Saturday, October 27, 2012

ONE LOVELY DRAWING, part 42

The remarkable Harry Beckhoff drew this tiny picture of a man scared by a black cat in 1913.


What a marvelous design.

Many artists would feel constrained by the actual size or shape of a cat.  Or they might struggle over the fact that a cat walks on the ground around our ankles, so you are obligated to draw the entire body if you want to show the face.

But Beckhoff understood that the design comes first.  Everything else flows from that.


11 comments:

अर्जुन said...

Beckhoff knew that he need not to be so literal.

MORAN said...

I forgot all about Beckhoff. How about some more background? Cute drawing.

ZHENYA ZHURAVLYOVA said...

wow! i love cat!


-fashion illustrator-

John Jackson said...

Nice picture. Many people today seem to have forgotten how well illustrations can tell a story.

David Apatoff said...

अर्जुन-- that guy Auger sure knows how to count down a song, but are those dancers in the background with the crazy leotards really dancing the frug?

MORAN-- You shouldn't forget about Beckhoff. He is quite memorable.

Zhenya Zhuravlyova-- I'm glad you like that cat too! I think it is way cool.

John Jackson-- agreed, it is something of a lost art.

David Apatoff said...

अर्जुन-- that guy Auger sure knows how to count down a song, but are those dancers in the background with the crazy leotards really dancing the frug?

MORAN-- You shouldn't forget about Beckhoff. He is quite memorable.

Zhenya Zhuravlyova-- I'm glad you like that cat too! I think it is way cool.

John Jackson-- agreed, it is something of a lost art.

chris bennett said...

Nice post David.
There's another thing that the conceit of the design achieves:
The fear of the cat is in his head... literally!

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David Apatoff said...

Chris Bennett-- Hadn't thought about that, but it's a nice notion.

Gutscheine zum ausdrucken-- Danke

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gutscheine zum ausdrucken said...

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