Its been said that all the other story illustrators who worked in the major magazines of the 50's looked to Al Parker - because he was constantly experimenting with new approaches to the familiar romance scenarios so often asked for by clients. Was this the case for De Mers as well?
From his fully painted illustrations of the early 50's we now see him doing some interesting experimentation. The figures are still realistically painted - but the supporting elements have a nice graphic quality that suggests mood and location.
And by 1959, De Mers is abandoning his earlier formal realism almost completely for a more fanciful and personal style. This evolution will continue in the next few years... as we'll see tomorrow.
These pieces can be seen at full size in my Joe De Mers Flickr set.
Always loved De Mers stuff.
ReplyDeleteWith ths stylistic shift , he also seems to focus more on the design of piece too.
Thanks for sharing.