Thursday, August 08, 2013

ROBERT FAWCETT, IN LINE AND TONE

Here is another spot illustration by illustrator Robert Fawcett, this time a small ink drawing of his friend Austin Briggs who was giving a slide show presentation:

 

Despite the sedentary subject matter, close ups of the original reveal a vigorous knife fight:  


Pausing over details, we begin to appreciate the extraordinary variety of Fawcett's marks on paper :




Over the last few days we have focused on Fawcett's ink work, but before we move on to different topics, here is one of Fawcett's pencil drawings for a different perspective:


This life drawing was included in Fawcett's book, The Art of Drawing but by looking at the original we can see that Fawcett (who was color blind) supplemented his drawing with shading from a red pencil.  Fawcett's eyes can't help but impose lines on a form:


 but he understood tone and value as well:



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11 comments:

  1. chuck pyle8/08/2013 1:09 PM

    MY teachers spoke about Fawcett in tones of awe. I inherited one of their swipe files FULL of his work. I use his work as a touchstone of mastery. The economy of the nude is so striking. Yes, the variety of marks in the ink work is indicative of how far one can go within a limited medium. Nice, too, how he uses pattern to imply edge, in the tie.

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  2. Tom Sarmo8/08/2013 1:11 PM

    Just when I think of myself as observant. Nice--and most appreciated--posts

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  3. MORAN8/08/2013 2:36 PM

    Drawing like this is a dying art.

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  4. Anonymous8/08/2013 7:08 PM

    ON A DIFFERENT AND EXCITING TOPIC, WHEN MAY WE EXPECT TO SEE THE FORTHCOMING BOOK ON BERNIE FUCHS.

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  5. James Gurney8/09/2013 5:53 AM

    David, thanks for those delicious close-ups. How big is the original of Fawcett's sketch of Briggs?

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  6. David Apatoff8/11/2013 9:12 PM

    Charles Pyle-- yes, it seems that teachers and fellow artists are the ones who really went gaga over Fawcett's work. I think much of the public was not terribly interested, yet art directors kept feeding him work because they appreciated what he was doing.

    Tom Sarmo-- I learn a lot here myself. Thanks for writing.

    MORAN-- Well, there sure doesn't seem to be the same enthusiasm for this kind of work these days. If the public doesn't care, why should the publishers?

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  7. David Apatoff8/11/2013 9:16 PM

    Anonymous-- It's supposed to be out this year. Watch this space.

    James Gurney-- It's about 6 inches tall. I think close ups / details are helpful for understanding almost any artwork, but I think that with Fawcett, the difference between the micro and the macro level is especially dramatic.

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  8. indiaartfair8/14/2013 3:00 AM

    Education in the arts is an integral part of the development of each human being. Those who have studied learning processes throughout the ages, beginning with Plato, have emphasized the importance of the arts in the education process.

    Education Blog

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  9. Wallartidea8/15/2013 5:00 AM

    That's amazing.

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  10. Jesse Hamm8/18/2013 1:33 AM

    Thanks for this look at these gorgeous originals, David. I'd no idea the woman had some color!

    Glad also for the Fuchs book update! Can hardly wait...

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  11. CF Payne9/04/2013 11:05 AM

    Thanks David for this posting. I found it at a perfect time, just before I give my students their black and white assignment. Now I have some great B & W Fawcett's to show them.

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