tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post4894722504371742775..comments2024-03-18T14:05:31.316-04:00Comments on Today's Inspiration: Al Dorne on the Importance of Drawingleifpenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-86261809944309195252010-01-16T21:05:18.578-05:002010-01-16T21:05:18.578-05:00To Embarassed brother:
Its a non sequitur to muse...To Embarassed brother:<br /><br />Its a non sequitur to muse on the work by those who created modern classical music and suggest that they should have created commercial jingles instead. They didn't, so its not relevant that they might have. No, the point is that the modern visual arts have mostly been a joke, and the talent, skill and creativity can mostly been found in commercial art. That being said, some composers (Cage) would have done better if they had stuck to jingles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-71721440060432099192010-01-14T11:36:25.616-05:002010-01-14T11:36:25.616-05:00...And Maybe Bernstein and Glass wasted their time......And Maybe Bernstein and Glass wasted their time on 'big stuff' when they could have been composing ringtones and commercial jingles for the 'masses'.<br />Good Lord, is this blog turning into a watering-hole for Phillistines?Anonymous's Embarassed Brothernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-19665444315663447262010-01-13T21:51:09.313-05:002010-01-13T21:51:09.313-05:00There is great irony in the fact that 20th century...There is great irony in the fact that 20th century commercial art --openly intended to "con-vince" the potential customer of the value of some mundane product or service is actually less of a "con" than 90% of 20th century "fine art," which has mostly been a joke in terms of skill, representation, or inspiration. Thank God (er, actually, Leif) for this fantastic website, as daily review shows the honesty in the work of people like Dorne in the cause of art with skill, ideas, integrity and verve. Frankly, 90% of modern fine art simply can't compete with the illustrations posted on this website daily. I'd much rather see Dorne's skill in service to the ubiquitous Coke bottle than in service to some conventional "Man's inhumanity to Man" scene admired by the avante garde. There's a very easy test for the importance of the art presented here -- what would DaVinci or Vermeer like to look at and ponder over -- the illustrations posted here, or the dreck hanging in the Museum of Modern Art?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-17695629119229043952010-01-13T13:15:51.877-05:002010-01-13T13:15:51.877-05:00Wow! The more I read about these classic illustrat...Wow! The more I read about these classic illustrators the more I understand how to approach my art.Mike Moranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01473498510056803440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-4957857888282149162010-01-13T10:57:31.399-05:002010-01-13T10:57:31.399-05:00Wow, beautiful stuff. What I find intriguing abou...Wow, beautiful stuff. What I find intriguing about the pencil work is the thickening of the line as it defines shapes. We employ this technique in animation to give weight, volume, and some perspective.Joel Brinkerhoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16367156808507565022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-5161284322643177782010-01-13T10:09:11.102-05:002010-01-13T10:09:11.102-05:00Brian, TWO books on Alex Toth due out this year!
...Brian, TWO books on Alex Toth due out this year!<br /><br />First one out is a biography in the vein of the Noel Sickles book from 2009.Authored by Dean Mullaney. Rare stuff,unpublished stories etc. Title is, <br /> "Genius, Isolated: The Life & Art Of Alex Toth."<br /><br />Book two is an overview of AT's years at Standard comics,a golden period for the magyar master.Author is Greg Sadowski,who delivered 2 volumes on Bernard Krigstein.Both highly recommended.That title,<br /> "Setting the Standard: Alex Toth at Standard Comics 1952-54"<br /><br />So, all in all, a good year for Tothfans.Chad Sterlingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-29772989324144627252010-01-13T06:40:12.690-05:002010-01-13T06:40:12.690-05:00That drawing of all the old guys waiting for their...That drawing of all the old guys waiting for their buddy to kick the can is one of my all time favorites of Dorne's. I completely agree with his philosophy that if you can draw, then you can do anything. It all starts with mastering line, shape, and value...then of course there is mastering draftsmanship of good form and perspective, yet that comes in time.<br /><br />Lovely post again, Leif!Hayleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13600579061454900047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-29690984310923536092010-01-12T23:48:12.946-05:002010-01-12T23:48:12.946-05:00Thanks for such an amazing blog, Leif. I love Dorn...Thanks for such an amazing blog, Leif. I love Dorne's simple and humble approach to drawing. I know artists who show in the most "important" galleries in NYC and Europe, and have even had mid-career retrospectives, who cannot draw. Their place in the art world is secured by a willingness and understanding of how highbrow art politics is played. Who draws the line anyway between "fine art" and "commercial art?" Collectors.Elizabeth Glaznerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05360362898192590624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-33116927715107089782010-01-12T23:31:00.006-05:002010-01-12T23:31:00.006-05:00Chad....is there a new TOTH book coming out this y...Chad....is there a new TOTH book coming out this year that i don't know about?...BRIAN POSTMANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00928403126188857237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-87201840944310999832010-01-12T22:47:32.892-05:002010-01-12T22:47:32.892-05:00All I'm saying is, how great would it be to se...All I'm saying is, how great would it be to see some Dorne murals in museums or public spaces a la Dean Cornwell, or some 'real life' reportorial art, , like Weaver, as you said... something without a coke bottle or a bloody jukebox! <br /><br />Alex Toth's task,from a historical perspective I would argue,would be to dignify a relatively new art form -the comic strip- by introducing a new design aesthetic, which he continually refined and simplified over time. Within a couple of years of starting his career he was already the outstanding young talent in his field, purely for his drawing skill but he obviously felt that wasn't enough for him, hence the exploration.<br />I think his subject matter was a little beneath him content-wise, but he had to do the best with what was offered and support a young family.<br /><br />With regard to Fawcett,he had already tried and become disillusioned with the 'fine art' field and decided to bring that sophisticted attitude to illustration.You can see that he is cut from very different material from his contemporaries.<br /> <br />I,for one, can't wait for the books on Toth and Fawcett to appear this year. Maybe you could persuade David to do an 'appetiser'.And maybe you should consider doing a volume on Al Dorne!Chad Sterlingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-31792109482698606572010-01-12T22:42:04.700-05:002010-01-12T22:42:04.700-05:00Thanks so much for sharing such great inspiring wo...Thanks so much for sharing such great inspiring words.<br />Al Dorne was not only a skillful draftsman, but also the consumate professional illsutrator as businessman as well.David Groffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07554608379078710828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-10134498011302739182010-01-12T22:42:01.323-05:002010-01-12T22:42:01.323-05:00I find illustration often more interesting than fi...I find illustration often more interesting than fine art. Fine art often can be just as mundane, and somewhat worse, pretty much like random photographs taken by amateurs in family and friend meetings, just with better composition and technique. That's often what I find more interesting in fine art, usually, the (usually painting) technique, rather than some deeper meaning it supposedly have; illustration will in the other hand often serve a purpose, selling an product, service or associating a brand with a good idea, which is in and of itself an interesting endeavor, and there are quite a few interesting results. Other situation where I find fine art interesting, besides pure admiration of technique, is as an historical record of something. But besides that, I'm yet to be more touched by a deep meaning in fine art. This is more a declaration of ignorance and personal preference than bashing of fine arts, I don't want to offend anyone.dschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05153318861070317827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-73604310977937782952010-01-12T22:30:44.461-05:002010-01-12T22:30:44.461-05:00For a long time I've wanted to see this pictur...For a long time I've wanted to see this picture of the man and the lady with the rooster by Al Dorne in a decent size! I had only seen it in a book I have, but reduced to a bit less than 4 inches in height! Thanks a lot!<br /><br />Actually, for all the scans in general, but that one has some sort of special place in my memory. It was probably for me the most influential, impacting, four inches of drawing I've seen, and now I finally can see it in a size it deserves!dschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05153318861070317827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-23481003638255244382010-01-12T22:22:34.075-05:002010-01-12T22:22:34.075-05:00Al Dorne's drawings & paintings in adverti...Al Dorne's drawings & paintings in advertising and editorial illustration were scene, enjoyed, and admired by the people of his time all over the country. And they still are.haraldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13847533962327140580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-17189112965331562992010-01-12T22:20:39.766-05:002010-01-12T22:20:39.766-05:00Chad's not wrong, exactly, but a little ideali...Chad's not wrong, exactly, but a little idealistic and naive (no offense) here -- I'd agree it would have been nice if Dorne had been able to apply his skill more toward fine art (though fine art of his day was moving against drawing skill, toward "modern art") -- but the fact is, Dorne DID have to earn a living. He didn't have the luxury of creating art for art's sake - - few do.<br /><br />We all live in the limitations of our times and circumstances and Dorne did better than most at transcending those limitations, developing amazing skills and perception.mlpetershttp://mlpeters.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-18290991347104527202010-01-12T21:51:26.839-05:002010-01-12T21:51:26.839-05:00Chad; I just don't know what to make of that ...Chad; I just don't know what to make of that comment. To refer back to our discussion in the earlier post, would you agree Toth's employment history and choice of subject matter was equally mundane most of the time?<br /><br />And if Dorne's draughstmanship could have been put to a higher purpose and been hung in galleries, where does that leave Fawcett? He also did his share of Coca Cola ads and such...<br /><br />Not angry here... just... confused.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-38567507968990135742010-01-12T21:19:19.372-05:002010-01-12T21:19:19.372-05:00A phenomenal and hard earned skill applied all too...A phenomenal and hard earned skill applied all too frequently to mundane subject matter.<br />I don't want to say it was a waste of a great talent, because he fulfilled his dreams, helped others and provided for his family.But that fantastic draughtsmanship could have been put to a higher purpose.<br />Maybe Mr Dorne's pictures could have graced the same gallery he haunted in his youth.<br />I never tire of seeing those beautiful examples of his skill.Chad Sterlingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-38682184044006869422010-01-12T20:49:28.111-05:002010-01-12T20:49:28.111-05:00Nobody else could "draw through" like Do...Nobody else could "draw through" like Dorne.Terry Beattyhttp://www.terrybeatty.comnoreply@blogger.com