Tuesday 25 October 2016

"MR BENN - GLADIATOR" By David McKee (published by Andersen Press Ltd, London 2001) Part 3



You can spend hours looking at the dozens of characters in this book and laugh at their follies and actions whether you are a kid or not! If you ever get a chance to watch a Mr Benn animation you'll be even more amazed with the range of faces, shapes, colours and costumes. David McKee (b.1935) has limitless imagination, inventiveness and humour. I treasure any book with his illustrations but Mr Benn has to be my favourite.



Monday 17 October 2016

"The Listener Magazine" - 3 December 1987, VOL.118, NO 3040 - Cover Illustration By Janet Woolley (published by BBC Enterprises Ltd, 1987)


 

It's very interesting going through the pages of these magazines. Full of reviews on cultural events, books, films as well as many great black & white illustrations. The Listener Magazine first started its publication in the UK in 1929 and was finally ceased in 1991 after losing readership. For more on its history and articles you visit this website:  http://gale.cengage.co.uk/product-highlights/history/the-listener-historical-archive.aspx

Janet Woolley is a many-time award winning illustrator (since the seventies) for editorial, publishing and advertising work both in this country and the USA. She has also had a long teaching career in illustration - she taught me in the early nineties at Central St Martins School of Art and is currently running the MA Illustration course in Camberwell College, London. Her work was much more impressive in real life as it was quite large with rich colours and amazing details.


Saturday 15 October 2016

"The Listener Magazine" - 21 May 1987, Vol.117, No. 3012, Illustration By Bill Sanderson (published by BBC Enterprises Ltd, 1987)



The beautiful work of Bill Sanderson from 1987. The artist is still working as a freelance illustrator today and his style unmistakable. You can see many examples from editorial, publishing and advertising work on his website: http://www.billsandersonart.com/

Tuesday 11 October 2016

"The Swan's Stories" By Hans Christian Andersen, Illustrated By Chris Riddell (published by Walker Books Ltd, London 1997) Part 3



Top quality illustrations by British illustrator Chris Riddell (b. 1962). Impeccable draughtsmanship and humour - it's a delight flicking through this book as there are so many pictures in almost every page. The characters, the fine details and the styling is reminiscent of books by Arthur Rackham (1867-1938) and Walter Crane (1845-1915) about a hundred years ago, when book illustration was at its best. The artist's website with many more pictures and a list of his other books is: http://www.chrisriddell.co.uk/