tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post4549395982358643851..comments2024-03-19T04:22:31.613-04:00Comments on Today's Inspiration: Illustrating for Love or Money... 'til Death Do Us Partleifpenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-36868686877935340892011-10-27T18:07:27.596-04:002011-10-27T18:07:27.596-04:00Coles was a remarkable water colorist and his near...Coles was a remarkable water colorist and his nearest 'rival' might have been Ludwig Hohlwein of Germany. Both men were aware of one-another.<br />Had the first world war not happened and Coles lived, what a meeting of the minds and brushes it could have been.<br />Coles painted pretty women, but also very modern ones I can easily imagine, had he lived longer, Hollywood seeking his services for the Jean Harlows, Hepburns, or Bette Davises just over the horizon.terry wilsonhttp://topictoons.blogspot.com/2011/10/stone-giants-of-older-west.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-12038940997570981612011-10-27T07:01:26.963-04:002011-10-27T07:01:26.963-04:00Michael;
Wow, that's very interesting! I won...Michael;<br /><br />Wow, that's very interesting! I wonder why the disparity in stories... I'll ask my contacts at the Norman Rockwell Museum - perhaps they can clear that up for us.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-9112826577824035812011-10-26T14:28:33.383-04:002011-10-26T14:28:33.383-04:00Part of the ailing of American commercial art came...Part of the ailing of American commercial art came, in my opinion, from the 1913 Amory Show in New York. Seems from then, America's fine art (illustration) began to be undermined at the top as not sophisticated enough or too literal. Then, as Norman Dodd discovered, you have large foundations undermining our foundations as well. During the '30s the art director was being born and many were EU transplants. Nonetheless, this is wonderful and informative blog.pencillinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07183792063692531481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-4431147088421657632011-10-16T11:45:07.049-04:002011-10-16T11:45:07.049-04:00It's certainly a cautionary tale. Illustration...It's certainly a cautionary tale. Illustration House's biography of Thrasher tells a rather different story - that Thrasher didn't just quit after one year - he DID do them - weekly - for SIX years. If that's true, how could he have been anything other than a classic case of burn out?<br /><br />Thrasher bio:<br />http://www.illustration-house.com/bios/thrasher_bio.htmlMichael Fraleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14394923592670217503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-34980729279622763622011-10-15T20:46:10.454-04:002011-10-15T20:46:10.454-04:00A cautionary tale indeed. To commit himself to suc...A cautionary tale indeed. To commit himself to such a workload was never going to be a good move, however tempting.Talnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-32976728790545563742011-10-14T05:56:15.028-04:002011-10-14T05:56:15.028-04:00Thanks Jared, Will and newleafcreative. You'...Thanks Jared, Will and newleafcreative. You're right - they don't teach this - or didn't - I was certainly oblivious to it when I went to art school...<br /><br />But I get the impression that now, with the Internet making all of info so much more readily available, more young people are aware of the history of the business than ever before. <br /><br />Quite a few educators have contacted me over the last few years to let me know TI is required reading in their courses. Very gratifying! :^)leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-46618649368445548712011-10-14T05:48:09.199-04:002011-10-14T05:48:09.199-04:00Daniel; I think Thrasher was 46 or 47 when he die...Daniel; I think Thrasher was 46 or 47 when he died.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-62193326584242415232011-10-13T21:16:13.869-04:002011-10-13T21:16:13.869-04:00Great post, Leif. Loved it! I read Rockwell's ...Great post, Leif. Loved it! I read Rockwell's bio about four years ago on a trip and couldn't put it down. It quickly became one of my favorite books of all time.<br /><br />Rockwell threw a few "cautionary tales" in that book. The tragic end of Leslie Thrasher as well as the dark tale of the Leyendecker brothers. They just don't teach that side of illustration in art school. I wish they would have, though. Seeing the titans of the golden age as human beings, with struggles and foibles, makes it so much more real.Tami Traylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06073935994298941603noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-61274775631694012262011-10-13T20:44:29.180-04:002011-10-13T20:44:29.180-04:00Choice post Mr. Peng.
Great art and a tragic &am...Choice post Mr. Peng.<br /><br /> Great art and a tragic & poignant point... The breaking point between insane deadlines and temptation is well illustrated, no pun intended...Will Finnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01297122976077620877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-39818177918891915202011-10-13T19:22:54.073-04:002011-10-13T19:22:54.073-04:00Great post....I enjoyed this one a lot.Great post....I enjoyed this one a lot.Jared Shearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14879406947140189516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-40890116683732687012011-10-13T19:21:23.563-04:002011-10-13T19:21:23.563-04:00Do you know how old Leslie Thrasher was when he di...Do you know how old Leslie Thrasher was when he died?Daniel Zalkushttp://www.zalkus.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-35934037218676915862011-10-13T18:55:26.184-04:002011-10-13T18:55:26.184-04:00Eric; That's right! Rockwell wrote that he w...Eric; That's right! Rockwell wrote that he woke up from nightmares screaming "Orange Crush! Orange Crush!" He hated having accepted the assignment.<br /><br />I can empathize why just about anybody might be tempted to take a shot at such a lucrative contract as the one Leslie Thrasher signed with Liberty magazine. I had my own much smaller version of something like that years ago and it also turned out disasterously ( happily, I didn't die ... but I did lose my shirt and a lot of sleep). I think that's the real wisdom Rockwell proffers: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. ;^)leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-42549077436212344082011-10-13T18:47:12.778-04:002011-10-13T18:47:12.778-04:00Jil Casey and Saarer; thanks for your kind words :...Jil Casey and Saarer; thanks for your kind words :^)leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-44794203333629613712011-10-13T18:46:16.302-04:002011-10-13T18:46:16.302-04:00Richmonde;
I have it on good authority that the s...Richmonde;<br /><br />I have it on good authority that the scene is intended to be a passengers boarding a train with porters.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-77546062284911476022011-10-13T15:37:06.432-04:002011-10-13T15:37:06.432-04:00Excellent.
Simply excellent.Excellent.<br />Simply excellent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-30475193486095847882011-10-13T14:14:27.393-04:002011-10-13T14:14:27.393-04:00I know Rockwell had nightmares over that Crush ser...I know Rockwell had nightmares over that Crush series; giant pop bottles pounding him into the ground, but I never knew that about Thrasher -- how sad. Illustrators are artists, but to everyone else in the biz, they're just "vendors". Push it too hard and you suffer for sure (but I have to admit, if someone offered me the 2011 equivalent of $50k for 50 covers in this economy, I'd probably be tempted to give it a shot).eric bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12376127920858647441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-82798227003481276622011-10-13T13:43:18.570-04:002011-10-13T13:43:18.570-04:00Interesting post!Interesting post!Jil Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01753282207863478870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-58594360562007325782011-10-13T12:47:02.578-04:002011-10-13T12:47:02.578-04:00I'd love to know what's happening in the p...I'd love to know what's happening in the picture with the baby. Are they in a lift (elevator)? On a bus? Are the well-dressed couple married? Is the man in the background carrying golf clubs (for the well-dressed man)? Is he frowning cos the WDM is leering at the nurse? It seems rather subversive as the baby is smiling at the black liftman/busdriver. Is this all a complete fantasy?Lucy R. Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08632983296994349550noreply@blogger.com