tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post1084120813962029419..comments2024-03-18T11:06:05.506-04:00Comments on ILLUSTRATION ART: A FEW THOUGHTS ON AN EMPTY STUDIODavid Apatoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comBlogger83125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-62902486281257321252011-07-09T16:24:09.935-04:002011-07-09T16:24:09.935-04:00Rick McCollum, thanks so much for the heartfelt co...Rick McCollum, thanks so much for the heartfelt comments. I think all of us envy your apprenticeship with Bernie Fuchs. I'm glad to see that you value it so highly.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-72843104215098691052011-07-09T14:34:18.750-04:002011-07-09T14:34:18.750-04:00David....I enjoyed reading "A Few Thoughts On...David....I enjoyed reading "A Few Thoughts On an Empty Studio." I had the privilege of studying with Bernie Fuchs, and we became good friends. When Bernie and Babe would have to go away on business or a short vacation, he would ask if I would like to come work in his studio and watch his children ( who actually were in high school at the time ). I was just starting in the illustration business and absolutely loved sort of being a part of the family. If one really knew Bernie, you could see him in that studio, from his beautiful paintings on the wall, pictures all around of his family, pictures and slides of the places he loved to visit and his trumpet on the couch (which he would play occasionally). I use to sit in the floor until the wee hours of the morning looking at and studying his early illustrations that Babe kept in a cabinet in the studio. I can remember him saying " you know my techniques, if I could hand you the secret to making art, I would, BUT, what you really need to find is yourself, then have the courage to put it out for all to see. Those were magical times for me. He and that studio taught me so much.Rick McCollumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18280514817560453466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-23973765097056410612010-05-28T16:35:49.946-04:002010-05-28T16:35:49.946-04:00Lovely post David, beautifully structured.
Little ...Lovely post David, beautifully structured.<br />Little to add except it has somehow reminded me of something my teacher Phil Sutton said to me many moons ago when a struggling student looking for a painting language with which to speak without stuttering:<br />“We have too many colours, too many brushes, much too large and beautiful studios….all you need is an empty space, a little space. The back of an envelope and a pencil, because if you cannot find yourself there, what hope have you in the wilderness-soon-to-become-a-jungle of sails of ten foot canvases in the up town studio?”<br /><br />Looking at those studios reminds me again of how little we need…chris bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088693067960235141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-58240695004795852022010-05-17T13:05:50.987-04:002010-05-17T13:05:50.987-04:00Ho ho ho... my detractors are at it again... ho ho...Ho ho ho... my detractors are at it again... ho ho hoRob "The Human Advertisement" Howardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-69444835162191151942010-05-17T10:41:05.032-04:002010-05-17T10:41:05.032-04:00'I wish that I had more intelligent enemies.&#...'I wish that I had more intelligent enemies.'<br /><br />YOu don't deserve better enemies.You dorky doofus doodoohead. NYah-nyah! Phhhbbbt!!Anonymousenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-53377604891601903212010-05-17T08:17:03.355-04:002010-05-17T08:17:03.355-04:00Yeah, that's a good book which features all of...Yeah, that's a good book which features all of those artists and many more. The only problem is that there are only two or three illustrations per artist.Jesse Hammhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253641550766389238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-70048438689146693152010-05-17T08:10:24.179-04:002010-05-17T08:10:24.179-04:00hi Jesse, no i didn't mean that specific book,...hi Jesse, no i didn't mean that specific book, but any compilation that has the kind of work mentioned... or would you recommend that one ?<br /> <br />i should have mentioned Haddon Sundblom in that list too and the 'mayonaisse school'... that's the sort of style i'm looking for.Laurence Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11988700485839219253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-28899960202064871652010-05-17T07:47:12.661-04:002010-05-17T07:47:12.661-04:00Laurence,
"you could argue that rather than...Laurence, <br /><br /><b>"you could argue that rather than limited tonal values Frazetta is using darker shadows, brighter highlights and quicker transitions between the two... or is that the same thing ?"</b><br /><br />I'd call that the same thing in Frazetta's case, though one could use limited tonal values in low-contrast work, as long as the tones are distinct and even, and the transitions are quick. <br /><br /><b>"i'm trying to find a book containing the work of Charles E Chambers, Andrew Loomis, Walter Baumhofer and Pruett Carter"</b><br /><br />You mean Reed's "Illustrator in America," or do you mean various books featuring those artists individually?Jesse Hammhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253641550766389238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-66553208379839162252010-05-17T06:48:09.521-04:002010-05-17T06:48:09.521-04:00sorry to go off topic, but i'm trying to find ...sorry to go off topic, but i'm trying to find a book containing the work of Charles E Chambers, Andrew Loomis, Walter Baumhofer and Pruett Carter and indeed any other less often quoted illustrators of the 40s. i'm particularly interested in their everyday romantic and thriller work... modern urban themes of the 40s with a noir-ish edge, rather than western/pirate/historical etc. if anyone can recommend a book containing that kind of work i'd be very grateful. <br /><br />thanks.Laurence Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11988700485839219253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-1722855320319411112010-05-17T00:41:56.806-04:002010-05-17T00:41:56.806-04:00The source for this erroneous attribution to you c...The source for this erroneous attribution to you comes from अर्जुन ... his latest blog post, which he linked to above as: http://tinyurl.com/2d975u6<br /><br />You should be flattered that I asked if those analyses were your handiwork, rather than simply assuming they were. <br /><br />All to say, if there was a trap here, it would have been filled with your own cheese. <br /><br />kevkev ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09509572970616136990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-21894987444288312472010-05-16T23:30:19.460-04:002010-05-16T23:30:19.460-04:00>>>I wish that I had more intelligent ene...>>>I wish that I had more intelligent enemies.<<<<br /><br />...and people less transparent and childlike in laying trapsRob Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-69780338944969105452010-05-16T23:28:00.290-04:002010-05-16T23:28:00.290-04:00>>>Rob, can you verify that this is your ...>>>Rob, can you verify that this is your Pyle analysis<<<<br /><br />I haven't seen those before. Are they attributed to me? By whom?<br /><br />Probably the same guy that has me wearing a Nazi uniform. I wish that I had more intelligent enemies.Rob Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-74914066198451624442010-05-16T23:26:23.991-04:002010-05-16T23:26:23.991-04:00"I assume you are part of the family business...<i>"I assume you are part of the family business.<br /><br />Yes?"</i><br /><br />Yes... but first came my appreciation of the artist materials, as my blog enthusiastically indicates, and the wealth of knowledge that Rob was sharing at the forum...that was over 10 years ago.LCGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09171368295442228859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-45409931832458179752010-05-16T22:58:04.208-04:002010-05-16T22:58:04.208-04:00LCG...
Actually, that wouldn't be strange... ...LCG...<br /><br />Actually, that wouldn't be strange... pictures work on multiple levels and can be analyzed from many different viewpoints.<br /><br />Oh, and....<br /><br />I looked at your blog... nearly every post has a reference to Studio Products. And your only links are to Studio Products, Cennini Forum, and Max Howard's Real Gesso. <br /><br />I assume you are part of the family business.<br /><br />Yes?kev ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09509572970616136990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-4114646926755457042010-05-16T22:04:44.097-04:002010-05-16T22:04:44.097-04:00"Rob, can you verify that this is your Pyle a...<i>"Rob, can you verify that this is your Pyle analysis:..."</i><br /><br />No, that is not Rob's diagram. Rob chose Pyle's "In the Second April - The Duel ..." for one of our compositions lessons on the Cennini Forum and what you just linked to ( http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dvV9D391NZA/S--RXuRDAsI/AAAAAAAAAV4/HoJN4xRGO0I/s1600/robz+on+pyle.jpg ) is actually a compilation of what 3 different members posted as their analysis (that would be a little schizophrenic to come from one person).LCGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09171368295442228859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-764133034377013002010-05-16T22:00:28.773-04:002010-05-16T22:00:28.773-04:00I mean that Rockwell's good work became more r...I mean that Rockwell's good work became more realistic after 1940. His other work became weaker artistically, and cornier, paying off his critics in a way.<br /><br />By the way, it would have been interesting to see a shot of Stanley Meltzoff's studio too. I'm not sure what his standing is, but the more I see of his work, the more I think he was one of the giants.<br /><br />kevkev ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09509572970616136990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-44794495429564467952010-05-16T19:36:21.159-04:002010-05-16T19:36:21.159-04:00Jesse, full agreement on Harry Rountree. (Wish I o...Jesse, full agreement on Harry Rountree. (Wish I owned a book on him). There is also Sydney "Spirit of the Plains" Long, but most of his great work is landscape. <br /><br />Matthew, look at Rockwell's work prior to 1940 (Unfortunately a lot of it burned with his studio). After 1940 or so, his best works were personal, like Breaking Home Ties and Saying Grace. He became less a romantic and more a realist, mirroring the post WWII era. If you can find a copy of the oversize Rockwell book "Rockwell: Artist and Illustrator" by Thomas S. Buechner there's a giant fold out of his Land of Enchantment mural from about 1930, which will knock your socks off with its thickly painted, beautifully drawn design. It has the same ability to transport the heart as Wyeth's The Giant mural.<br /><br />Rob, can you verify that this is your Pyle analysis: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dvV9D391NZA/S--RXuRDAsI/AAAAAAAAAV4/HoJN4xRGO0I/s1600/robz+on+pyle.jpgkev ferrarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09509572970616136990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-7416712049637354212010-05-16T14:53:47.312-04:002010-05-16T14:53:47.312-04:00When I was in my teens I would take Frazetta's...When I was in my teens I would take Frazetta's images and shrink them down on a zerox to thumbnail size abstract pattern , then blow that up - it still looked solid and great.<br /> Al McLuckieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-61270838093957751292010-05-16T14:36:48.153-04:002010-05-16T14:36:48.153-04:00Jesse, i take your point, although you could argue...Jesse, i take your point, although you could argue that rather than limited tonal values Frazetta is using darker shadows, brighter highlights and quicker transitions between the two... or is that the same thing ? one thing that picture shows is that Frazetta knows how to use strong CHIAROSCURO in colour work... if you can turn a colour painting to gray scale and it looks nice and contrasty rather than all light to mid tones then you know you've got it going on.Laurence Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11988700485839219253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-23725123329964528892010-05-16T12:30:58.592-04:002010-05-16T12:30:58.592-04:00>>>You Americans are very lucky to have h...>>>You Americans are very lucky to have had such illustrators, and I wish I could look back on Australian illustrators that equal, but I can't.<<<<br /><br />Austrailia has the same vitality we had in the US half a century ago. I suspect that we'll be seeing more stars in the art world arising from down-under. When I worked in New York, one of my neighbors was the Australian sculptor, Clement Meadmore. Clem embodied that energy I associate with Oz. Evidently others thought the same because New York was very good to him. His craftsmanship was outstanding, and his little maquettes fairly burst with energy. Great stuff.<br /><br />What does seem to be arising from Australia and New Zealand is a burgeoning film industry and that, to me, is the art of these times. If I were a young artist and starting anew, I would aim at production design. That's where all of those compositional ideas can be put to good advantage. Frankly, I think that illustration has declined from the mainstream to occupy a backwater. We're going the way of the elevator operators.Rob Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587811799010051018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-28449453961217387282010-05-16T12:07:13.169-04:002010-05-16T12:07:13.169-04:00Rob, doubtless your opinions come at a premium, so...Rob, doubtless your opinions come at a premium, so I understand why you need to hide the reasons for your attack on my expertise. Next time I have another $7 handy, I'll surely check out your forum to learn why I was wrong.<br /><br />Matthew, I wouldn't feel bad about Australia lacking illustration giants. The population is less than a 10th of America's, so by numbers alone we have a greater pool to pick from. At least you have AC/DC! <br /><br />Plus, though New Zealand isn't Australia, Harry Rountree is one artist from down under who could give Frazetta a run for his money. (And judging by the similarity of their signatures, I have to wonder whether Rountree was an influence.)<br /><br />Laurence, thanks for the thoughtful reply. Sorry if I implied that Frazetta was unique in using high-contrast focal points; I meant that he was much better at it than most. <br /><br /><b>"you picked a very high contrast painting to illustrate your point, but if you look at the painting you use in point 4 you'll see that it's full of softly graded tone changes, as well as having bright highlights."</b> <br /><br />That second painting (Conan the Destroyer) does have more values & tone changes than the other, but I think they're fewer than they seem, and he models them much less than most realists would. <br /><br /><a href="http://mysite.ncnetwork.net/resr4gc2/value.comparison.jpg" rel="nofollow">Check out this comparison</a>. On the left, Frazetta and Vermeer appear to be working primarily with black and pale grey, with some dark grey where the shadows turn, and a few white spots. There's modeling/gradation, but pretty much only at the edges where shadows meet light, and on the very roundest forms.<br /><br />But in Vallejo's pic (bottom right), the gradations continue evenly from the shadows all the way to the lightest spots -- even on flat areas, like the pecs. (And the character is <a href="http://www.ginevra2000.it/Fantasy1/Art/Boris_Vallejo_Anath.jpg" rel="nofollow">caucasian</a>!) I think Frazetta & Vermeer would have relied more on distinct areas of tone to define the form, with a minimum of gradation at the tones' edges, as in my modified example (top right).Jesse Hammhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02253641550766389238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-4548958033726220172010-05-16T11:54:22.255-04:002010-05-16T11:54:22.255-04:00But Hubbard has produced such lucid, coherent thin...But Hubbard has produced such lucid, coherent thinkers...<br /><br />http://tinyurl.com/3x5c5qAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-78222624553759481242010-05-16T11:33:23.406-04:002010-05-16T11:33:23.406-04:00I'm not the one claiming to have knowledge of ...I'm not the one claiming to have knowledge of Pyle's and Frazetta's methods.<br /><br />How an ass like Rob has developed a cult following is beyond comprehension. Except, that the weak-willed and clueless will follow any daddy who comes along. Including a pathetic insane loser, like, say, L. Ron Hubbard, who merely wants their money.Tell us more, Daddynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-90209716637449853792010-05-16T10:44:28.574-04:002010-05-16T10:44:28.574-04:00"True understanding is NOT demonstrated by di..."True understanding is NOT demonstrated by diagramming.<br />True understanding is demonstrated by Art.<br />Nice backhanded advert, though, anon."<br /><br />Don't posture DEFCON 1 just yet, laddie. It was not intended as an advert backhanded or forehanded, or do you consider yourself the authority on other people's intentions as well as the usefulness of compositional diagrams? Maybe you should post your work?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-58761472519716699632010-05-16T10:29:52.271-04:002010-05-16T10:29:52.271-04:00Rob, I have noticed that you have kept your commen...Rob, I have noticed that you have kept your comments on subject, I was trying to suggest that it is the annoying mouse that doesn't. Maybe my sentence construction was a bit poor.<br /><br />and to get back on subject...<br /><br />Almost everyone who visits this blog loves Frazetta and Norman Rockwell. As an Aussie I try to think of Australian illustrators who have had the same impact, and can not come up with anyone. I have to confess to feeling fairly cold about Rockwell. I can see what you guys admire about him, yet it seems to me that most of his work is just a little to sentimental (and maybe too American centric? Though I do know Aussies who love him, and maybe I am judging him solely by his post illustrations). Frazetta's work I love, solid gold to me (plus I love the adolesent subject matter, and yes Rob, I have read most of the books. I found most of them fairly tedious but I think I came to them too late in life to really get into them, though the first Conan story I really like, and for the most part I enjoyed Howard's prose). I certainly think there is something more universal about Frazetta, and yet there is something very American about him too. You Americans are very lucky to have had such illustrators, and I wish I could look back on Australian illustrators that equal, but I can't.Matthew Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06954050440829792514noreply@blogger.com