphic, and The Sphere provided the first art education to young artists growing up in Europe a little over a century ago.
Above: “Mothers Leaving Their Babies at the Foundling Hospital,” from the Illustrated London News. Image via Foundling Museum.
According to author and art historian Brian Kane, “Delacroix, Vernet, Manet, Monet, Renoir, and many other prominent artists contributed to illustrated newspapers. The influence of these graphic journalists was extensive.”
Mr. Kane makes the following observations:
1. The Van Gogh Museum alone maintains a collection of over 1,500 pages, which where amassed from various illustrated newspapers by Vincent and his brother Theo. Van Gogh wanted to be a graphic journalist. There are even samples of a few of his attempts at illustrations in the Van Gogh Museum. In his letters, Van Gogh also mentions Vierge a couple times. 2. Some of the world’s first comic strips, illustrated by Swiss schoolmaster Rodophe Topffer (1799-1846), were first published in L’Illustration in the 1840s. 3. The Illustrated London News’ Yokohama-based news correspondent, illustrator, and humorist Charles Wirgman (1832-1891) laid the groundwork for Japanese manga in 1862 with his self-published The Japan Punch.
Brian Kane continues:
“Until now, no one has had a good explanation as to the proliferation of artists in the mid-late 19th century. My theory, and as far as I know I'm the only one who has thought of this, is that the illustrated newspapers in England, Germany, and especially France became the first art primers for the middle class.
From the 1840s on, publications such as L'Illustration and The Illustrated London News were treasure troves of mass market art. Images of wars, floods, festivals, fine arts paintings, heads of state, foreign lands -- all of contemporary visual culture a child could ever want -- arrived in their homes weekly.
Since art was not taught in the primary schools, young artists would learn about art by copying images from the papers, just as you and I learned to draw from copying our favorite comics.”
Dan Zimmer is best known for the beautifully produced ILLUSTRATION magazine, which is about the history of American Illustration. He also publishes ILLO, a book-length spotlight on the contemporary illustration scene.
He has just released ILLO 2, which features interviews with Michael Cho, Nancy Stahl, and Zina Saunders. Somehow I got lucky and they included me, too.
It’s hard to convey how extensive the coverage is on each person without actually seeing the whole issue, so here's every page. Go to a newsstand and pick one up so that Mr. Zimmer can keep making future issues. There are a lot of other deserving illustrators that he still needs to cover.
congrats man! your art is amazing-a true artist and your blog is very informative I'm a 'pro' meaning..i get paid for art-but I feel like an amateur when I see your stuff (and read your articles) keep it up my friend!
One of Newcastle's best known artists is Thomas Bewick (1793-1828). He was a wood engraver and an early pioneer and innovator of book illustration.
One of Bewick's specialties was the tailpiece, a small spot illustration filling the empty space at the end of a chapter. The Laing Museum has an exhibit of these works, which they call "tale-pieces" because many of them tell a witty story or teach a moral lesson.
This one, which is reality only about two inches across, shows an old woman chasing geese. This kind of ornamental design frequently was surrounded by leaves and foliage. For that reason they came to be known as a vignettes, from the French word "vigne" meaning "vine." ---- The Laing Museum exhibit will be shown through 18 October 2009.
were these wood carving blocks in reality only two inches by two inches? that is an amazing amount of detail to put into somthing that size, that cant be right, i would guess more like 4x4 minimum?
I'm thinking the 2 inches square is right. Think how much detail is packed into the portraits on paper money or stamps. Though engraved in metal, the tools and process to create those are similar to what Bewick did.
I have the good fortune of being a friend of Jim Horton, the founder of the Wood Engravers Network. Jim does wood engraving himself and has collected many blocks from past centuries. It's stunning how much detail can be incised into a the end-grain of a small block of rock maple or boxwood. Wood engravers typically wear Opti-Visors or use a magnification lens positioned over their work. I've tried a little engraving and it's demanding, unforgiving work. Knowing how to keep the tools sharp is a major necessity of the art. It's also hypnotic work as your world is reduced to the tiny field of vision available through the lens.
England still has many fine wood engravers. In this country, Barry Moser is probably held in the highest regard. Ten years ago he published a King James edition of the Bible with 229 densely detailed engravings that are a showcase of the range of tones that can be achieved entirely with black and white.
Every wood engraver working today probably cites Thomas Bewick as the seminal source of the medium. I'd love to see the Laing exhibit!
Steve- Barry Moser is fantastic! We have his Bible and it is absolutely exquisite. (I am looking forward to adding R. Crumb's edition to my collection;) Barry has also done 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland', and I believe 'Through the looking Glass' as well. Thanks for the info on Jim Horton.-RQ
Thanks, Swashbuckle--hopefully the link is fixed now. I also fixed an incorrect date on his birthday.
I neglected to mention that Bewick (pronounced 'Buick') was also a leading ornithologist in his day, and wrote groundbreaking books on British birds and on quadrupeds. Audubon recollected meeting him, and was completely amazed at the skill and concentration involved in the engraving work.
The pieces really are tiny, not much bigger than a postage stamp. I didn't appreciate them until I put on my reading glasses and picked up one of the magnifying lenses that are provided with the exhibition.
I find him absolutely fascinating and got so interested in him that I ended up creating an information site about him too - with lots and lots more links! See Thomas Bewick - Resources for Art Lovers
The Grey Ghost by Julie Hahnke illustrated by Marcia Christensen
In 16th century Scotland, eleven-year-old Angus was out with the sheep when his family, members of the Macnab clan, were attacked and killed by the rival Campbell clan. The Campbells are bent on destroying all the clans and controlling the Scottish Highlands, and Angus finds himself alone in the wilderness. But when help arrives in the form of a pine marten and a goshawk, who are able to communicate mentally with Angus, he decides to take matters into his own hands and do what he can to help his clan.
The Grey Ghost is a short book that's a fairly easy read, although some of the words, including a few Scottish ones, may be challenging for some readers. The language and descriptions are lovely, without slowing down the pace of the story. The beautifully-detailed pencil sketches are an integral part of the story; they provide additional information not included in the words, and in some cases help the reader to understand what's happening.
The story is moving, as the losses Angus suffers are tragic, and there are themes of loyalty and leadership. Comic relief is provided by the goshawk, Yann, and the ever-hungry pine marten, Tethera, easily my favorite character in the story.
Angus doesn't try to take on the entire Campbell clan by himself; instead he sets out to accomplish achievable goals that, while still requiring significant risk and heroism on the part of the boy, are fairly believable. Angus is quite an appealing character. As he works towards his goals, displaying both heroism and compassion for the people of the land, Angus develops maturity, depth, and leadership that he has no idea he possesses.
With its illustrations and simple, humorous, and exciting story, I think that The Grey Ghost would be an appealing book for reluctant readers, although the language may be challenging for some. A few scenes, such as a severed head and a picture of a corpse with worms coming out of an eye socket, may be too intense for sensitive readers, although those same scenes will appeal to other readers.
2 Comments on Book Review: The Grey Ghost, last added: 5/18/2009
Interview with Spain’s leading illustrator, The Golden Age continues!
“
Angel Dominguez - for sketch of Captain Cleveland
Jennifer: Fans of Dulac and Rackham do not despair, they have a worthy successor. The art of Angel Dominguez has already been compared master illustrators of the Golden Age of book illustration. He has the vibrant colour and pattern of Dulac and both the delicate and the quirkily grotesque approach to fantasy characterisation for which Rackham was famous. Angel, I believe you formally started your career in illustration in 1971? What influenced you to choose such a career? Are there other artists in your family background?
Angel: “Curiously and curiously” as Alice says… because my master is Arthur Rackham, but you´re right, I also love Edmund Dulac. Many people say I´m more like Dulac. In writing on the topic,“The Master illustrator of the Golden Age of book illustration”, you must write about Rackham and Dulac, both have the same quality and charm.
I had an uncle, who was a very good painter in oils. So if you ask about genetics, I think that maybe there is a link, but to be an artist it is really only necessary to love art and all that’s around us.
Captain Cleveland
My strongest influence in choosing to illustrate children’s books was Arthur Rackham without a doubt. I remember, as a child, having a book in my hands with a little and awful reproduction of “The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party” from Alice in Wonderland. It was so bad, I was even unable to read the signature of the artist…but, in that moment, I knew I wanted to do that wonderful kind of art. I fell in love with that imaginative place too, the Mad Hatter and the other characters, with that cottage and background… I felt a lot of sensations, good inner reactions to that technique of painting. I WANTEDto do the same! And further, visiting London, I saw a lot of books by that artist… and now I have nearly all his books on my shelves. I did Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland with Artisan of New York and I was the happiest man on Earth. I did The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party with special affection, and the original was sold quickly.People even asked me to paint other ‘originals’ of that same scene.
Jennifer: Who were the artists, you feel, had the most influence on your style as a young illustrator and why?
Angel: If we talk about fantasy (also I´m wildlife artist) my strongest influential artists were:
1st CAVE ART:
All the amazing paintings on the walls of the caves, from Altamira, the best, I think, to all others around the world, in the deserts of Africa, America…
2nd ABORIGENS:
I love each nationality of artists in the wild, for all of the continents, but specially the Australian Aborigines, they painted wonderful art on rocks and on bark… I was so inspired, I also did some paintings in this medium.
3rd COMIC:
Alex Niño, Bernie Wrightson, Sergio Toppi, Josep Mª Beá, Carlos Giménez… a lot of the world of comic.
4th BOOK S ILLUSTRATORS:
Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, John Bauer, Beatrix Potter, Kay Nielsen… a lot too.
GENERAL:
Speaking of ART… I must mention too Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele… and the masters of China and Japan, specially Hokusai, whose books on Manga were one of the most wonderful pieces of art that I ever saw.
Jennifer: What inspires you most in the creation of your art?
Mowgli and the Wolves
Angel: Animals and plants… Nature, Beauty and Love.
A beautiful lady, a nice orchid, a wonderful gorilla, an elephant… the amazing giraffe, that incredible animal which still is with us on this planet. The blue whale… the little mice, the birds… with colors and forms without end.
Aesop's Fables - The Vain Jackdaw
To save the wonderful creatures in this amazing world is in the forefront of my interest, so, painting them to show all their beauty and their interaction with their interesting human companions as they appear together in the wild, this is my goal. As Sir David Attenborough said, he likes to show nature’s wonders in order to preserve them; he never liked to do movies with “distressing messages to the innocent bystander who was at home sitting in their chair.” But it´s difficult, you cannot forget, for example, the bushmen of the Kalahari desert, who are disappearing so fast, already it is a challenge to find a family complete - and all due to the diamonds under their feet… and the powerful people don´t know that the true diamonds are these very same tribes folk?
Celtic inspiration - detail
The variation in art inspires me… I see a wonderful book on Celtic art and I WANT to do Celtic art… I see an interesting carved wood or stone… and I would like to do the same. In fact, I saw a picture by Arthur Rackham and that was the start in my career as illustrator, I wanted to do images like that.
Jennifer: Every body is different some can only paint when inspired, some have a daily routine. How do you approach your work?
Angel: Setting down to work is a daily ‘routine’, constantly having in mind the sketch book for each work in which roughs are done when I´m inspired, so, the results come together in the right way. Routine is a word that artists must categorise as ‘forbidden’. In fact, I hate schedules, or… I´m unable to use them, so, let me see… I think that I don´t use schedules nor “daily routine” per se! This, speaking of my work in the fantasy genre only, because I also work on wildlife art, which is the easiest for me, and in this case, routine isn’t a trouble to me. The truly ‘work’ of art is the fantasy world. The inevitable is to work hard.
Jennifer: Does your native region of Basque Country, its geography, history and legends play a part in who you are as an artist and has it influenced your style? I know you travel in Europe and the United Kingdom and Celtic influences are obvious in your love of delicate, interwoven patterns and symbols. How have they come to be part of what is your signature style?
Basque influence - Mari, Queen of the Basque
Angel: As a Basque, I think that the woods of this country inspired me as much as the wild life of Englandnear where Rackham lived at Arundel, inspired him; he loved trees, me too. The mountains and nature of Basque Country are a magnificent source of inspiration to me, and have been from my childhood. Also the Basque Myths are interesting to me, and our books are feature plenty of faery characters of all kinds, … perfect for my fantasy.
Of course, every time I do a trip, I take a lot of sketches and photographs, I want to carry with me every wonder that I find. I like the Pubs of London a lot, I have photographs of almost every one of them, and I wanted to do a book only on pubs… well, I did some pictures and two of them were printed in my book Diary of a Victorian Mouse. One of these Pubs, The Porcupine, did a set of postcards of my drawing in this book, and they were sold in that Pub. To drink a pint of good beer looking at these postcards was a nice moment.
Also, I knew in England the wonderful Celtic art in the Book of Kells and Lindisfarne Gospels, what a collection of striking calligraphy and patterns and borders… I love all of these wonderful books.
Jennifer: You have an obvious love for storytelling, your pictures talk to the viewer, do you deliberately put layers of story into your works or is this a right brain thing that happens as part of the creative process?
Arabian Nights - Mediterranean, Moroccan and Basque influences
Angel: Both, I think. We the illustrators, well, the artists in general, we put in our creations our acquired culture throughout our lives, spontaneously, and those details which aren´t spontaneous, with hard work. So, the viewer can admire our culture and enjoy our hard work.
Jennifer: You have a very keen eye for detail, especially in your drawings of wildlife. But you animals are more than just good anatomical representations, they leap from the page!Do you carry a sketchbook with you, a camera or do you rely on memory or zoological sources?
Angel:Again, both, every tool helps me. My sketchbook, my camera, my memory… AND… my loved books, movies, stamps and cards. Memory is the less important. Having talked about memory’s role in our work with my artists friends, all agree in this, and more… I know a gag:
-“I heard that memory is the intelligence of fools”… said a man to a friend…
-“Yes, and so it is because I forget everything”.
Always I carry a little sketchbook with me, and when a good idea comes, I draw it… and after, I put it in larger sketchbooks, which often have better drawings than in the same published books!
Jennifer: Can you share with me and the readers some of your earliest experiences with art?
Angel: The very first, as a baby… was an “O” filled with a pencil… I needed to fill that blank room. Well, this book, of my father, is still with me, and I have no better drawings with me from my childhood, which was awful. Due to the work of my father, we were doing trips up and down to many places, and all my drawings from school and that which I did at home were lost… a pity… and they were a lot indeed. This happened to Hokusai too, but worse; all the first pictures, from a wonderful stage in his life,disappeared in a fire that burned his house… and, further, he never was able in to do them again, although he did try to recreate them.
Fedra
Further, as a youngster, I did comics, and I won two first prizes, with my creation Fedra, a woman of the future as heroine… and I´m thinking of following up with further work on her some day, not too much later on. I have some good ideas for her, but in the form of a book not as a comic.
Jennifer: You have done some outstanding work illustrating new editions of such all time classics as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Wind in the Willows”. This must have presented some unique challenges.
How do you approach a project such as “Alice in Wonderland” which has already had many well know illustrators put their stamp on it?
Alice and the Duchess from Alice in Wonderland
Angel: Easy for me, I love Alice in Wonderland very much… I approached this story WITH EMOTION, which is THE GOAL OF ART, as another artist said, Goyo Dominguez –not a relative. I love this special world created by Carroll so much, that not only do I love the story but each of the characters, of course, the writer, the illustrated editions… England, in a word. I wanted to go to England to feel the origin of the book, the mood… to visit a lot of bookshops, to buy a lot of old books, not only of Alice, but of the Victorian times. Each part of my book is full of plenty of messages.
And, if you look closely at many Victorian times (Carroll’s time), The Great Exhibition was held in the Crystal Palace… The objects on display came from all parts of the world, including India and the countries with recent white settlements, such as Australia and New Zealand, that constituted the new empire.
So, I took advantage of this event which, at that time, had the effect of familiarizing English society with foreign wildlife, to paint the wonderful animals that you have there in Australia into the illustrations.
If you ask to me about the very first approach to this book I must say that I had two pencil drawings from many years ago… and my wife said me:
“Angel, you must finish that pair of drawings and send them to a publisher”. I did it… and the answer, from Artisan (WORKMAN, of New York):
-“Please do you be so kind to paint another six watercolors”… and I did it… and the contract arrived fast.
And about other ‘meaning’… I approached the story having in mind a lot of things, not only the many illustrators, and Disney´s wonderful characters, but thinking to do a VERY good work… and I think that I did it, because the edition of 25.000 items were sold.
Also I´m thinking of doing a book on this book… with a lot of interesting things from Carroll´s world, the jokes, characters and details that I included.
[Rabbit sends in a littel Bill - Alice in Wonderland]
Some details are hidden… as my own wife said, I work a lot on each plate… so much of that spontaneously included ‘meaning’ is lost.
[There goes Bill - Alice and Wonderland]
Mr. Mole - Wind in the Willows
As yet I haven’t illustrated The Wind in the Willows… I only drew a pair of watercolors… and already they have been sold in England. They have yet to see the light in the form of a book… who knows, may be that will be my last book to illustrate, as Rackham himself did.
Jennifer: What stories and books hold fondest and earliest memories for you? Do they play, do you think, a part in your choice of projects?
Angel: Of course, Alice is one of them. I read it many years ago, many times… and, as I think that half my soul is English, I understood it very well, and I enjoyed it… specially in thinking to illustrate it.
Other good books to me are:
THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Ratty and Mole - The Wind in the Willows
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWSby Kenneth Grahame
PETER PAN by James Barry
THE UGLY DUCK, the best tale I think.
CINDERELLA, another strong story.
UNDINE by Baron de la Motte-Fouqué, another of the greatest.
PINOCHIO by Collodi.
GRIMM´S Fairy Tales
Marquis of Carabas - Puss in Boots
ANDERSEN´S Fairy Tales
A lot of books and stories… difficult to remember all of them and not wanting to bore people. And of course these stories are part of my life and my love for my profession.
Jennifer: Where are you hoping to take your art to next? What projects are coming up?
Angel:As I learned from my English friends, it is often preferable not talk about them. This is done with a number of intentions… it prevents the risk of ideas being copied. To chose a book to do already is an idea, specially when a classic. And to the readers, if the project doesn’t go ahead, that is disappointing news… and if appears as a surprise, it´s good news, something interesting.
Layering and Symbolism - Mowgli and his wolf Mother
I can say that I´m currently working on The Jungle Book by Kipling. I must get that finished this very month. Also I´m proud to said that I´m working on books with friends from JacketFlap. I´ll find free time to paint good watercolors for good stories that suit my style a lot. I must say that, at JacketFlap, I have found very good friends, not only Tracy and Eric, but others as wonderful models for my pictures. Artists are always searching for good models, and here I found a lot, who were happy to let me draw them. I have a lot of friends as models, not only in Spain, but in the States and in England. It´s funny when I gift some book to them… some have been very touched. One lovely lady cried with joyous surprise when she saw herself portrayed in a color plate in a book on pirates.
Jennifer: Have you ever thought of designing film sets or dabbling in animation? Tim Burton has brought some darker legends to life in an animated film noire for older children. Have you ever thought of doing something like this?
Angel: By the way, there´re a possibility that I can work with Tim in the movie of Alice which he is working on right now!. I´ll keep you posted if this goes ahead.
The Arabian Nights - Silhouette
I have some part of my brain that thinks along the same lines as Burton, but not specially in relation to the dark side of those stories, but the fantasy element. For example, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow also is one of my favourite books, also illustrated by Rackham. Not all are dark, if you see Corpse Bride, you’ll agree that it’s a tender love story. And the main character of The Nightmare Before Christmas is tender too, with the sad or smiling face, long legs, walking and dancing and singing all the time.
Yes, always I loved animated films, specially Disney´s, and movies are part of our lives. And it´s a matter of luck to find someone to work with. For example, also I have a friend who can introduce me to James Cameron´s movies, and the last movie, AVATARwas suitable for me to paintthe creatures, but I arrived late to this project and the Blue Lady, the main character I think, is very different than the one I could create… mine would be without tail. I knew the thriller version of this movie due to my American friend, and I envy that wonderful life in other world. Si-Fi is one of my preferences in books and movies. I love the books by Ray Bradbury, I have all of them. And I think that Arthur C. Clarke is good indeed, but I prefer the poet Bradbury, I feel his world as if it were mine. I´m pretty sure that Bradbury is the best writer in the world. I would like to illustrate each of his books or to do all of them in movies.
When I was very young I liked animation a lot, to work in this world was a dream, but right now I like more doing good illustrations to books, or backgrounds and creating characters to the movies.
Anaconda- Front Cover art
Jennifer: Lastly, Angel, is there a question you would like to answer, something I have not covered? Now is your chance to cover it!
Angel:
Being a book illustrator, I have been fortunate to find a lot of wonderful friends and have had many unique life experiences. I have fans in England, USA and Australia right now… I traveled to many interesting places, but the most fascinating of them was Jordania, where I met Queen Rania and I collaborated on a book with her! Also I´m working in four projects with friends I have met through Jacketflap.
Also I want to express how grateful I am to the publishers of all the world, without them, we, the illustrators cannot apply our art:
-MICHAEL O´MARA BOOKS and VICTOR GOLLANCZ of London.
-ARTISAN of New York.
-JUVENTUD of Barcelona.
-IBAIZABAL AND ELKAR of Basque Country.
-SHOGAKUKAN of Japan.
Lastly, I wish PEACE in the world… all of us must take advantage of every opportunity to tell how important is to save the world from a sooner end. This interview is such an opportunity.
One of the wisest men in the world, Jose Luis Sampedro, a Spanish writer and a very old and peaceful man, said yesterday on TV in Spain that the end of the world is in the hands of the powerful people but crisis doesn’t damage them, so, they don´t want to look for a solution.
And I add from sayings by the native Americans, the Indians, one of their best sayings, “money can’t be eaten, andthat when water is scarce and air becomes unbreathable, there will be no money to fix it.”
TWO EXHIBITIONS OF ORIGINALS by ANGEL DOMINGUEZ Angel is holding two exhibitions in Britain. The link to the first is below.
At Salisbury Museum, you can see the exhibition of Angel’s originals of Alice in Wonderfland, together with his illustrations for Narnia and Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. The items are for sale.
The Wonder of Illustration Saturday, 04 April, 2009
Saturday 4 April - Saturday 4 July 2009.
Down the Rabbit Hole - on sale at "The Wonder of Illustration" Exhibition, Salisbury Museum
Angel Dominguez - Spain’s leading illustrator in said, on 3/18/2009 10:52:00 AM
More? Angel Dominguez - Spain’s leading illustrator
Topics about Plants » Archive » Angel Dominguez said, on 3/21/2009 12:23:00 PM
interesting post today on Angel Dominguez - Spains leading illustrator in the tradition. Every body is different some can only paint. He loves trees, me too. His books feature plenty of faery characters of all kinds,
Peter Taylor said, on 3/22/2009 7:27:00 AM
Thanks so much, Jennifer and Angel. That was most interesting.
Best wishes,
Peter Taylor
Illustrated Books - A new series of classics « Rh said, on 3/25/2009 2:21:00 AM
[...] interesting post about book illustration was in Jrpoulter’s Weblog on March 18th. Angel Dominguez - Spain’s leading illustrator in the tradition of the Golden Age was an interview with the illustrator and also contained images that he created. It is another [...]
Dear Hilary and Mike!
Hilary and you, both, did a gorgeous work in your-our website with the Alice´s exhibition. I like the reproductions of my originals more than in the very book! specially the Gryphon dancing… giving a glance to my own paintings in your website encourage me to do THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS.
Thanks for all dear friends, and… of course, we´ll meet there at Salisbury!
angel dominguez said, on 3/31/2009 12:06:00 PM
…AND… of course, thanks a lot to all who kindly are writing here about my humble work.
To all, specially to Jennifer, the creator of this gorgeous interview, my most warm thanks.
The Mystery of the Fool & the Vanisher is a fascinating and slightly creepy little story, told in the format of a journal-within-a-journal and illustrated with exquisite photographs. In the first journal, photographer David Ellwand follows a strange light through the woods to an old, dilapidated house, where he finds a locked chest. When he is able to get the chest open, he discovers that the chest contains some mysterious items, as well as what turns out to be wax phonograph recordings. The recordings tell the story of another photographer named Isaac Wilde, who in 1889 is commissioned as the official photographer on an archaelogical dig into an old hill fort believed to be inhabited by the faerie folk. What Isaac Wilde discovers at the site, and his attempts to photograph it, put him in conflict with the leader of the dig, and lead him, and Ellwand after him, into trouble.
I enjoyed The Mystery of the Fool & the Vanisher and found it an interesting, although quick, read. The photographs are beautiful, and worth going back and spending some time with after the first read. Some of them are pictures of natural settings, others are still life pictures of the "found items" and meticulously constructed out of natural objects. I studied photography as a teen, and had thoughts of being a professional photographer, so the photographs were definitely the highlight of this book for me. My favorite was a dramatic, sepia-toned photograph of the dilapidated house with clouds behind it.
Although I enjoyed the book, I'm not quite sure whether kids and teens would enjoy it or not, and who the audience may be. It may be too simplistic a story for the fiction readers, but too fictional for the non-fiction readers. I think it's most likely to find a home among kids who enjoy the "ology" books, because it has the same kind of "fiction as non-fiction" approach, although it lacks those books' interactivity. It also may appeal to visually-oriented young people and those with an artistic nature. This may be a book to put out in a library display and let kids be drawn in by the eerie cover and the beautiful photographs.
0 Comments on Book Review: The Mystery of the Fool & the Vanisher as of 11/16/2008 8:01:00 PM
Here are a couple of the initial capital letters that I (Jim) designed for The Hand of Dinotopia by Alan Dean Foster, with whom I’m currently traveling in North Africa. Initial caps are an old fashioned device in book design. I used them to open up chapters with little pictures.
4 Comments on Initial Caps, last added: 11/10/2008
i've always wondered, if the handwriting under some of the images in the diontopia books is done by hand? in the small photo to the left of the blog their is a photo of james doing what looks to be the same caligraphy that is in the books, if that is all written by hand that is insaine and i urge you to send gurney to the mental house....again,
haha! just kidding, but that would be amazingnly impressive if that writing in the book is all done by hand....
Yes, Wu-man, he did do all of the calligraphy For the roundhand, he used a steel nib in an oblique holder. As long as he doesn't drink too much coffee, his hand is good and steady..
haha, that is amazing! for a long time i looked and looked at that writing detail, i couldnt tell, and finally i decided that it was too perfect and had to be be a done with computer with a special font!
The early 20th Century saw the first of what can be considered the modern children’s picture book. The books were short, the words relatively few, and the illustrations advanced the story instead of merely illustrating the text. Whether it was Peter Rabbit squeezing himself under Mr. McGregor’s fence or poor Pooh being thumped on the stairs by Christopher Robin, the best of these books also reflected a change of viewpoint: the change from the vantage point of an adult to more of a child’s eye view of the world.
While it’s fairly easy to identify and value the children’s classics like Peter Rabbit or Winnie the Pooh and the ALA website is a good resource for Caldecott Award and Caldecott Honor Books, there are a large number of modern children’s illustrated books which are widely sought that can’t be quantified in terms of edition or merits of the art and text. These books are not usually being sought by traditional book collectors, they are being sought by non collectors looking to revisit, and usually pass on, a specific childhood moment. The one thing that is almost impossible to predict with children’s books is which books will resonate enough in a persons childhood to make it sought, sometimes frantically, when that person becomes and adult.
These books are in such demand, that even after 15 years as a children’s bookseller, I rarely, if ever, have handled any copies. The advent of the internet has made tracking down these books somewhat easier but that fact is usually offset by the large number of non traditional collectors looking for these titles. Two examples of books that I’ve had multiple requests for over that years, and that I’ve never had a copy of are: The Boy Who Ate Flowers by Nancy Sherman and illustrated by Nancy Carroll, and The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher written by Robert Krauss and Illustrated by VIP.
And the conversation which is most dreaded by all out of print children’s booksellers everywhere usually starts with; “I’m looking for this book I had when I was little, I don’t remember the title or the author…..”
I wrote the following on my rants and rambles blog after an especially difficult day of hunting for unnamed books, (and probably after one too many glasses of wine).
A compendium:
“I remember a book I had when I was 4 or 5 or maybe 6
It was blue or green or maybe yellow
And had a picture of a duck or frog or puppy dog
The duck was lost but found his way home
The frog was bad but her family loved her anyway
And the puppy was hardly ever afraid of the dark or being alone
It’s gone now, lost when we moved
or in the basement flood of ‘78
or the garage sale the year I left for college…
I've painted a lot of paperback covers. For each job I get a big thick manuscript. I use the old manuscripts for scratch paper. Once it a while I’ll turn a sheet of paper over to see what’s written on it. Sentences like this jump out at me:
“…Flames from the creature licked at his back. Something crackled around his head, and he realized his hair was on fire…”
For an illustrator like me, a line like that is hard to pass up. So I’ve snipped out a few of the best excerpts and stuck them out of context into the pages of a big blank sketchbook.
I call the book ART BY COMMITTEE. I bring it to coffee shops when I’m hanging out with other artists. The other artist might be my wife or it might be a couple of notable comic artists, painters, or animators. I can’t reveal their identities—in fact I can’t remember exactly who drew what. And don’t ask me what novel the excerpt came from. I have no clue.
While waiting for the scrambled eggs, we take turns illustrating the scraps of stories. Here’s a sample page. Click to enlarge. If you like this sort of thing, there’s more where it came from.
Tomorrow: Plein Air Ancestors
0 Comments on Art By Committee as of 1/1/1990
M.A. said, on 2/25/2008 5:14:00 AM
These are great! Yes, please post more. I love your blog.
Erik Bongers said, on 2/25/2008 6:34:00 AM
OMG ! Put that book online !!! Or better, create a whole new blog : "Where Great Literature and Art meet..." I'm currently into bookcovers myself. You've given me a great idea ! (but I don't know what a 'manuscript' is... is that like a PDF...but like a century ago ?)
Eric Orchard said, on 2/25/2008 8:06:00 AM
Ha! That's really funny/bizarre, I love it. I've done one bvook cover so far and it's been my biggest disaster too. I'm still running from it.So much pressure wrapped up in one picture.
gator said, on 2/25/2008 9:25:00 AM
haha, hilarious,
and man am i jealous about the other artists you get to hang out, do they all were tron goggles too while you talk about the magic of there art, haah!
i would love to see more from this book too, your illistration looks like somthing from mad magaizine, awsome!
=shanewhite= said, on 2/25/2008 11:32:00 AM
Haahaha...oh man that's so great. I love the title, the hand-lettering gives it such gravitas that you'd think it was a primer on art for the uninitiated.
Out here in Seattle there's a sign that changes quotes and this weeks states: "There are no parks with statues dedicated to committees."
I miss hanging out sketching with my pals...thanks for reminding me to get out of the studio. We lead such insular lives!
=s=
Tidah said, on 2/25/2008 12:22:00 PM
I love illustrating excerpts! I wish I had friends who were artists that I could hang out with. That would be a great way to avoid doing homework. However, there are no illustrators nearby because I'm in a very evil institution that does not like illustration. Alas...
Marion said, on 2/26/2008 2:07:00 AM
More! More!
(why be elaborate when succint and to-the-point works just as well)
Jen Zeller said, on 2/27/2008 4:36:00 AM
It would be quite awesome if you could offer one of these as a weekly inspiration to us sketch-happy blog followers. I get the feeling many of us would love to give back a bit in this job, but on the other hand, you do spend a lot of valuable time with this blog already, and we don't want to go getting greedy. It's a great idea, makes me remember my school days in biology, where I was constantly poking fun with sketches at something the teacher or our text books said.
James Gurney said, on 2/27/2008 7:48:00 AM
OK, Jen. Let's try it. Check out today's post.
Robert A. Sloan said, on 2/29/2008 9:37:00 PM
Oh that looks fun! I like what they did -- oh now I don't feel bad at all for what I sent in for the Sketchblog Challenge! How neat!
So this is what started it. I love the gold lettering you did on that sketchbook too, it's gorgeous. Wish I lived near enough to you to contribute a page, but maybe you can print out what I send when you do these challenges.
Let me begin by saying how thankful I am for the simple things in my life. The voices of my children ~ The sound of my husband mowing the yard ~ The purrrr of my cat ~ quiet talks with my friends ~ The rich, dusty, smell of a box of old photos ~ and this:
An icy cold bottle of diet IBC Root Beer!! What could be more quenching and satisfying on a warm Spring day?
These are the things that give my life substance and body and bulk. Layers and layers of life's sounds, smells and sights. A collage of my senses. Simple goodies that become significant memories in the future.
Thanks so much for reading my blog and sharing my simple goodies each day.
AND... speaking of simple goodies, here's where I insert a photo of my latest ACEO print in My Etsy Shop.
Guardian Of The Asian Tourists
Until Tomorrow: Kim Garden Painter Art gnarly-dolls
4 Comments on IT'S THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE, last added: 4/27/2007
AHHHHH!!!! You are tormenting me with that rootbeer picture! For the entire 7 years I have been over here I have craved nothing more than a rootbeer float! Ok, I lie...there's a few more things I've been craving too, but right now I can't think of them...all I can think of is an ice cold A&W rootbeer in a frosty mug...sigh...No such animal over here as rootbeer, no frosty mugs either...the British are wierd that way, although they probably think it's us that are wierd...imagine wanting your drinks ice cold...huh! If you ask for ice over here, you get a strange look and then a few chunks of ice...we know how long they last in a lukewarm drink....nada...Have a wonderful weekend!
Abby Creek Art said, on 4/27/2007 6:43:00 AM
Really nice collage, Kim.
And you're a root beer sister?! Root beer is the best!
xoxo
artandghosts said, on 4/27/2007 7:04:00 AM
lovely stuff - and it is great to see the dollies in your shop now too!
the photo reminded me of a sculpture, i was amazed to find that it was a rootbeer!
BlueJude said, on 4/27/2007 7:55:00 AM
Great photo! I'm like WHAT IS THAT? Ahhh root beer! Haven't had it in ages...now I want one! lol And I like the title of the new piece. Good luck with it, I know I sure could use a sale this week! Happy Friday!
We should add Color & Light to that list!
I agree. with Jbyrd--I'm wearing out my copy of Color and Light referring to this page and that--it's helped me. A lot.
And it's not on the list, but I found Betty Edwards' Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain helpful, years ago.
Now I voted for "An Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists by W. Ellenberger et al." but my MOST favourite and helpful book is "Die Gestalt des Menschen" by Gottfried Bammes.
To bad that there is not an english version of it (I think that it is possibly the reason that nearly nobody knows it).
http://www.amazon.com/Die-Gestalt-Menschen-Gottfried-Bammes/dp/3862300013/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342308080&sr=1-4&keywords=bammes
They show the steps from big shapes to detailed pictures and add anatomical knowledge to it.
We NEED Alla Prima: Everything i know about painting, by Master Richard Schmid.
IMHO, a must read.
These are great suggestions, thanks, but I had to leave out Schmid and Betty Edwards because their books aren't more than 50 years old. I know it's a bit arbitrary, but I wanted to focus on the older tomes. Bammes unfortunately didn't come up in the preliminary round of nominations.
Its not in print, and may be, oh,, a tad racist, but Andrew Loomis'/ "Fun With a Pencil" is probably the best beginner's book to instill confidence and get peopel to draw for theri on amusement and motivation, later slipping in sound fundamentals. First published in 1937.
No Jack Hamm?
How I paint a picture by Jon Witcomb. Advance painting course from Famous Artist School. This course was an extension to the Famous Artist Course but was not popular. So they stop producing the course. Norman Rockwell praised him for his beautiful work. Some guy had it on ebay but he wouldn't sell it to me as the reserve was not met. AGH! Regards Henry Fong
I'm also missing the Bammes on the list. I do read German, so I've got it easy, but I've always found even just his (tons of) illustrations much more concise and illuminating than any other anatomy book I've looked into, including Loomis and Bridgeman.
Also, Robert Henri, 'The Art Spirit'. I sometimes feel like Hawthorne, Nicolaides and Henri are in a very lively dialogue, sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeing, thus forcing you to think for yourself, but always interesting and enlightening.
I like how loomis organizes drawing into "the five C's and the five P's" in his book
Successful Drawing. So i voted for that.
I find bridgeman, vanderpool and Speed hard to get into compared to loomis. Bridgemans drawings are quite abstract so it's hard to make out what is going on, as for vanderpool and speed i think thier writing style is little old fashioned.
What do bridgeman, vanderpool and Speed ofer that Loomis doesn't? I'd like to be convinced to give them another try!
By the way loomis seems to be winning the poll! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Mr Gurney, would you know of any good (older or newer) books on the technique of watercolor painting? In particular, how to handle the medium?
Hard to join in here for me: too many of the suggested books (more than 50 years old) unknown to me.
But from a historical point of view I'm just wondering:
When was the first art instruction book ever published and printed?
Rich--There were several treatises on perspective and paint chemistry in the Renaissance, and there's Leonardo. In the early 1800s, romantic tourism encouraged a spate of books for artists, including those by Ruskin, Durand, and Harding.
Iliya, if you like controlled realism, I'd recommend Arthur Guptill's "Color in Sketching and Rendering."
Ken, I like Bridgman for solid, muscular form, and Vanderpoel for tonal thinking and grace. Though Loomis deserves his first place position.
Oona, thanks for mentioning Henri. His book is a fire-up.
Dash, I only left out Hamm because no one nominated him, but I recommend his books on figure and animal drawing--lots of practical tips.
Anon, I've got most of those FAC master courses in photocopy form, and I agree, they're wonderful because they allow each instructor to unfold his own approach.
For those mentioning Gottfried Bammes - is this the book now in English??? The reviewers suggest it maybe.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-Drawing-Gottfried-Bammes/dp/1844486907
Ah, excellent. His book on landscape composition is a treasure.
How about re printing your book on sketching, I think it would be very popular today
Tone and Colour in Landscape Painting by F. Merlin Haines- out of print, but a treasure trove of information.
you're missing: http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819 Figure Drawing Design and Invention by Michael Hampton and the greatest book ever: Die Gestalt des Menschen by Gottfried Bammes, which is the greatest life drawing book that has ever been printed.
"you're missing: http://www.amazon.com/Figure-Drawing-Invention-Michael-Hampton/dp/0615272819 Figure Drawing Design and Invention by Michael Hampton"
I second that - for the second time!
Jon and Blake, thanks for mentioning those books, which are great. Please remember this list can't be totally comprehensive. Hampton's book isn't included because it's too recent (I'm looking for classic books older than 50 years), and I don't believe Bammes was nominated by the commentators on the first round. We can do other lists in the future.
Walt Stanchfield is the man when it comes to essence and storytelling in figure drawing!!
Yeah, I know it can't be in the list, Jim, I just wanted to say Hampton is great - I mean, I've ordered the Bammes seeing as people above say it's worth it.
I've looked up some in the list on Amazon - the Fawcett looks good - the problem is the list is long and I have the feeling many of the books are somewhat unfamiliar - we're all voting for Loomis because not only is it good, but his books are the ones we all know!