Illustrators # 8 (magazine review).
Illustrators # 8 is a treat from the start with a look at the cover art of Les Edwards aka Edward Miller, an alias needed so he could do work other than in the horror genre. I found myself looking at his art and wondering why none of the artbook publishers haven’t been knocking his door down to get a book of his material in print regardless of the name. His range in oil and acrylics, let alone his detailing are a joy to behold, showing style in SF and fantasy.
In contrast, Bart Forbes is a sports illustrator. Although I’m not a lover of sports, studying his work for motion capture makes him certainly worth looking at. That’s not to say that’s all Forbes does, displaying painting of western, turn of the 19th century settings and a real swing with jazz magicians, all in watercolour. In his description of his painting of Nat King Cole, he only had a turnover of a couple days but it’s certainly jaw-dropping in how he conveyed the man.
For those who know their Sherlock Holmes, Sidney Paget is the artist who defined his image in a deerstalker although as the pictures show here, Holmes had a bigger wardrobe to choose from. Oddly, ‘Strand Magazine’ art editor W.H. Boot didn’t know that there was more than one ‘Mr. Paget’ who were artists and instead of Walter, he got Sidney by mistake and the rest is history as they say. This article also shows Holmes as illustrated by Walter and a couple other artists as well, including Arthur Conan Doyle’s father, Charles Altamont Doyle, for one cover. Paget’s only work with fine line is extraordinary detailed in ways that modern day artists would use commercial tone today to accomplish.
In sharp contrast, John Haslam’s art is more colourfully cartoon garish and mostly done digitally. If anything, I would say the idea is stronger than the art but I applaud them for showing a variety of artists.
Bernie Fucks is another artist of his time painting jazz musicians amongst other people and capturing a distinct mood. However, it’s when you see his use of light with buildings that you’ll see something fascinating and a reminder that there is more to it than getting the shape right.
Finally, there is a sample of Zelda Devon’s art and has done some SF art.
As I’ve pointed in before, I love the contrasts in the art here from all the artists. You can’t help but find someone you hadn’t heard of before or learnt something about art technique that you might want to employ yourself. If all that fails, then a love of illustration is a good enough reason to look at these magazines.
GF Willmetts
February 2016
(pub: The Book Palace, 2014. 98 page illustrated squarebound magazine. Price: £18.00 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-907081-23-1. ISSN: 2052-6520)
check out website: www.thebookpalace.com
I think that you have a tiny typo in the name of the penultimate artist you list – I can’t see USPS using him for stamp design! Interestingly Pinterest has board with the name you use so it may well be a phonetic thing…
Hello Julian
I’ve corrected the spelling than printed your comment. A slip of the keyboard.
Assuming you live in the UK, you ever thought of trying out for doing reviews??
Geoff