The Many Techniques of James R. Bingham

Some illustrators, like Jon Whitcomb, build successful careers by doing the same thing really well over and over again. Others, like Al Parker, rarely seem to use the same approach twice - inspiring the entire industry with their fearless experimentation.

James R. Bingham wasn't a Whitcomb - but he wasn't a Parker either. On Monday I talked about how I got the sense that within the range of his style, Bingham was not afraid to try something new. Take a look at the tremendous variety of approaches shown here:

Whether it was his best known painting style...


or this scrubby, topic-appropriate painting (or is it pencil crayon?) technique,


whether it was one of his many different approaches to line art...




...or this startlingly loose, experimental painting technique,


James R. Bingham never failed to evoke a sense of freshness and fun, often surprising the viewer with yet another variation on the theme.

If you have yet to do so, today is the day to take a few moments to go through my James R. Bingham Flickr set and enjoy this top-notch versatile illustrator's range of styles.