GEORGE COSBUC BILINGUAL COLLEGE

American and British Illustration

Student: tefan Georgescu
Coordinating teacher: Florina Ruse

Table of Contents
Table of contents.2 Foreword..i Chapter 1 What is illustration?.........3 Chapter 2 A brief history of illustration.......4 1.Illustration in Old Times .......................................................................................................... 4 2.Illustration and the 19th century............................................................................................... 4 3.The Golden Age of Illustration ................................................................................................ 5 4.The Wars, the Depression and Illustration ............................................................................... 5 5.The Cold War and Pop Art ....................................................................................................... 6 6.Science Fiction and Laser Printers ........................................................................................... 7 7.The 90s and today ................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 3 - Illustration Now 1.A new world ............................................................................................................................. 7 2.Illustration now ........................................................................................................................ 8 3.A second Golden Age of Illustration .................................................................................... 9 4.The top contemporary American illustrators so far ............................................................... 10 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................ii Appendix.......................................................................................................................................iii Bibliography...............................................................................................................................xvii

Foreword
The reasons to talk about illustration are plentiful, as the nature of this topic resembles that of a dice: one object with many sides, each of a different value. The hardest part is to decide which side values the most. Could it be, perhaps, the history of American and British illustration? A history that clearly outlines the evolution of human thinking, from concrete to abstract, from a clear depiction of reality up to subtle encryption of messages and meanings. Or should I attempt to define illustration, deciding whether it can or cannot be considered a pure art form? After all, illustration is meant to clarify or provide visual aid to concepts already born, but doing so in such a manner that a varied audience understands the message. Must I talk about what illustration is today or what it will be tomorrow? There are many questions I can pose, perhaps even fewer that I can actually answer. The truth is that the field of illustration has grown to such an extent that it has become an autonomous artistic field that doesnt answer to traditional criticism and often defies the rules of fine art in order to reach its goal. What started off by playing a supporting role of enriching books by providing a few clear visual depictions of their content has developed far beyond its original boundaries. We stand face to face with a phenomenon that has positively exploded in the last years. We find ourselves at the beginning of an era that will clearly surpass (if it hasnt already) the Golden Age of Illustration. You might ask yourselves What does this have to do with me? Im not a visual artist, its none of my concern. The answer to this question is precisely what makes illustration stand out in the world of art. Illustration is, compared to other visual art forms, a frontier town. Illustration stands on the very border between what we call spiritual, psychological, profound and what we call commercial, for the masses, shallow and so on. It is that bridge that links these two worlds, resulting in a unique hybrid, a hybrid that has taken over the art stage in these recent years. It is no novelty that art has entered a phase in which it no longer targets a chosen few, but everybody. However, illustration takes one big step forward towards this direction. Illustratio n is indeed for everybody. Illustration can be found in books, on books, in animation, in movies, on the cover of music albums, in the interface of computer programs, in games, everywhere. As opposed to fine art, illustration is everywhere, it is global. You might again ask a question: Why is the word American or British so important when its placed before illustration? Because we owe American illustration thanks for turning this once minor branch of art into a fully fledged art form, and we owe our thanks to British Illustration for arming illustrators with a unique sense of humour and style.

Chapter 1 What is illustration?

I am sure that most of us are familiar with the term illustration and what it represents. Bluntly said, an illustration is bit of graphic work, be it a drawing, painting, sketch, or any other type of graphic art, meant to enhance a text, an idea, a concept in order to ensure that the message is clearly passed on to the audience. In a broader sense, illustration represents a type of commercial art. An illustrators job is to elaborate a piece of graphic art that follows the points mentioned in the projects brief or the concept, making sure that the message of that concept is clearly received by the audience. There have been endless discussions of whether illustration can be considered fine art or not. The outcome of all these talks is that illustration isnt in fact fine art, as the pieces of work that bear the standard of illustrations depend on a number of clearly defined characteristics and limits imposed by the project, unlike fine art, which is not tied down to any other limit than that of the artists will and imagination. An idea to which I will look back upon a few times in this bit of text is that an illustrators main task is to be able to communicate with its audience on the project holders terms. From a practical standpoint, illustration is the best promise for a financially stable life an artist can hope for. Illustration, as opposed to fine art, targets everybody. In reverse, there is a constant need for illustration. From powerfully narrative drawings and complex works of art accompanying blocks of text, to witty bits of graphic design, illustration is everywhere. Also, illustration ensures that the work of the artist is to be seen by a large audience. It promises exposure, an honor which many fine artists strive for. There are some who claim that illustration is no match for pure fine art when the real challenge is posed: the test of time. I beg to differ. Illustration is art for the masses and many strong symbols of popular culture were born out of the need to produce an iconic image that will appeal to the public and create a legacy through the publics interest for that particular vision. The classic image of Alice from Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Seuss cast of crazy characters, Mickey Mouse, even the Coca-Cola logo are all products of illustration. All these images will forever remain part of our global culture. Perhaps some shed less light on the name of their author than others, but their work is immortal nonetheless. Their work lives together with their audience.
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Chapter 2 A Brief History of Illustration

1.Illustration in Old Times
If we are to trace the origins of illustration we can go all the way back to prehistoric times. The best examples of prehistoric art are the wall paintings of the Lascaux caves. However, the type of art we will be referring to from now on as illustration has its origins before the 15th century, when books were hand written and hand illustrated. Drawings usually accompanied manuscripts and books were decorated by hand. In 1430, a new printing technique called Intaglio etching gives artists a new medium to work with. Albrecht Durer, Max Klinger and Pablo Picasso are amongst the most famous artists to have used this technique. The year 1439 marks the year of birth for the Gutenberg Press. From that point forward, printmakers started making books at a greater scale, which meant that archaic illustrators had their work seen by more and more readers. The end of the 18th century is marked by the invention of lithography (printing using a stone or metal plate cheaper and more advanced than previous techniques). Also, chromolithography is invented in the first half of the 19th century (chromolithography allowed the use of colour in print, which was a major step forward for illustrators and printmakers alike). One of the most famous illustrators to have lived in the 18th century is William Blake. His work features illustrations for A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Canterbury Tales and Dantes Inferno, the latter being incomplete due to his death in 1827 (the project was started in 1826).

2.Illustration and the 19th century

What followed was a boom in illustration, as artists thrived off books and magazines, giving way to a whole new sense of what art meant. Most of the illustration in that time was made up of political and social caricatures, widely popular in magazines such as the British humorous magazine Punch (1841) and the Comic Almanac (1827 1840). The most prolific illustrators in that time were Sir John Tenniel and Georges du Maurier. Besides magazines, a number of iconic book illustrations were made in that time, such as Sir John Tenniels illustrations of Alice in Wonderland which remains up to this day the classic view on Lewis Carrolls characters and world. His work also marked the beginning of The Golden Age of Illustration This period is best remembered for the large amount of illustrations done for childrens books, the clearest examples being those made for Lewis Carrolls and Charles Dickens titles.
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3.The Golden Age of Illustration

The period known as The Golden Age of Illustration spans from the 1880s up to the 1920s and it is basically characterized by the enthusiasm of a well defined group of artists from the U.S. and Europe that managed to take advantage of the latest technological breakthroughs regarding print (cheaper paper, faster printmaking devices and better wood engraving techniques). This time period is especially important for American illustration as it coincides with the ascent of the U.S. as an international power, from early depictions of the Civil War, all the way up to the light-hearted age of Jazz. It is the time in which the iconic views of the American dream are being formed. Famous American posters and logos are created in this time period, such as the Uncle Sam drafting poster and the classic red and white Santa Claus. American illustration of this period was anchored by the Brandywine Valley tradition, begun by Howard Pyle and carried on by his students, who included N.C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, Frank Schoonover and Edwin Austin Abbey. Also, the Golden Age of Illustration marks the beginning of the clear separation between commercial illustration and fine art. Although the distinction between the two isnt very clear in the second half of the 19th century, the development of commercial, advertising art affected the common view on illustration, and by 1920 the separation was obvious, leaving a gap between fine and popular art. In Europe, early Golden Age artists were heavily influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau and the Pre-Raphaelites. The most notable British figures include Sir John Tenniel, Walter Crane, Beatrix Potter, Arthur Rackham and Aubrey Beardsley, which hold around 85% of the illustration done in Europe in that period.

4.The Wars, the Depression and Illustration

This stage represents a huge turn in illustration as far as themes are concerned. While the previous period represented the development of book illustration, this phase focuses mainly on the rise of the poster as a means of communication. The outbreak of World War I meant a shift in focus for artists from all around the world. The illustration market becomes flooded with war propaganda posters and War Departments remain the big commissioners during the 1914 1945 time frame. However, such a turn in illustration doesnt mean theres a lack of valuable artists. It is the start of the Golden Age of Animation, as future great animator Walt Disney enters the scene. Although famous for creating Mickey Mouse and the rest of the cast of characters and animating many fairytales such as Snow White, Disney also features a strong selection of propaganda
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cartoons such as An Education for Death which is a grim depiction of the Hitlers youth program. A similar example of a childrens artist who also was renowned for his propaganda projects can be found in the world of illustration. The world famous Dr. Seuss used both his writing and drawing talent to produce an extensive series of propaganda cartoons and caricatures (both for and against U.S. foreign policies of that time). Other famous illustrators of that time are E.H. Shepard (Winnie the Pooh) and M.C. Escher

5.The Cold War and Pop Art

The post 45 period is marked by the Cold War and it features another round of propaganda posters, but more important, it is the beginning of a movement that builds upon everything that is commercial and challenges all that is spiritual, a movement that still inspires contemporary artists and represents a milestone in both fine art and illustration: pop art. In the mid 1950s, pop art is born in Britain, quickly following in the U.S. While the movement emerged in both western countries, the ideas behind it differ. While both countries employ parody and irony, their reasons differ. The British approach is more reserved, more academic, and humorous while the American way is much more aggressive, given their background of having a strong commercial subculture. Famous British pop artists feature the Independent Group or IG, consisting of Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton, Toni del Renzio, William Turnbull, Nigel Henderson (photographer), John McHale (fine artist) and Lawrence Alloway (a critic and defender of the idea that pop art should be included in the fine arts). The American pop art scene differs strongly from the British one. The movement lacks a united group and the art frame was dominated by individuals, rather than organized groups, of which the most prolific are Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Andy Warhol has become the most famous representative of pop art due to his ambition to turn this art style into a lifestyle. Another highly important style that changed commercial art forever is surrealism, a style that quickly caught on in the U.S. thanks to Dalis eccentric personality and marketing skills.

Surrealism is destructive, but it destroys only what it considers to be shackles limiting our vision.
Salvador Dali

6.Science Fiction and Laser Printers

From 1969 to 1976 the world has the honour of meeting 3 new inventions in print history: the laser printer (1969), the dot matrix printer (1970 the first printer to allow the user to change fonts, very common up to the 1990s) and the Inkjet printer (1976). The influences of this time include photorealism, post-modernism, techno-impressionism and psychedelic art. Notable examples of this period include Philip Castle, Jan Piekowski, Ian Pollock, Gerlad Scarfe and Chris Foss. Most of the illustration done in this period is for ads, sci-fi books (which were extremely popular in that time) and movie posters.

7.The 90s and today

The final stage of illustration starts with the invention of the Web 1.0. The internet made the final step towards globalization. Suddenly, all art movements and styles were connected and artists from around the world entered a race to which all would participate. Every art style and concept that has been developed in the past years has been thrown in this melting pot. The visual vocabulary will be changed forever from this point forward. Artists will cease to create styles that fully define their ethnic and social background. I will treat this chapter separately.

Chapter 3 Illustration now

1.A new world
As mentioned at the end of the previous chapter, what illustration has become today and the direction towards it is headed is unlike anything that happened before. The world we live in now is one in which the internet is a stranger to none, a world in which artists are switching from wooden easels to computer tablets loaded with the latest in graphic design software. A world in which you cant be sure whether your work and ideas are fully original or have already been done by another artist living at the other end of the globe. A world in which you strive not to be the best in your land, but the best in all the lands. A world so driven by creativity it becomes hard to see anything truly original or to assess whether if what we take for styles are in fact ephemeral trends. A world in which an illustrator is required to participate in a race with no clear finish line, alongside everybody else, alongside every other culture.
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Todays artists live in a world in which they have access to all the tools and sources of inspiration required to create something truly outstanding, a sight which might have been considered overwhelming even for the finest artist of the past decades and centuries. But what does this mean for illustrators today?

2.Illustration now
Steven Heller, American art director, journalist, critic and author, described illustration in his Intro of Illustration Now as being extremely eclectic, defiantly personal, intensely conceptual, astutely witty and irrepressibly expressive. Its hard to decide who owns the illustration stage today. There are no longer just a few notable examples of exceptional talent which can be drawn up front and dissected. If once you were able to fill a classroom with the worlds most talented artists, now you wouldnt be able to fit even a quarter of them in a whole university. The truth is the world is slowly going towards a highly elevated general mindset, a mindset in which creativity lays at the base of the entire structure. So how do you decide whos talented in a world filled with talented people? The answer is simple: you cannot. And more importantly, its irrelevant from the general standpoint of what we understand through talent, because in illustration being able to draw is only the first step towards being a successful illustrator. The illustrator, more than showing off his artistic skills, needs to be able to communicate with the audience. In the world of illustration its more important to be able to remain up-to-date with what makes the world tick, rather than revolutionize the art world with something never to be seen before. The key word for an illustrator is communication. In the second volume of Illustration now!, Cristoph Niemann (American illustrator) makes a very interesting point:

When I was at art school my teacher Heinz Edelmann told us the following about the future of illustration: If aliens landed on planet Earth tomorrow and taught you what graphic design looks like 20 years from now, it wont help you a bit, because nobody would get it. All that matters is what design looks like today and maybe a year from now.
The quote above explains perfectly another important aspect of illustration: the fact that it always needs to be up to date with society, never behind and never ahead. Just up to date.
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3.A second Golden Age of Illustration

I have no doubt that we live in a second Golden Age of Illustration. There are many reasons for why illustration became such a popular option for companies worldwide. The first obvious reason is the cost. Illustration is far cheaper to produce compared to photography (the other viable alternative). The last years of financial crisis have drastically reduced the budgets of creative projects. The second reason is choice. The rapid increase in the number of illustrators gives companies the possibility to carefully pick from a whole range of artists those that have the wit to carry out the projects they (the companies) require, with the budgets they set. Lets not forget that illustration is not fine art. It does not provide the artist with a broad horizon of creative possibilities. The illustrator must turn the objectives set in his brief into visual reality. The joy of being able to choose doesnt just stop at picking an illustrator. The illustrator, unlike fine artists, need to tailor their style constantly to the needs of the project commissioner. Unlike fine artists, who strive to envision a completely new universe of thought and ideas, illustrators are armed with decades of graphic history, filled with symbols and images that need to be used properly in order to get the message through to the audience. As Cristoph Niemann (American illustrator) said in an interview for the second volume of Illustration Now!

As an illustrator I feel I live in a visual candy store that consists of ancient and modern art, pop culture, folk art, advertising, comics, religious iconography, simply EVERYTHING. Illustration takes all these wonderful images and reinterprets, rearranges, reinvents and sometimes makes fun of them.
It is also important to mention that the U.S. remains the top provider of illustrators. The long tradition of commercial art and popular culture, as well as being renown for the best paying contractors as far as illustration is concerned, have kept this country a haven for artists worldwide. However, nationalities value less and less nowadays in the creative field, as ethnic backgrounds and national folklore remain but details the illustrators uses to enrich his pieces of work. In the field of illustration these traits have lost their meaning. The contemporary illustrator is a nomad, that wanders around seeking the perfect style and symbol for his project. For some this image may appear grim, for others it is the expression of a superior level of creativity, one that raises personal traits above social ones.
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4.The top contemporary American illustrators so far

The title of this part is very misleading and claiming the following list of artists to be true to the title would contradict my previous ideas. The following and very short list of illustrators has been drawn based on 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide, published by Lurzers Archive in 2011. Advertising Books Covers Stefan G. Bucher Tim OBrien Kim Dulaney Steven Tabbutt Cathy Gendron Ben Gibson Kristina Carroll Mark Bender Anthony Foronda

Magazine Editorial Posters John Hersey Brian Stauffer Brad Holland Adam Niklewicz Brad Holland Brian Stauffer

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Conclusion
There are of course a lot more to say and I know I merely scratched the surface with what I have laid out so far. The history of illustration, unlike that of fine art or any other kind of history is quite unclear and lacks a set structure. Because illustration is based on various art styles it doesnt have a well defined backbone, it blends in with the rest. Thus, in order to understand how illustration came to how we see it today and its origins we are required to pick out by hand only the valuable details from history, those details that explain why a certain figure was popular and analyze it as a whole, as opposed to just mentioning it. Why did Mickey Mouse became so popular, why the red and white wearing Santa Claus caught on so well, why are Dr. Seuss characters a milestone in illustration and why American illustration is still a leading concept? This points out that this subject is still fresh. It is still alive and its continuously changing. For me this raises great interest, firstly as an emerging illustrator and secondly from the point of view of a subject that can be observed as it evolves in real time, and that in my opinion is exciting. As I have mentioned before, illustration is art for the masses. It is something that slips into our lives, whether we want it to or not. But the difference between fine art and illustration is that our society shapes it continuously, since it is made for the general audience. Illustrators follow briefs imposed by project commissioners that seek to meet a positive response from their audience. That makes illustrators the intermediaries between the companies and us. But what of American and British illustration? Can I say after 10 pages why their contribution was crucial to the evolution of illustration as a whole? Experience. A long history of growing a commercial subculture, providing the perfect ground for emerging illustrators and graphic designers. A platform that would allow the mixture of the worlds most famous styles and concepts into what has grown into todays illustration industry. But what we call today illustration knows no borders and it is only tagged with a nationality because its author is required to own one. Todays illustrators have at their disposal far more resources than past generations could have hoped for. Everything that was ever drawn or thought of graphic-wise now rests silently in the contemporary artists hard drive or on the internet, waiting for that project that would render its purpose meaningful yet again. Illustration isnt fine art, but why should it be? It has always been an art for the people, something anybody can comprehend. It is meant to tell a tale, to amuse, to shock, to anger and to earn the artist a fair living in our 21st century world.

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Appendix
Chapter 2.1

Lascaux Cave wall painting

Max Klinger The Plague, 1898 1909 =>

Wiliam Blake, Dantes Inferno, Whirlwind of Lovers, 1826

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Chapter 2.2

Punch Magazine 1934

The Comic Almanac 1840

Sir John Tenniel Drink me 1865

Georges du Maurier A legend of Camelot

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Chapter 2.3

Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit 1902 ->

Arthur Rackham Grimms Fairy Tales 1909

Chapter 2.3

Aubrey Beardsley Salome 1906

N.C. Wyeth - Lincoln

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Chapter 2.3

Maxfield Parrish - Ecstasy

Frank Schoonover The Young and Old of St. Mihiel Greet Their Liberators 1918

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Chapter 2.4

J. Howard Miller We can do it - 1942

You give us the fire Well giveem Hell! Mickey Mouse

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Chapter 2.4

Green Eggs and Ham

Dr.Seuss Cat in the Hat

WW2 Caricature
Ostrich Bonnet here, relieves Hitler Headache ix

Chapter 2.4

M. C. Escher Convex and Concave 1955

Belvedere

Chapter 2.5

Roy Lichtenstein Takka Takka 1962

Salvador Dali The temptation of St. Anthony 1946

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Chapter 2.6

Philip Castle Heineken Ad

Gerald Scarfe The Wall Hammers

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Chapter 3.4

Kristina Carroll

Mark Bender

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Chapter 3.4

Up: Anthony Foronda Left: Cathy Gendron Right: Steven Tabutt

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Chapter 3.4

Stefan G. Bucher

Ben Gibson

Kim Dulaney

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Chapter 3.4

John Hersey Brad Holland

Tim OBrien Brian Stauffer

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Bibliography
1. Illustration Now! Vol. 1,Wiedemann, Julius, Koln: Taschen, 2008, p. 4-5 2. Illustration Now! Vol. 2, Wiedemann, Julius, Koln: Taschen, 2007. P 6-11 3. Best 200 Illustrators Worldwide, Weinzetll, Michael, Vienna: Lurzers Archive, 2011 4. Francesco Mugnai Blog http://blogof.francescomugnai.com/2009/12/a-brief-history-of-illustration 5. Wikipedia, on pop art http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop_art 6. Illustrating Connecticut American illustration a brief history
http://www.hcc.commnet.edu/artmuseum/illustratingct/essay.asp

7. The Artcyclopedia The Golden Age of Illustration

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/golden-age.html

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