I just wanted to say that I begun watching your videos as an amateur draftsman, and now Im a freelace illustrator. This videos are a great inspiration to me; for some reason, the context and timeline of these artists works help they feel more human, and if they could do it, why couldnt I?
Monsieur André. Wonderful! Where may I see sample for your Wonderful ideas and images. Congratulations for your efforts and aspirations..cordially Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Hello and thanks a lot. I don't know whether to be alarmed or happy that I've still got more to feature than have already appeared. It keeps me out of mischief.
Mr. Beard, Your work and teaching always move me to a greater appreciation of artists and illustrators from decades ago. I stop, view, and some times copy the art. Very valuable to so many! Tnx!
Thank you again Mr. Beard these great history lessons. What amazes me about these incredible illustrators is the diversity of their work; they seem to be good at everything. True artists one and all.
Thank you. I was fascinated by Armfield's illustrations. Very elegant and truly beautiful. The work of Ernest Aris is indeed reminiscent of the illustration work of Beatrix Potter. True, Aris, in my opinion, has a richer technique. I wonder why their collaboration never took place?
Hello and thanks for your comment and observations. I couldn't really get to the bottom of the business between Potter and Aris, although I'm pretty sure that in the end nobody was selected to attempt to prolong Potter's career artificially, so to speak.
@@petebeard Hello:) Thank you for your reply. Oh, it's a pity that politics does not bypass even the segment of children's literature. In the end, Potter's tales are really very good and even in the modern world they have not lost their charm. Sad.
As an author and illustrator of storybooks myself, it's good to see the work of the unsung illustrators getting some attention for a change. I collect the books and the little metal Cococub figures of Ernest Aris. He was marvelous! Another wonderful illustrator was the Dutch artist Anton Pieck.
Hello and thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation. I took a look at some of your own illustration work and to say I'm impressed would be a serious understatement. Really exquisite watercolour work and I hope you are enjoying success with it. Anton Pieck features in unsung heroes 44 so you might enjoy that feature. And I'd be very surprised if you didn't also appreciate the watercolours of Harry Rountree (unsung heroes 1).
@@petebeard Thank you very much! I've had good success with my books. I'll be sure to watch the 2 episodes you suggest, I'm really enjoying these videos.
Deja vu - some illustrations are very familiar, due no doubt to me delving enthusiastically into the huge number of art books available to me in my childhood. But not just memories, also an introduction to artists I've never come across. Thank you.
My appreciation of illustrators came late into my love of painting. I can't remember which illustrator said: '"'the only difference between a painter and an illustrator is, an illustrator can eat three square meals a day, and pay for them"! There is so much astonishing imagination and skill in these artists.
I'm with you, I can't imagine why Aris has largely been forgotten! His technique, execution, how prolific he was and then be written off is head scratcher!
@@petebeard Yep, I agree with you and @hurdygurdyguy1. Of course, my own work leans towards anthropomorphic animals, so I feel Aris is a kindred spirit, but I'm amazed that I hadn't heard about him. And especially learning that he could have been another illustrator for Potter. I keep learning from you, Pete. Happy New year and stay safe. Looking forward to another year of Unsung Heroes!
@@wemblyfez Hello Doug. A happy new year to you too, and thanks for the comment.There are quite a few more in the pipeline who have suffered similar fates to poor old Mr. Aris.
Hello again, and I really am very pleased that you derive so much enjoyment from the channel. It's a strange but more than agreeable feeling to know that viewers out there in the world outside, including yourself, appreciate what I'm trying to achieve here in my little back bedroom.
Watching the slide show section of your chosen illustrations is always a treat. However, it is the addition of your superb narrative that provides biographical details, technical information and the historical context of the time that raises your channel above all others on this topic. Great work Pete and a Happy New Year to you.
I really love these videos. Although the brilliant work of the artists speaks for itself, Peter Beard's selection of works, clear and informative narration, and the superior media production values, make these videos a joy to watch.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. It's educational as well as fun. One correction for this edition - Palisade Park was not a Coney Island amusement park. It was in New Jersey and closed in the1970s.
The Golden age of illustration gave a reason and a purpose to artists. The present time has become a bit more CGI if you will. Photoshop and other drawing and paint Apps have (much like the Apps used in music production) put the ability to assemble and build art from digital information rather than imagination. So much has been already done that originality seems to me to be lost. Even these masters from past copied each other to some extent. The desire though to create or draw or even paint seems to be a habit hard to break. Thank you for the videos!
Noticed a while back the Adobe Illustrator tutorial books influenced students' portfolios to look similiar to the point the same ship image was in most of them. Guess, it depended on what graphic software was used, Illustrator was bezier curves, Photoshop layers, 3D software volumes and maps. There were pen and tabloid paint programs. Main point: the tools were there but 90% plus of graphic design students were unimaginative to begin with so it wasn't the computer software fault. The computer offered a wider range of demographics the chance to do Illustration so it was a mixed bag. Not all of RUclips is short cat & dog videos. Thank goodness there Pete Beard.
@@vincentgoupil180 Hello and thanks for this response. My own experience in teaching illustration supports your assertion entirely. Very few of them could go beyond 'how to draw a Marvel superhero on your computer' tutorials. But then true creativity has always been in short supply.
Another wonderful Unsung Pete, a great one to start the new year. Higgins I've seen before, his pin up's are unmistakable for their curvature. How Aris has been overlooked is puzzling, he was right up there with the Golden Age greats. And please don't put Palisade Park out in Coney Island. It was on The Palisades, the worn down hills that overlook the Hudson River Valley on the New Jersey side. You could clearly see the NY skyline, especially on a clear night. Say, does anyone remember the salt water pool with the wave machine?
Hi Albert. Sorry about the geographical blunder. I just copied the location from the source I used - just goes to show - never take anything on trust on the internet.
Happy New Year! You're off to a great start with this eclectic bunch! Although i was never familiar with his name, Earnest Aris was known to me by virtue of his work in "Playhour", which I enjoyed as a very young child throughout the Fifties. The English comic magazines contained some wonderful illustration work, which probably deserves several videos in themselves. My favourite in this selection is Georges Goursat. I always return to the loose brush or pen styles that seem so effortless and fresh. It's a bit like going back to the Blues after spending too long in the intricacies of jazz fusion or electronica. Cardwell Higgins shows a remarkable diversity of style, not something many illustrators are capable of or even want to indulge in, though it would broaden their reach commercially. I would never have guessed that the person responsible for femmes fatale in the pulps was the same person drawing elegant Art Deco/neo-Classical book illustrations. "See" you in Episode #90!
Hello again and thanks once again for your comment and insightful remarks about the subjects of this video. I must admit Higgins demonstrating such appealing line work came as a surprise to me too.
Thank you for continuing to seek out and document the illustrators whose product was intentionally relegated to the backgrounds of our day-to-day. Do you have plans to include artists who are using digital media?
Hi again and thanks for the appreciation. I've nothing against digital illustration - I ended up that way myself - but I confine my subjects generally to those long gone, so they are bound to be traditional in method.
Love your videos!!!! Hey, one illustrator you might include sometime is CW Anderson. He wrote and illustrated fiction and non-fiction re horses, and his illustrations are very beautiful.
Hello and thanks for your comment and suggestion. I'm aware of C W Anderson and have wondered whether to include him in the unsung heroes series. But I'm afraid I came to the conclusion that most viewers( and me too if I'm honest) would find a series of horse images somewhat lacking in variety. But he will be featured in my video about wildlife illustration, which will be uploaded later this year, so I hope you're not too disappointed.
Thank you, Mr. Beard. May I say, the time you give to your videos' thumbnails cannot go unsung. Each is a creative delight that shares a measure of your illustrative talent.
Hello again and thanks a lot for the comment. I must say I rather enjoy putting the title images together. I started out as graphic designer and although Ive always preferred illustration I still enjoy doing it occasionally.
Thank you, Pete. I love that you often feature hard-to-find examples of an artist’s work and also give prominence to artists who work might otherwise fly under the radar. Your voice-overs also have a calmly informational tone that works well with all the biographical info you provide. As someone who appreciates lovely artworks presented well, yours is one of my favorite channels. Would love to see the innovative American illustrator Charles Harper covered by you. Blessings.
Hello and many thanks for your comment and appreciation. Unfortunately (and there's no reason you would know this) the unsung heroes features only those born between 1850 and 1910. But I greatly admire his very forward looking work and he will feature in a video I'm making about wildlife illustrators through the centuries.
@@petebeard Thanks. Harper has enough cachet and notable work, he might be deserving of a standalone video. Either way, thank you for the consideration. My parents collected Harper prints, and my wife and I retain several.
Hello again and thanks for the appreciation. Sem was actually a year older than Toulouse Lautrec, so who knows who influenced who? Or maybe both influenced by the same Japanese prints?
Pete, glad to see you start the new year with a further edition of Unsung Heroes. About this particular one, it is interesting to compare Cardwell Higgins' work with that of Maxwell Arnfield and Ernest Aris. One can hardly believe they were near contemporaries. Higgins seems to look forward, while the other two draw inspiration from the past. Was that because he was American and the others English? All three were superb illustrators, as was Sem. Thanks for highlighting them. I look forward to seeing your fascinating videos throughout the coming year. Best.
Hello and thanks for your comment as ever. I don't think the modern/tradition issue was down to nationality, though. After all it was the very traditional Rockwell and his numerous clones who dominated American illustration. The evidence seems to suggest it was simply down to the individual illustrator and their personal influences - and of course whatever market the work was aimed at.
Hello Pete, hope your New Year Eve was good. Enjoyed your presentation ... the skill level and mood of the first three Illustrators was very calming then a T&A finale. Not complaining just a change of pace for the ticker. Yea, as you now know Palisades was separate from Coney Island. Don't remember any waterfall coming out of the sky as depicted in one of the posters. :) Went briefly to the Arts Students League sort of a poor person's art 'school' with some instructors who ranged the gamut of styles. See Wikipedia for a list of the faculty. Included painters who did Illustration, i.e. the Ashcan 8 group and others who worked for the 'Masses' publication, believe George Bellows, John Sloane. Read there might be a video the history of animal Illustration. Good. If that goes perhaps botany, British watercolour landscapes, even aerial illustration. Appreciate the video. *Thanks*
Hello and thanks as ever. Regarding what you refer to as T&A (we British prefer 'smut') I didn't say so in the video but Higgins drew so badly that it was counterproductive if he was trying to elicit an erectile reponse. How he made a living I'll never know.
@@petebeard You're right, I amend my comment to "the skill level and mood of the first three Illustrators was calming" only to be jarred by the badly drawn Illustrations of Higgins.
Another great video. Do you think Aris might have been less well remembered because his work is similar to others at the time? I've got a great book of Brer rabbit stories illustrated by René Cloke and their illustrations are very similar. I'm not sure who came first.
Hello and thanks for the comment. And yes I think it was such a crowded market in children's publishing at the time that many (and I hope to eventually feature all of them) have been overlooked in favour of the more enduringly successful ones. And yes the same fate has befallen René Cloke, who will feature in the not too distant future. And to answer your question Aris was ahead of Cloke by a good 20 years.
@@petebeard Have a look at René Cloke's illustrations for The Night before Christmas and Brer rabbit. They're beautiful. But yes it does look like a lot of them got inspired by each other at the time so created quite similar work, which might have contributed to the public forgetting them. René also illustrated for Enid Blytton, so maybe they were all trained to illustrate in a certain style too perhaps.
Hello and my only thought about this is that I'm very confused. If you mean the Grumpy character, that was a Disney creation for the animated film, not Rackham. It may have been designed by Gustaf Tenggren but I don't know that for sure. Either way if it's in good condition and an original drawing it'll be worth a fair old amount. I think Christies advise on value.
If you are going to London, try Peter Harrington first. He recently used an unpublished Rackham for his holiday greetings. I can't think of which drawing is "Grumpy" either, can you tell us which book it was used in?
Hello and thanks for your comment. And no I had never come across that name. But I just googled it and other than a couple of photos which might be the man himself I couldn't locate a single image by him.
@@petebeard he was my art teacher in the 70's, he taught at the Gloucester county vocational/technical school in Sewell, NJ. He was a Commercial Artist/Illustrator. This is what my art degree is in.He was my mentor.
Pete are illustrators becoming extinct? I can't remember the last time I bought a magazine. I did purchase a book last year, but prior to that it's been over a decade. This seems to be the case with all the people I know too. Has the computer made illustrating a thing of the past, or is there some way illustrators can still survive?
Hello and that's a topic I could drone on about (and have) at length with a few drinks inside me. But in all honesty I dont think it has gone away - it's just shifted location. It's true that magazines and advertising now largely shun illustration, but there are still illustrated books (even if they call them graphic novels) and where print is in retreat that is compensated for to a large extent by new opportunities in screen media. Whether the work being produced measures up is another question, but even there I still think all is not lost, and I am by nature a very pessimistic person.
Allow me to add a note: I am a 40 year professional illustrator. My early years my work was done with all the traditional medium's. The last 20 or so years now I have used a computer. It really and truly is just another tool. At first it was difficult to get art directors and Art buyers and Editors to accept this.. but eventually they realized that the work could be good.. Art could be "uploaded".. Illustrators did not have to work just "down the block" now they were available world wide. The art was all ready color separated and fully editable and changes were not the horrible pain they had been. Of course the down side is that the competition for work has sorta... gone crazy.. as good artists can live anywhere.. and do. Survival depends not only on good work but standing out in other ways. The walk around portfolio is a thing of the past.
@@petebeard Allow me to add a note: I am a 40 year professional illustrator. My early years my work was done with all the traditional medium's. The last 20 or so years now I have used a computer. It really and truly is just another tool. At first it was difficult to get art directors and Art buyers and Editors to accept this.. but eventually they realized that the work could be good.. Art could be "uploaded".. Illustrators did not have to work just "down the block" now they were available world wide. The art was all ready color separated and fully editable and changes were not the horrible pain they had been. Of course the down side is that the competition for work has sorta... gone crazy.. as good artists can live anywhere.. and do. Survival depends not only on good work but standing out in other ways. The walk around portfolio is a thing of the past.
Dear Professor Beard. A Frankfurt Germany artist, died in London, 1948: "Alfred Schwarzchild", heard of him, have you? I found him on a RUclips channel named Semper Priori. Sadly. Much of his art was destroyed by the Nazi Party. Just wondering if you knew of him. God bless you; Dear Sir and happy Springtime 2023! Respectfully and gratefully yours Gregg Oreo Long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Hi Gregg and many thanks for that name. I had never heard of him, and a quick search reveals some very nice and very kitsch imagery. The bad news is that you correctly describe him as an artist, and there is virtually zero evidence of actual illustration work. So regrettably he has to be excluded from this particular club. Nevertheless I'm really pleased to have made his acquaintance, so thanks again.
@@petebeard as Groucho Marx said of an artists' commune, "I would never join an artists club that would have me as an illustrator member. " or. Words to that effect . Respectfully submitted Gregg Oreo Long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Hello again and thanks for the comment, although I must admit I'm not that sure what you mean precisely. Is it that youtube don't lead you to my channel as much as they might? This seems to be a common failing.
@@petebeard it is I who wish to thank you for your continued uploading of enlightening content. yes. that is imprecisely what has happened. about 6 months ago it would appear that the fickle algo-deities decided I wasn't playing by the rules set out in the nebulous contract I didn't know I had signed, and, as a consequence stopped showing yours and other channels in my "recommended for you" feed. however. that's just me carping. I shall have to come up with a workaround to frustrate their nefarious scheme to show me things I couldn't care less about, or actively despise.
Maxwell Ashby Armfield? U. K. Artist? Lived to be 91? Name ring a bell; dear Shaman of the Beaux Artes? Or: "not at all"..? Just wondering, Good Man about Town! Happy-Happy-go-lucky New Year, kind Sir! Respectfully submitted for your consideration..Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
How remarkable! I just wrote to you about maxwell! There's magical synchronicity afoot!! I give up trying to prove there's a divine power in charge of my destiny. Not doomed but definitely dumbfounded. I throw in the towel. Be well, dear Sir! Cordially Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Thank you for alll the time taken, all the informations provided to us about all theses talent ! We'll be there for the next episode ! I wasn't sure, but @02:32, i've recognized one of the person in the picture, as i've recently seen information about him, it's the painter Foujita (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuguharu_Foujita) !
Very informative .... liked Armfield....Aris..Higgens....very prolific artist's..... ALL of them ...
Hello and I'm glad you found something to appreciate about each of these illustrators.
I just wanted to say that I begun watching your videos as an amateur draftsman, and now Im a freelace illustrator. This videos are a great inspiration to me; for some reason, the context and timeline of these artists works help they feel more human, and if they could do it, why couldnt I?
Hello and thanks a lot for your comment. If the videos have inspired you to illustrate then I'm very happy about that.
Monsieur André. Wonderful! Where may I see sample for your Wonderful ideas and images. Congratulations for your efforts and aspirations..cordially Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Congradulations, I'm glad to hear it. Is there a place online that your work can be viewed?
The first comment for the first video of 2023! Thank you for your constant and great work! I wish you a happy and creative year!
Hello and thanks a lot. I don't know whether to be alarmed or happy that I've still got more to feature than have already appeared. It keeps me out of mischief.
Excellent
Hi and thanks as ever.
Mr. Beard,
Your work and teaching always move me to a greater appreciation of artists and illustrators from decades ago. I stop, view, and some times copy the art. Very valuable to so many!
Tnx!
Hello Mike and thabks as usual for your dedication to the cause.
Thanks! This is so informative and interesting!
Hello and your appreciation is very welcome.
What a great way to start my weekend. Nothing beats a Pete Beard video and a cup of coffee in the morning.
Hi again and thanks as ever.
Thank you again Mr. Beard these great history lessons. What amazes me about these incredible illustrators is the diversity of their work; they seem to be good at everything. True artists one and all.
Hello again and thanks for your comment. Its great to know that hese talented but obscure people are getting at least a little more recognition.
Catching up with this one. Well done as always. Four wonderful artists. Thanks!
Hi again and it's good to know the back catalogue is still being watched. Thanks.
Wonderful selection of illustrators..the variety of styles are most interesting
Hello and thanks a lot. I do like to keep the content of these as varied as possible.
Thank you. I was fascinated by Armfield's illustrations. Very elegant and truly beautiful.
The work of Ernest Aris is indeed reminiscent of the illustration work of Beatrix Potter. True, Aris, in my opinion, has a richer technique. I wonder why their collaboration never took place?
Hello and thanks for your comment and observations. I couldn't really get to the bottom of the business between Potter and Aris, although I'm pretty sure that in the end nobody was selected to attempt to prolong Potter's career artificially, so to speak.
@@petebeard Hello:) Thank you for your reply.
Oh, it's a pity that politics does not bypass even the segment of children's literature.
In the end, Potter's tales are really very good and even in the modern world they have not lost their charm. Sad.
top notch video once again. Always a pleasure to follow along with your discoveries.
Hello, and thanks. It's always a pleasure to get positive feedback.
As an author and illustrator of storybooks myself, it's good to see the work of the unsung illustrators getting some attention for a change. I collect the books and the little metal Cococub figures of Ernest Aris. He was marvelous! Another wonderful illustrator was the Dutch artist Anton Pieck.
Hello and thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation. I took a look at some of your own illustration work and to say I'm impressed would be a serious understatement. Really exquisite watercolour work and I hope you are enjoying success with it. Anton Pieck features in unsung heroes 44 so you might enjoy that feature. And I'd be very surprised if you didn't also appreciate the watercolours of Harry Rountree (unsung heroes 1).
@@petebeard Thank you very much! I've had good success with my books. I'll be sure to watch the 2 episodes you suggest, I'm really enjoying these videos.
Great stuff, some lovely work in this.
Hello and thanks a lot. And there I was thinking I'd be scraping the bottom of the barrel way before this.
Once again, bravo.
Hi and thanks a lot.
Oh the talent! Thanks for featuring more excellent illustrators!
Hello and thanks for continuing to watch and appreciate
You're doing everyone a huge service with these videos. Thank you :)
Hello and it's very pleasing to me that you appreciate the channel and its content. Thanks.
I must say thankyou for your wonderful videos. So informative and pleasant to listen to.
Hello and thanks a lot for your appreciation of the channel.
Another superb video and more artists to search out.
Hello and I'm very grateful for your appreciation for what I'm trying to achieve with the channel. Thanks a lot.
Great video very enjoyable thanks very much 😊
Hello and I'm pleased you enjoyed it.
Deja vu - some illustrations are very familiar, due no doubt to me delving enthusiastically into the huge number of art books available to me in my childhood. But not just memories, also an introduction to artists I've never come across. Thank you.
Thanks again for your ongoing appreciation of the channel content, and I'm pleased you're finding new talents to admire.
Loved it, great stuff, thank you...
My pleasure. Thanks a lot for the appreciation.
Another year and another great start Pete! Many thanks for your excellent presentation.
Hello and thanks a lot for your comment - very welcome.
My appreciation of illustrators came late into my love of painting. I can't remember which illustrator said: '"'the only difference between a painter and an illustrator is, an illustrator can eat three square meals a day, and pay for them"! There is so much astonishing imagination and skill in these artists.
Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation of the channel content. It's very welcome.
I'm with you, I can't imagine why Aris has largely been forgotten! His technique, execution, how prolific he was and then be written off is head scratcher!
Hello and thanks. This was one of the greatest injustices I've yet encountered in the series.
@@petebeard Yep, I agree with you and @hurdygurdyguy1. Of course, my own work leans towards anthropomorphic animals, so I feel Aris is a kindred spirit, but I'm amazed that I hadn't heard about him. And especially learning that he could have been another illustrator for Potter. I keep learning from you, Pete. Happy New year and stay safe. Looking forward to another year of Unsung Heroes!
@@wemblyfez Hello Doug. A happy new year to you too, and thanks for the comment.There are quite a few more in the pipeline who have suffered similar fates to poor old Mr. Aris.
Obrigado. Thank you. 👍🇬🇧🇵🇹
Olá e os meus agradecimentos pelo seu apreço.
Always a treat. Thank you, and Happy New Year!
Hello and thanks. And a happy 2023 to you too.
Oh, that was wonderful! I don't know that I've seen any of this work---it's always nice to make new discoveries!
Hello again and I'm glad you enjoy making new discoveries. I know I do.
I am such a huge fan of your videos, Pete. I never tire of them - viewing each one many times. I am so thankful for your brilliance!
Hello again, and I really am very pleased that you derive so much enjoyment from the channel. It's a strange but more than agreeable feeling to know that viewers out there in the world outside, including yourself, appreciate what I'm trying to achieve here in my little back bedroom.
More amazing talents. I find Goursat's change of style for war work very impressive - two talents in one!
Hello and thanks for the appreciation. I'm not sure I can think of anyone else who did that. Maybe he considered his usual apptoach too flippant.
Watching the slide show section of your chosen illustrations is always a treat. However, it is the addition of your superb narrative that provides biographical details, technical information and the historical context of the time that raises your channel above all others on this topic. Great work Pete and a Happy New Year to you.
Hello again and my thanks for your flattering comment. Happy new year to you too.
I really love these videos. Although the brilliant work of the artists speaks for itself, Peter Beard's selection of works, clear and informative narration, and the superior media production values, make these videos a joy to watch.
Hello and your comment makes my heart swell with pride. Many thanks for the appreciation.
Thank you Pete, great episode!
hello and thanks as usual. Glad you liked it.
Aris was a great illustrator, i remember his knowing about him when i was a kid and adamantly recognise that adventurous duck 🙂
Hello and thanks for the comment. I must admit until only a couple of years ago I was completely unaware of his work. How the hell does that happen?
I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. It's educational as well as fun. One correction for this edition - Palisade Park was not a Coney Island amusement park. It was in New Jersey and closed in the1970s.
Hello and thanks a lot. Sorry for my geographical error - I just took it at face value from an online source.
Happy New Year Mr. Beard may you continue to inspire us for many more bless you, Sir.
Hello and thanks a lot for your comment. No sign of running out of material for a long time yet.
Thanks again, Pete! I see you are closing in on Chapter 100; Best Wishes that you get there, and well beyond! I really liked the Ernest Aris images.
Hello again and thanks for the comment. Aris was the standout of this quartet for me. Everything I aspired - but never managed - to be.
@@petebeard Been there. Am that.
Thanks Pete, what an inspiration!
Hello again and thaks for the metaphorical thumbs up.
@@petebeard Have another one!
The Golden age of illustration gave a reason and a purpose to artists. The present time has become a bit more CGI if you will. Photoshop and other drawing and paint Apps have (much like the Apps used in music production) put the ability to assemble and build art from digital information rather than imagination. So much has been already done that originality seems to me to be lost. Even these masters from past copied each other to some extent. The desire though to create or draw or even paint seems to be a habit hard to break. Thank you for the videos!
Hello again and thanks for the comment and insight.
Noticed a while back the Adobe Illustrator tutorial books influenced students' portfolios to look similiar to the point the same ship image was in most of them.
Guess, it depended on what graphic software was used, Illustrator was bezier curves, Photoshop layers, 3D software volumes and maps. There were pen and tabloid paint programs.
Main point: the tools were there but 90% plus of graphic design students were unimaginative to begin with so it wasn't the computer software fault.
The computer offered a wider range of demographics the chance to do Illustration so it was a mixed bag. Not all of RUclips is short cat & dog videos. Thank goodness there Pete Beard.
@@vincentgoupil180 Hello and thanks for this response. My own experience in teaching illustration supports your assertion entirely. Very few of them could go beyond 'how to draw a Marvel superhero on your computer' tutorials. But then true creativity has always been in short supply.
@@petebeard
... and that is why Jeff Beck's childhood home should be in the National Trust
imo
:)
Another wonderful Unsung Pete, a great one to start the new year. Higgins I've seen before, his pin up's are unmistakable for their curvature. How Aris has been overlooked is puzzling, he was right up there with the Golden Age greats. And please don't put Palisade Park out in Coney Island. It was on The Palisades, the worn down hills that overlook the Hudson River Valley on the New Jersey side. You could clearly see the NY skyline, especially on a clear night. Say, does anyone remember the salt water pool with the wave machine?
Hi Albert. Sorry about the geographical blunder. I just copied the location from the source I used - just goes to show - never take anything on trust on the internet.
Happy New Year! You're off to a great start with this eclectic bunch!
Although i was never familiar with his name, Earnest Aris was known to me by virtue of his work in "Playhour", which I enjoyed as a very young child throughout the Fifties. The English comic magazines contained some wonderful illustration work, which probably deserves several videos in themselves.
My favourite in this selection is Georges Goursat. I always return to the loose brush or pen styles that seem so effortless and fresh. It's a bit like going back to the Blues after spending too long in the intricacies of jazz fusion or electronica.
Cardwell Higgins shows a remarkable diversity of style, not something many illustrators are capable of or even want to indulge in, though it would broaden their reach commercially. I would never have guessed that the person responsible for femmes fatale in the pulps was the same person drawing elegant Art Deco/neo-Classical book illustrations.
"See" you in Episode #90!
Hello again and thanks once again for your comment and insightful remarks about the subjects of this video. I must admit Higgins demonstrating such appealing line work came as a surprise to me too.
Wonderful content.
Hello and thanks a lot.
Thank you for continuing to seek out and document the illustrators whose product was intentionally relegated to the backgrounds of our day-to-day. Do you have plans to include artists who are using digital media?
Hi again and thanks for the appreciation. I've nothing against digital illustration - I ended up that way myself - but I confine my subjects generally to those long gone, so they are bound to be traditional in method.
Love your videos!!!! Hey, one illustrator you might include sometime is CW Anderson. He wrote and illustrated fiction and non-fiction re horses, and his illustrations are very beautiful.
Hello and thanks for your comment and suggestion. I'm aware of C W Anderson and have wondered whether to include him in the unsung heroes series. But I'm afraid I came to the conclusion that most viewers( and me too if I'm honest) would find a series of horse images somewhat lacking in variety. But he will be featured in my video about wildlife illustration, which will be uploaded later this year, so I hope you're not too disappointed.
Great start to the new year. Thanks Pete
Hello and thanks a lot for the comment.
Thank you, Mr. Beard. May I say, the time you give to your videos' thumbnails cannot go unsung. Each is a creative delight that shares a measure of your illustrative talent.
Hello again and thanks a lot for the comment. I must say I rather enjoy putting the title images together. I started out as graphic designer and although Ive always preferred illustration I still enjoy doing it occasionally.
thanks
You're welcome.
another fine quartet, featuring "bunnies" of various sorts!
Hello again and thanks. Aris's were far better drawn than Higgins's I reckon.
Thank you, Pete. I love that you often feature hard-to-find examples of an artist’s work and also give prominence to artists who work might otherwise fly under the radar. Your voice-overs also have a calmly informational tone that works well with all the biographical info you provide. As someone who appreciates lovely artworks presented well, yours is one of my favorite channels. Would love to see the innovative American illustrator Charles Harper covered by you. Blessings.
Hello and many thanks for your comment and appreciation. Unfortunately (and there's no reason you would know this) the unsung heroes features only those born between 1850 and 1910. But I greatly admire his very forward looking work and he will feature in a video I'm making about wildlife illustrators through the centuries.
@@petebeard Thanks. Harper has enough cachet and notable work, he might be deserving of a standalone video. Either way, thank you for the consideration. My parents collected Harper prints, and my wife and I retain several.
Nice ! ThX, Pete!
Sem must have been influenced by Toulouse Lautrec
Hello again and thanks for the appreciation. Sem was actually a year older than Toulouse Lautrec, so who knows who influenced who? Or maybe both influenced by the same Japanese prints?
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Pete, glad to see you start the new year with a further edition of Unsung Heroes. About this particular one, it is interesting to compare Cardwell Higgins' work with that of Maxwell Arnfield and Ernest Aris. One can hardly believe they were near contemporaries. Higgins seems to look forward, while the other two draw inspiration from the past. Was that because he was American and the others English? All three were superb illustrators, as was Sem. Thanks for highlighting them. I look forward to seeing your fascinating videos throughout the coming year. Best.
Hello and thanks for your comment as ever. I don't think the modern/tradition issue was down to nationality, though. After all it was the very traditional Rockwell and his numerous clones who dominated American illustration. The evidence seems to suggest it was simply down to the individual illustrator and their personal influences - and of course whatever market the work was aimed at.
Hello Pete, hope your New Year Eve was good.
Enjoyed your presentation ...
the skill level and mood of the first three Illustrators was very calming then a T&A finale. Not complaining just a change of pace for the ticker.
Yea, as you now know Palisades was separate from Coney Island. Don't remember any waterfall coming out of the sky as depicted in one of the posters. :)
Went briefly to the Arts Students League sort of a poor person's art 'school' with some instructors who ranged the gamut of styles. See Wikipedia for a list of the faculty. Included painters who did Illustration, i.e. the Ashcan 8 group and others who worked for the 'Masses' publication, believe George Bellows, John Sloane.
Read there might be a video the history of animal Illustration. Good. If that goes perhaps botany, British watercolour landscapes, even aerial illustration.
Appreciate the video. *Thanks*
Hello and thanks as ever. Regarding what you refer to as T&A (we British prefer 'smut') I didn't say so in the video but Higgins drew so badly that it was counterproductive if he was trying to elicit an erectile reponse. How he made a living I'll never know.
@@petebeard
You're right, I amend my comment to "the skill level and mood of the first three Illustrators was calming" only to be jarred by the badly drawn Illustrations of Higgins.
Another great video. Do you think Aris might have been less well remembered because his work is similar to others at the time? I've got a great book of Brer rabbit stories illustrated by René Cloke and their illustrations are very similar. I'm not sure who came first.
Hello and thanks for the comment. And yes I think it was such a crowded market in children's publishing at the time that many (and I hope to eventually feature all of them) have been overlooked in favour of the more enduringly successful ones. And yes the same fate has befallen René Cloke, who will feature in the not too distant future. And to answer your question Aris was ahead of Cloke by a good 20 years.
@@petebeard Have a look at René Cloke's illustrations for The Night before Christmas and Brer rabbit. They're beautiful. But yes it does look like a lot of them got inspired by each other at the time so created quite similar work, which might have contributed to the public forgetting them. René also illustrated for Enid Blytton, so maybe they were all trained to illustrate in a certain style too perhaps.
I have in my possession, Arthur Rackham's "Grumpy." I wish it to be returned to London this year and up for auction with Christie's. Any thoughts?
Hello and my only thought about this is that I'm very confused. If you mean the Grumpy character, that was a Disney creation for the animated film, not Rackham. It may have been designed by Gustaf Tenggren but I don't know that for sure. Either way if it's in good condition and an original drawing it'll be worth a fair old amount. I think Christies advise on value.
If you are going to London, try Peter Harrington first. He recently used an unpublished Rackham for his holiday greetings. I can't think of which drawing is "Grumpy" either, can you tell us which book it was used in?
When Caldwell chooses to make the women "ugly" it looks like Aeon Flux.
Hello and I see what you mean. I think in his case though it was just fairly poor drawing.
As always, Thank you Pete... Have you ever heard of George Cameron Vail, Audubon studios in Audubon,n.j. ,
Hello and thanks for your comment. And no I had never come across that name. But I just googled it and other than a couple of photos which might be the man himself I couldn't locate a single image by him.
@@petebeard he was my art teacher in the 70's, he taught at the Gloucester county vocational/technical school in Sewell, NJ. He was a Commercial Artist/Illustrator. This is what my art degree is in.He was my mentor.
Pete are illustrators becoming extinct? I can't remember the last time I bought a magazine. I did purchase a book last year, but prior to that it's been over a decade. This seems to be the case with all the people I know too. Has the computer made illustrating a thing of the past, or is there some way illustrators can still survive?
Hello and that's a topic I could drone on about (and have) at length with a few drinks inside me. But in all honesty I dont think it has gone away - it's just shifted location. It's true that magazines and advertising now largely shun illustration, but there are still illustrated books (even if they call them graphic novels) and where print is in retreat that is compensated for to a large extent by new opportunities in screen media. Whether the work being produced measures up is another question, but even there I still think all is not lost, and I am by nature a very pessimistic person.
Allow me to add a note: I am a 40 year professional illustrator. My early years my work was done with all the traditional medium's. The last 20 or so years now I have used a computer. It really and truly is just another tool. At first it was difficult to get art directors and Art buyers and Editors to accept this.. but eventually they realized that the work could be good.. Art could be "uploaded".. Illustrators did not have to work just "down the block" now they were available world wide. The art was all ready color separated and fully editable and changes were not the horrible pain they had been. Of course the down side is that the competition for work has sorta... gone crazy.. as good artists can live anywhere.. and do. Survival depends not only on good work but standing out in other ways. The walk around portfolio is a thing of the past.
@@petebeard Allow me to add a note: I am a 40 year professional illustrator. My early years my work was done with all the traditional medium's. The last 20 or so years now I have used a computer. It really and truly is just another tool. At first it was difficult to get art directors and Art buyers and Editors to accept this.. but eventually they realized that the work could be good.. Art could be "uploaded".. Illustrators did not have to work just "down the block" now they were available world wide. The art was all ready color separated and fully editable and changes were not the horrible pain they had been. Of course the down side is that the competition for work has sorta... gone crazy.. as good artists can live anywhere.. and do. Survival depends not only on good work but standing out in other ways. The walk around portfolio is a thing of the past.
Dear Professor Beard. A Frankfurt Germany artist, died in London, 1948: "Alfred Schwarzchild", heard of him, have you? I found him on a RUclips channel named Semper Priori. Sadly. Much of his art was destroyed by the Nazi Party. Just wondering if you knew of him. God bless you; Dear Sir and happy Springtime 2023! Respectfully and gratefully yours Gregg Oreo Long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Hi Gregg and many thanks for that name. I had never heard of him, and a quick search reveals some very nice and very kitsch imagery. The bad news is that you correctly describe him as an artist, and there is virtually zero evidence of actual illustration work. So regrettably he has to be excluded from this particular club. Nevertheless I'm really pleased to have made his acquaintance, so thanks again.
@@petebeard as Groucho Marx said of an artists' commune, "I would never join an artists club that would have me as an illustrator member. " or. Words to that effect . Respectfully submitted Gregg Oreo Long Beach Ca Etats Unis
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Hi again. Some emojis confuse me but that seems pretty clear, even to this old fogey.
@@petebeard I've switched from thumbs up to stars but I can use thumbs up too
hmmmm. once again the tube-u-all has decreed that things I want to see
aren't what it wants me to watch.
that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Hello again and thanks for the comment, although I must admit I'm not that sure what you mean precisely. Is it that youtube don't lead you to my channel as much as they might? This seems to be a common failing.
@@petebeard it is I who wish to thank you for your continued uploading of enlightening content.
yes. that is imprecisely what has happened.
about 6 months ago it would appear that the fickle algo-deities decided I wasn't playing by the rules set out in the nebulous contract I didn't know I had signed,
and, as a consequence stopped showing yours and other channels in my "recommended for you" feed.
however. that's just me carping.
I shall have to come up with a workaround to frustrate their nefarious scheme to show me things I couldn't care less about, or actively despise.
Maxwell Ashby Armfield? U. K. Artist? Lived to be 91? Name ring a bell; dear Shaman of the Beaux Artes? Or: "not at all"..? Just wondering, Good Man about Town! Happy-Happy-go-lucky New Year, kind Sir! Respectfully submitted for your consideration..Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
How remarkable! I just wrote to you about maxwell! There's magical synchronicity afoot!! I give up trying to prove there's a divine power in charge of my destiny. Not doomed but definitely dumbfounded. I throw in the towel. Be well, dear Sir! Cordially Gregg Oreo long Beach Ca Etats Unis
Hello again and that is a weird coincidence. And not the first time that kind of thing has happened either. Hope you are well, my friend.
Thank you for alll the time taken, all the informations provided to us about all theses talent ! We'll be there for the next episode !
I wasn't sure, but @02:32, i've recognized one of the person in the picture, as i've recently seen information about him, it's the painter Foujita (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsuguharu_Foujita) !
Hello and thanks as ever for your appreciation. And yes he does look like him, and he was working in Paris at the time.