tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post5467685310091160923..comments2024-03-28T22:57:07.128-04:00Comments on ILLUSTRATION ART: A WEEK OF GRUGERDavid Apatoffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-719464963948896272022-07-29T08:40:30.851-04:002022-07-29T08:40:30.851-04:00Un dessinateur au crayon qu'il maitrise comme ...Un dessinateur au crayon qu'il maitrise comme un magicien Je pense que c' est le monde contemporain qui n'est pas adapté à toi adahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17294328231184541243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-72318606769289544452015-12-02T14:01:56.948-05:002015-12-02T14:01:56.948-05:00In my 20s, I read somewhere that Gruger seldom, ...In my 20s, I read somewhere that Gruger seldom, if ever, used models. He just painted with his pencil. Made me a fan ever since, and have been trying to locate books about his work and his life for donkey years. He's kind of like a Dore, or a Rembrandt... Storyteller.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06563585386678351894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-77758706145097582662015-12-02T13:59:57.443-05:002015-12-02T13:59:57.443-05:00In my 20s, I read somewhere that Gruger seldom, ...In my 20s, I read somewhere that Gruger seldom, if ever, used models. He just painted with his pencil. Made me a fan ever since, and have been trying to locate books about his work and his life for donkey years. He's kind of like a Dore, or a Rembrandt... Storyteller.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06563585386678351894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-32367529818927753312013-01-20T07:27:25.490-05:002013-01-20T07:27:25.490-05:00Love Gruger! Thanks for posting!Love Gruger! Thanks for posting!Glen Orbikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00410863611202694285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-82870294348818549442012-07-07T21:22:16.561-04:002012-07-07T21:22:16.561-04:00I loved your two posts on Frederick Gruger,my favo...I loved your two posts on Frederick Gruger,my favourite American illustrator and one of the most inspiring. It's a shame there were only two entries,perhaps a few more in the future?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-5810943585970796432012-05-30T08:19:33.157-04:002012-05-30T08:19:33.157-04:00CoryJay-- As I see it, everything in that drawing ...CoryJay-- As I see it, everything in that drawing (from the faces and postures of the characters to the downhill slide of the the composition) is intended to steer your eye toward the face of the sick girl on the pillow at the bottom of the hill. For me, that chair serves as a backstop, reinforcing the face (which is necessarily pale and wan). It scoops up any viewer's eyes that overshot the girl's face, circles around and deposits them back on the focal point.<br /><br />अर्जुन-- As always, I am impressed by your ability to ferret out good material. I was glad to see the Library of Congress' Gruger collection although it seems to be a pretty tepid assortment, and not very well reproduced. I was surprised to find a few pictures, such as drawing # 20, where Gruger had to use white gouache to walk back some of those values. Usually he maintained such exquisite control of his value range that he didn't need to go back in and recalibrate with white. I think you will see some examples this week where Gruger really "painted with a pencil." <br /><br />James Gurney-- Welcome! Ahhhh, Gruger board, the bane of illustration collectors everywhere. You pick up the board and it crumbles in your hand. I'll tell that story in today's post.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-71295618306156029922012-05-30T07:44:06.603-04:002012-05-30T07:44:06.603-04:00Steve Roberson-- Great. I hope as you look at the...Steve Roberson-- Great. I hope as you look at the badly printed reproductions of his work, you will keep in mind that the originals looked more like the high resolution scans you will be seeing this week.<br /><br />Chris Bennett-- I hope you will find that the next Gruger drawings are also "seriously marvelous." <br /><br />Norm-- I belong to the same fan club!<br /><br />Greg Pro and Donald Pittenger-- I agree that the 1978 Perlman book is a superb resource on Gruger. It was written with the cooperation of Gruger's son (the photograph in this post of a young Gruger at his drawing board was borrowed from Perlman's book). It is the only real resource out there even partially devoted to Gruger, and even there the reproductions are not what they should have been. I am going to offer high resolution scans of some originals from that book. Those of you with the book may be surprised if you compare the two versions.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-72345117145617785902012-05-30T04:54:14.337-04:002012-05-30T04:54:14.337-04:00Please tell us the story of "Gruger" boa...Please tell us the story of "Gruger" board!James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-55513777817940988092012-05-30T03:49:08.602-04:002012-05-30T03:49:08.602-04:00CoryJay:
"As it stands the chair on the oppos...CoryJay:<br />"As it stands the chair on the opposite side is pulling everything toward itself like a magnet."<br /><br />But that is because it is the true north of the drawing!chris bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088693067960235141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-18907443863360384302012-05-29T22:52:12.736-04:002012-05-29T22:52:12.736-04:00The man "painted" with a pencil. A small...The man "painted" with a pencil. A <a href="http://www.loc.gov/pictures/related/?fi=name&q=Gruger%2C%20Frederic%20Rodrigo" rel="nofollow">small collection</a>, scan quality varies.अर्जुनhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14724439749828805512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-50473136657758547782012-05-29T20:58:43.717-04:002012-05-29T20:58:43.717-04:00That is one lovely drawing, but I wish Gruger had ...That is one lovely drawing, but I wish Gruger had placed his signature a little lower, or done something else to anchor that side a little better. As it stands the chair on the opposite side is pulling everything toward itself like a magnet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-74939090564100075582012-05-29T20:44:10.990-04:002012-05-29T20:44:10.990-04:00There is a 1978 book about Gruger by Bennard B. Pe...There is a 1978 book about Gruger by Bennard B. Perlman titled "The Golden Age of American Illustration: F.R. Gruger and his Circle," North Light Publishers, Westport, CT. There is an introduction by F.R. Gruger, Jr.<br /><br />Appendices include a listing of most of his published illustrations and a bar chart showing what years (from 1898 through 1943) his work appeared in each of 28 magazines ranging from the Saturday Evening Post to College Humor.<br /><br />There is a good deal of attention paid to Gruger's social life amongst the illustrator set. One of his best pals was Arthur William Brown, another popular illustrator of his era whose work isn't well known today. Other artists he knew were Franklin Booth, James Montgomery Flagg, William Glackens and Charles Dana Gibson (based on citation counts in the index).<br /><br />My copy includes an eight page section showing some of his work in color, including his excellent "Show Boat" illustrations in the April, 1926 Woman's Home Companion magazine.<br /><br />A little Internet sleuthing ought to turn up used copies for sale.Donald Pittengerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11307228686847434740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-55799702095871747362012-05-29T20:00:40.250-04:002012-05-29T20:00:40.250-04:00Oh thank you! It's tough finding anything on G...Oh thank you! It's tough finding anything on Gruger. Much appreciated. :)Greg Prohttp://www.gregpro.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-42095644396431729712012-05-29T19:43:28.832-04:002012-05-29T19:43:28.832-04:00Oh, Boy!...Yes!
I'm a big fan of Gruger's ...Oh, Boy!...Yes!<br />I'm a big fan of Gruger's work.Normnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-24918387948175888852012-05-29T19:26:31.021-04:002012-05-29T19:26:31.021-04:00Jeez. I've never heard of this guy, but that i...Jeez. I've never heard of this guy, but that is one seriously marvelous drawing. Unadulterated plastic writing churning the paper from end to end like weather cleaving the sky.chris bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02088693067960235141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12189014.post-43901157315787863082012-05-29T19:21:09.210-04:002012-05-29T19:21:09.210-04:00Great post! I will have to look into this artist m...Great post! I will have to look into this artist more closely.Steven Robersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11482767944652458589noreply@blogger.com