Hi Brian. It was great to watch your video. I met Roger a few times in the eighties when we were both represented by the same agent. I didn’t know him well but visited him once or twice at his home in Burpham which is near the town of Arundel on the South coast of England. A very nice man, he was much in demand as an artist and illustrator in those days, and I am fortunate to have a couple of his originals on my wall. I would say that the reproductions in the book seem not far off actually, as he often tended to use a somewhat muted palette, but they can’t do justice to the original artwork, which somehow managed to convey such atmosphere from a few simple strokes, and infuriatingly he was as adept with oils and pastels as he was with watercolor. Thank you for posting.
Hello Roger! I apologize for not responding sooner! My comment notifications had been disabled in RUclips and I just discovered this. So, I'm catching up! Thanks so much for commenting and the information on Roger. It's fun to learn a bit more about the artist and how the originals look. I've really enjoyed this book, over the years, and will continue to do so. Best Wishes!
Yes.... I have this book in my collection. I knew Roger very well and often went to his home in Burpham. I still live locally in Angmering village. Martyn Haulkham.
Thank you so much for recommending this book. I love his work. I ordered it from Amazon. In 2022 it is still available. Since Coleman is British, a google search aimed at him in England might give some info about him.
I just bought this book today. He lived about 1.5 hr drive East along the South Coast from me. On writing this comment, he's 93yrs old. His novel book covers are great.
Something about the layout and use of space suggests that the artist might have spend time as a professional illustrator, he is quite masterly with his depictions of children too, which reinforces that impression. on some of the pages the paintings seem to have been done specifically to accommodate the text, so there is an interplay there, it is a very nicely designed book aside from the use of watercolour and pencil drawing. Some really nice use of negative space to... interesting to find out whether there is other workofbhis to be found...
I looooved having a glimpse of this book - it took me back to another place and time and being painted in watercolours just added to the atmosphere of it - I just ordered it from Amazon. Thank you very much for introducing me to this
Magdalena French Glad you ordered a copy! It does take you back to a another place and time... a simpler time. I love it for that aspect, as well. I'm pretty nostalgic and this hits all those buttons. Ha, ha.
Jared Loves to Draw Yeah, it's really amazing work. Very strange to not be able to find more from someone that is obviously so accomplished. Head scratcher.
wow... thanks! :-) Really, for those of us who don't have a means to buy this book, (due to shipping issues) your review is the only place to connect to these artworks, which are awesome... I am guessing many of the scenes in the book appear to have been drawn from photographs... but a painting always has something special about itself.
Greenish Blue You're welcome... I'm glad it was helpful. I was hoping to show as much as I could since, this being an old book, it might be hard for everyone interested to secure a copy. Thanks for watching!
Excellent Brian, thanks for sharing this classic book with us. Unfortunately, the reproduction quality in the early 80's wasn't all that good at the time, and it probably has lost a bit of it's luster since then. Loved the video!!
I found a reference to Roger Coleman, an illustrator, on Todays Inspiration blog, which stated that he was a friend of Brian Sanders another illustrator who was active during the late fifties and sixties. Certainly Roger's work in Downland appears reminiscent of the work of Bernie Fuchs et al in terms of composition and that beautiful combination of detail and looseness.
Philip Montgomery Hmmm... maybe he was more active in the years leading up to the publication of this book. Thanks! I also can see some similarities to Fuchs' work.
4:04 Ah yes, the two best seasons, snow and spring. Of course there's also sunny and falling things from the sky, or fall for short. Just kidding I love your content!
I dont know why but as you got to the end of the book, i wished it had his picture in it. Interesting... Maybe someone that knows about it will see your video.. If you follow anyone in Great Britain or Ireland, etc. you might as them about it. Example: Patrick Ley Greaves/ Pure Watercolour. Trevor Waugh might be a good one to ask.It will be fun to see if you have a follow up on it one day. Oh, the SAA art supply company or Windsor and Newton etc. Added this> on line I found a site called Illustration Art Gallery with the Book Palace. They have a Roger Coleman with two examples. They also have a little bio on the artist. Not sure if he is the same person or not. You can see on there how this person signed his art work also.
Essie Tangle Hi, Essie. Thanks! That's a good idea to check around with those that might know more of having grown up in the UK. I hadn't thought about that but you're right... it does seem a bit odd to see the life and family all around the writer/artist without seeing him at all.
Brian Ashmore Studio Robert Brindley (probably miss spelled) might have a direction for you. Who knows you might ask James Gurney too. He is quite the art historian on his blog. I love these kinds of art adventures. On the person I found (above) they said his work was very active in the 60s and 70s as an illustration professional. Then he became reclusive in the 1980s. Using my imagination, maybe, this book in the 80s was looking back at life or using his skill to paint the way he wanted to at that time in his life.???Okay I could go on and on so I will stop. It drives my husband crazy too. Let us know please if you find the answer, please.
To Brian from Essie>If you go to Google and google/ Cover Artist Roger Coleman. It will bring up a lot of his work and another book he wrote. But of all the interesting things you will see, there is a painting of Roger Coleman by Michael Leonard. To me, it looks a lot like the man in your book that you said looks somewhat like James Gurney.
Perhaps read the book text and you'll get a better understanding of the village life. I have the book. And have visited the area in 2023... many years later.
Hi Brian. It was great to watch your video. I met Roger a few times in the eighties when we were both represented by the same agent. I didn’t know him well but visited him once or twice at his home in Burpham which is near the town of Arundel on the South coast of England. A very nice man, he was much in demand as an artist and illustrator in those days, and I am fortunate to have a couple of his originals on my wall.
I would say that the reproductions in the book seem not far off actually, as he often tended to use a somewhat muted palette, but they can’t do justice to the original artwork, which somehow managed to convey such atmosphere from a few simple strokes, and infuriatingly he was as adept with oils and pastels as he was with watercolor.
Thank you for posting.
Hello Roger! I apologize for not responding sooner! My comment notifications had been disabled in RUclips and I just discovered this. So, I'm catching up! Thanks so much for commenting and the information on Roger. It's fun to learn a bit more about the artist and how the originals look. I've really enjoyed this book, over the years, and will continue to do so. Best Wishes!
Yes.... I have this book in my collection. I knew Roger very well and often went to his home in Burpham.
I still live locally in Angmering village. Martyn Haulkham.
Looks like a beautiful area...Tell us more about him, please. Did he teach art? No you tubes, I suppose! I have this book and love it.
Stunning illustrations! Great find!
Thank you for the video! I’m absolutely going to buy this book!
Looking forward to your next upload!
Thanks!! I don't think you'll be disappointed! One of my "go to" books...
Thank you so much for recommending this book. I love his work. I ordered it from Amazon. In 2022 it is still available. Since Coleman is British, a google search aimed at him in England might give some info about him.
Burpham is in West Sussex England, where he lives. He is a charming gentleman who I have met several times.......
Beautiful video, thanks for sharing :-)
Really enjoy this kind of work, especially because it's so drastically different from how I work. Thank you, Brian! :)
Me, too!! I'd like to get closer to this kind of a look, though.
Absolutely amazing!
Great recommendation. Love that style, similar in many ways to Wyeth as you said. I'm off to order it.
Thanks, Steve! It's definitely a hidden gem.
I just bought this book today. He lived about 1.5 hr drive East along the South Coast from me. On writing this comment, he's 93yrs old. His novel book covers are great.
Something about the layout and use of space suggests that the artist might have spend time as a professional illustrator, he is quite masterly with his depictions of children too, which reinforces that impression. on some of the pages the paintings seem to have been done specifically to accommodate the text, so there is an interplay there, it is a very nicely designed book aside from the use of watercolour and pencil drawing. Some really nice use of negative space to... interesting to find out whether there is other workofbhis to be found...
Lindy Ashford Agreed! I also love the use of the handwritten titles and captions. It really makes it feel like a personal log.
he was a pro illustrator:
www.tikit.net/Blog/Roger%20Coleman.htm
I looooved having a glimpse of this book - it took me back to another place and time and being painted in watercolours just added to the atmosphere of it - I just ordered it from Amazon. Thank you very much for introducing me to this
Magdalena French Glad you ordered a copy! It does take you back to a another place and time... a simpler time. I love it for that aspect, as well. I'm pretty nostalgic and this hits all those buttons. Ha, ha.
Wow!! That is gorgeous. I have to snag a copy. That’s really beautiful.
Jared Loves to Draw Yeah, it's really amazing work. Very strange to not be able to find more from someone that is obviously so accomplished. Head scratcher.
wow... thanks! :-)
Really, for those of us who don't have a means to buy this book, (due to shipping issues) your review is the only place to connect to these artworks, which are awesome...
I am guessing many of the scenes in the book appear to have been drawn from photographs... but a painting always has something special about itself.
Greenish Blue You're welcome... I'm glad it was helpful. I was hoping to show as much as I could since, this being an old book, it might be hard for everyone interested to secure a copy. Thanks for watching!
Great find, thanks for sharing
I'm from the UK, and I have never heard of Roger Coleman, but his watercolours are very similar to David Curtis's watercolour paintings.
Excellent Brian, thanks for sharing this classic book with us. Unfortunately, the reproduction quality in the early 80's wasn't all that good at the time, and it probably has lost a bit of it's luster since then. Loved the video!!
Draw Paint Repeat Exactly! Thanks, Steve!
really gorgeous. some of the crowd scenes have a bit of Rockwell feel to them in the expressions.
TJ Duprey Agreed! Thanks for watching, TJ!
I found a reference to Roger Coleman, an illustrator, on Todays Inspiration blog, which stated that he was a friend of Brian Sanders another illustrator who was active during the late fifties and sixties. Certainly Roger's work in Downland appears reminiscent of the work of Bernie Fuchs et al in terms of composition and that beautiful combination of detail and looseness.
Philip Montgomery Hmmm... maybe he was more active in the years leading up to the publication of this book. Thanks! I also can see some similarities to Fuchs' work.
Bought it just now :)
4:04
Ah yes, the two best seasons, snow and spring.
Of course there's also sunny and falling things from the sky, or fall for short.
Just kidding I love your content!
Simon Reese Ha, Ha! Thanks, Simon.
He is still in Burpham and he is one of the liviest people uve ever met !
This is a fantastic book
I dont know why but as you got to the end of the book, i wished it had his picture in it. Interesting... Maybe someone that knows about it will see your video.. If you follow anyone in Great Britain or Ireland, etc. you might as them about it. Example: Patrick Ley Greaves/ Pure Watercolour. Trevor Waugh might be a good one to ask.It will be fun to see if you have a follow up on it one day. Oh, the SAA art supply company or Windsor and Newton etc. Added this> on line I found a site called Illustration Art Gallery with the Book Palace. They have a Roger Coleman with two examples. They also have a little bio on the artist. Not sure if he is the same person or not. You can see on there how this person signed his art work also.
Essie Tangle Hi, Essie. Thanks! That's a good idea to check around with those that might know more of having grown up in the UK. I hadn't thought about that but you're right... it does seem a bit odd to see the life and family all around the writer/artist without seeing him at all.
Brian Ashmore Studio Robert Brindley (probably miss spelled) might have a direction for you. Who knows you might ask James Gurney too. He is quite the art historian on his blog. I love these kinds of art adventures. On the person I found (above) they said his work was very active in the 60s and 70s as an illustration professional. Then he became reclusive in the 1980s. Using my imagination, maybe, this book in the 80s was looking back at life or using his skill to paint the way he wanted to at that time in his life.???Okay I could go on and on so I will stop. It drives my husband crazy too. Let us know please if you find the answer, please.
To Brian from Essie>If you go to Google and google/ Cover Artist Roger Coleman. It will bring up a lot of his work and another book he wrote. But of all the interesting things you will see, there is a painting of Roger Coleman by Michael Leonard. To me, it looks a lot like the man in your book that you said looks somewhat like James Gurney.
Thanks so much for all the info, Essie. I really appreciate it!
He done illustration s for old Nevil Shute books I think.
Perhaps read the book text and you'll get a better understanding of the village life. I have the book. And have visited the area in 2023... many years later.