Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ed Vebell: A Commitment to Life as a Professional Artist

Thanks to his involvement with the "Three Investigators" young reader book series (see yesterday's post) there is actually more biographical information available online about Ed Vebell than many other worthy mid-20th century illustrators. This week's posts, however, will draw mainly on material first published in American Artist magazine in February 1962. ~ Leif


Ed Vebell was born in Chicago in 1921 in a Lithuanian-Polish neighbourhood.

Vebell17

Drawing was a popular activity among his group of childhood friends - he remembers that he and many friends began drawing at age 5 or 6 and could draw well - though Vebell was the only one committed to a career in art.

Vebell17.detail01

How's this for commitment: as a freshman in high school Ed Vebell arranged to attend his regular classes from 7 a.m. 'til noon. Then, each day from noon 'til midnight, Vebell took additional art courses at the Professional Art School and the Harrison Art School in Chicago. He maintained this daily 17-hour regimen throughout his high school years.

Vebell18

E.W. Ball, Vebell's task master of an instructor, set the tone for the aspiring young artist's education: he insisted that students have a solid foundation in drawing fundamentals and complete understanding of the figure, including anatomy learned while sketching at cadaver dissections. Life models in Ball's class posed only briefly - the students then drew from memory - the models returning after the drawing so accuracy could be checked.

Vebell24

No erasers were allowed - bad drawings had to be redrawn from scratch. Constant practice was insisted upon.

Vebell24.detail01

As a result, Vebell said, he developed the ability "to analyze a subject and grasp its essentials at a glance and draw it later from memory." Later, when Vebell was working as a courtroom illustrator for Stars & Stripes at the Nuremberg war trials, E.W. Ball's training served him well. Looking through field glasses from the spectator's gallery, Vebell could draw the defendants directly in fountain pen and used only "a moistened thumb for the middle tones."

Vebell22

Being able to draw from memory "has inestimable value," said Vebell.

Vebell21

After high school, Vebell applied for several scholarship. He was accepted for two at the American Academy of Art and a third at the Commercial Art Institute. He studied at one in the morning, a second in the afternoon and the third at night. For the aspiring young illustrator, his relentless commitment to learning was about to bear fruit. At age 19 Vebell was offered a staff position at the Nugent-Graham Art Studios in Chicago.

Vebell16

Ed Vebell was on his way.

* Continued tomorrow

* Here's something cool: a group from the Society of Illustrators recently visited Ed Vebell at his home! Click here to take a look.

10 comments:

  1. Thanks Leif, for your post about a great guy! Ed and I became friends back when he was a kid of 70, and still deadly on the fencing strip (he an epee man, and I, foil). One of the finest draughtsmen of the generation that gave illustration its second Golden Age, your recognition of Ed Vebell was wonderful to read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Inspiring guy!
    As are you, bringing so many artists to our attention.
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fine draftsmanship...I like it lots! Thanks for bringing this artists work to my attention. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I stumble on this site when I was making research on my project topic. I found some useful topics in well detail form. Thanks for this excellent post. 야설

    ReplyDelete
  5. It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it is time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or advice. Maybe you can write next articles referring to thisarticle. I want to read even more things about it!
    야한동영상넷


    ReplyDelete
  6. You are so cool! I do not suppose I have read a single thing like this before. So good to find somebody with some original thoughts on this topic. Seriously.. many thanks for starting this up. Also, check out how to find airpod case.
    한국야동닷컴

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi, after reading this remarkable piece of writing i am as well happy to share my experience here with friends.
    일본야동닷컴

    ReplyDelete
  8. You're the most effective. Exactly how did you create such a wonderful blog post? I am extremely thankful to you. I'm not positive in making such a terrific blog post. Please let me understand exactly how if you actually do not mind. I have my get in touch with info on my site, so please think of it as well as see me. 우리카지노

    ReplyDelete