Inspiration: Arthur Rackham

One of my all-time favourite illustrators is Arthur Rackham, illustrating fairy tales, fantasy stories and classics- and he was amazing at drawing trees. He was part of the Golden Age of British book illustration. He created his work using pen and ink with watercolour.

Here are a few examples of his work, for some mid-week inspiration:

Illustration Unit: Howard Pyle

The next illustrator to study in this unit is the influential american artist, writer and art teacher Howard Pyle. He started teaching at a young age and many of his students became successful artists including N.C. Wyeth. Pyle and his followers have been termed the "Brandywine School" after the region they lived in.

His work demonstrates realism with a sophisticated use of colour and composition. His images also feature recurring themes of patriotism.

Like Rackham and Pogany, Pyle's focus was on children's stories and adventure books and he has been credited with developing the typical image of the pirate.

One of his well-known works, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood,  he both wrote and illustrated.

Illustration Unit: Aubrey Beardsley

The next illustrator I would cover in the art history part of the unit is the english artist Aubrey Beardsley. His work is a good example of the influence of Japanese woodcuts on European art in general on the art nouveau movement in particular.

After studying Pogany and Rackham, Aubrey Beardsley presents a different approach to illustration. His work is a great example of the power of contrast and the beauty of using shape and line. 

He offers another approach to hand-lettering that students can refer to during the research stage of the Creative Process.

  

Illustration Unit: Arthur Rackham

Arthur Rackham is another great illustrator to study from the Golden Age. His work, like Pogany's, focuses on myths, legends and fairy tales.

For the Illustration Unit, I would cover Arthur Rackham (and a few other central artists) in the introductory powerpoint/ slide-show during the first lesson. Then I would refer back to his work throughout the studio project, for inspiration and to help with ideas about technique.