Batman Black and White

We stopped in to see the Batman exhibit at the Society of Illustrators in NYC. One of the highlights was Chip Kidd's collection of original drawings by several Big Name Artists inluding Peter DeSeve, Bob Staake, Steve Rude, Roz Chast and Mike Mignola.
 

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

I loved "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and, being an illustration geek, I especially loved the gorgeous color plates that open each segment. I checked the credits and, as I suspected, they were painted by the great Gregory Manchess- a wonderful homage to Golden Age illustrators like Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth.

Recent Acquisitions

I don't smoke, gamble or use drugs, and I try not to drink more than is absolutely necessary. I don't carouse or otherwise gadabout. My one indulgence is the ever-expanding Inkwell Studios Library. Here are a few recent acquisitions...

 A retrospective, to date, of work by the excellent Barry Blitt, best known for his covers and interior illustrations for The New Yorker and Vanity Fair. The pen and ink/watercolor drawings are wonderful and Blitt's self-deprecating commentary is hilarious.

Usually these "Art of" books are released along with the film, to capitalize on the hype that accompanies any major animation feature these days. The Iron Giant never got the attention it deserved when it was released in 1999, but has remained so enduringly popular that this collection of concept art was put together 16 years later.

 "Loish" is the pen name of digital artist Lois van Baarle. This book collects sketches, studies and lots of process art. She's incredibly talented and ridiculously young.

Gregory Manchess is a wonderful painter-illustrator with a gorgeous "loose-but-precise" style. Last year he wrote and illustrated "Above the Timberline" a ripping retro-futuristic adventure story with steampunk airships, art deco rocket-sleds, noble polar bears and a little romance. A true labor of love, in the spirit of James Gurney's "Dinotopia."

Frank Cho

Also at the Nickel City Comic Con, I sat in on a panel discussion with the extraordinarily talented comics artist Frank Cho. How skilled is he? Here's a portrait of Jennifer Lawrence, done with a ball-point pen- a goddamn Bic ball-point pen!

That Place Looks Familiar...

My brother-in-law is traveling in Iowa and sent this photo of a famous house. Recognize it?

That's right- it's the house from Grant Wood's "American Gothic." We saw the original this summer at The Art Institute of Chicago.

Bitmapped Blues

Cool tile portrait spotted outside a blues club in Chicago.

City Hall Type

From a recent typographic expedition to Buffalo's City Hall.  Love the offset "I."

Venice

Our pal Dario Cestaro, paper engineer and artist extraordinaire, sent us a copy of his beautiful pop-up book "The Treasures of Venice," published by Marsilio. Grazie, Dario!

Jules Feiffer

I just read "Kill My Mother" the new graphic novel from Jules Feiffer, a tribute to Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and all things noir, in beautiful sepia washes and that wonderful loose, loopy Feiffer line. Great work, and inspiring- the man is 85 years old, for God's sake.

Edward Hopper

Before Edward Hopper became famous as a fine artist, he worked as an illustrator-for-hire. We saw an exhibition of his commercial work during a visit to the Norman Rockwell Museum over the summer.

Don Quixote

Time to refurbish the studio, starting with this new acquisition: a framed print of the Beggarstaff Brothers Don Quixote poster.

American Mirror

Just finished "American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell" by Deborah Solomon. An enjoyable read. Rockwell was a bit of an odd duck, as Solomon makes clear, but also an incredibly hard-working artist- meticulous, inventive, and deceptively witty.

"My Studios Burns," 1941- I've heard Rockwell described as a cartoonist-in-oil. Here's an actual cartoon, beautifully hand-lettered, describing a fire at his studio.

Marriage License, 1955- such a wonderful feel for surfaces and textures- the peeling wallpaper, the spitoon, the cast iron stove and that gorgeous yellow dress. I love this one.

Bow tie, love beads: Rockwell worked well into his 70s; in 1968 he painted this album cover art for "The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper."

Andrew Loomis

The latest addition to the Inkwell Studios Library- a reprint of Andew Loomis' 1943 figure drawing bible. I would've bought this one for the cover alone. In fact, I think I would've bought it just for the nifty signature.

The Lafayette Hotel

Buffalo's Lafayette Hotel has been lovingly restored- resurrected, really- by developer Rocco Termini and a cast of thousands. No detail was overlooked; of special interest to us illustrator types, the lobby men's room features gorgeous reproductions of Gil Elvgren's masterful pinups. Bonus: A close examination of the print above reveals that a clever Photoshopper has edited the signature on the young lady's billet-doux- it now reads, "All my love, Rocco."

Peter DeSeve

Time to catch up on some new additions to the Inkwell Studios library, including this one: "A Sketchy Past- The Art of Peter DeSeve," from Akileos Books. DeSeve has been creating brilliant editorial illustration for years, including New Yorker covers, children's books and theatre posters. More recently, he's been doing concept and character art for animated features. Those creatures from "Ice Age" are his, although I maintain there's more life and personality- more animation-  in DeSeve's loose pencil and watercolor sketches than in the CGI versions on the screen. We saw some of his work on display at the Society of Illustrators in New York. Sublime.

WNYBAC BookFest

Another great event in Buffalo- last Saturday's BookFest at the Western New York Book Arts Center. Inside, there were hands-on demonstrations and workshops- printing, calligraphy, bookbinding- and outside, steamroller printing: images were carved out of four-foot square slabs of mdf, inked, laid in the street, covered in linen and pressed using an honest-to-god steamroller. For more info, check out http://wnybookarts.org/

A Midsummer Night's Draw

A few snapshots from last night's drawing rally at Babeville- "A Midsummer Night's Draw." Artists had 45 minutes to sketch, paint, cut, spray and stencil, under the watchful gaze of curious onlookers and an unforgiving clock. Drawings were then auctioned off to benefit Hallwalls. All artists donated their time and art. A great event!