Alex graduated in 1990 from Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California.

“His earliest artistic influences were comic books and movies especially the strong visuals from science fiction television and films like Star Trek and later Star Wars.”

About his influences he recognizes :

“…the great Japanese artist and designer Shinohara Katsuyuki. He is one of my favorite artists ever.”

And other artists like:

“…Aron Wiesenfeld, Jeff Soto, James Jean and Ben Marra are a few of my favorite young guns…”

In the year 2000, he received a fellowship from the Japan Foundation. And that changed his artistic life. He describes the experience of Japan:

“…The Blade Runner vision of the future was smacking me over the head, and I was not prepared for it.”

This trip showed him the stethical approach to the art of Japanese culture and he took mostly from advertising and vintage pictures, all the imagery that it will be present in his art the next years.

His inspiration comes from many sources, even Russian and British Art (read the article about inspiration I wrote):

“I absolutely love old photos and vintage pictures. The Victorian Era is the time when I would have liked to live.”

His work have been published by Taschen in 2004 under the title Japanese Beauties. In 2007, Chronicle books published The Art of Alex Gross, a monograph featuring Alex’s painting, drawing and printmaking from 1999 through 2007.

He had been classified as a Pop Surrealist or Surreal Pop artist.

He mixes the images in a dream like reality.

“…this whole idea of freely mixing imagery that doesnt normally go together was really exciting to me.”

The creative process of Alex Gross begins with an image as a main inspiration, then he sketches in the computer. And the final artwork is hand made on traditional painting.

“Often, the genesis of a painting for me will be finding an image like that one, which really inspires me to take it and do something with it. I have borrowed imagery from gothic artists like Rogier Van der Weyden a

ll the way to modern artists like Shinohara, Yokoo Tadanoori and George Tooker, to name a few. These days i tend to use mostly images that I find in old photographs.”

“All of my gallery work is either Oil paint or mixed media, which include oils, acrylics and some collage. I do use the computer quite a lot in the sketch phase. But in the finished product it is not really being used.”

And finally he has an advice for illustrators and it is a principle for everybody in the creative field:

“I dont really have advice for illustrators other than to say develop your own personal voice as best you can, and people will be drawn to it if it is real, it is you, and it is creative.”

And now, check some of his work.

And remember to visit his site: http://www.alexgross.com/

Source Box:

Text:

http://www.vivianite.net/alex-gross-4.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Gross

http://www.graphotism.com/Interviews

http://popdrawer.blogspot.com/search/label/Alex%20Gross

Images:

http://www.alexgross.com

This period runs between 1990 until our days.

In the 90’s we saw the rising of Internet. And there is nothing else to say. Everything was changed from the roots. The 90’s are the “Web 1.0″ time, with its awkward websites and a lot of – cough-disgusting-cough- glitter. In this web, we have an actor with no lines to say: the Consumer. The Consumer isn’t able to modify the web. The Consumer barely can say something in the Mailing Lists (Oh my God, it is so 90’s that it hurts). From the year 2000 it appears a new actor in the Internet, the Prosumer. The prosumer is able to create everything he wants: sound, image, motion and text and mixs them all together. It is the Golden Age for young illustrators. There is no need of large amounts of money, because all you need is a blog or a website (with a little money for the dot com’s address), to show off your artwork. This is the “Web 2.0″ time.

Now we are in the Ubiquitous Internet or the Semantic Web.

Ubiquitous is not a magic spell in latin, of course.

Ubiquitous |yo? bikw?t?s|: present, appearing, or found everywhere.

This period saw the Gulf War, The Kosovo Affair and The Irak War. Too many wars in twenty years.

The 90’s were the scenario for the Postmodern Art. The Postmodern style came from sources in the 50’s. Some philosophers seriously believe there isn’t such thing as Postmodernism.

There are some industries of Illustration which have survived through the decades, for example, Disney and DC Comics. They are now merged. Their influence have caused a very well known movies inspired in the comics: Hulk, X-Men, Sin City, Hell Boy, 300, and at last but no least, Green Lantern.

I would like to review some of the newest illustrators. In fact, they are my favorites and they are my contacts at Behance (http://www.behance.net/), a really nice place to find inspiration and good artists. Oh, what a coincidence¡ I am there too.

And how Morrisey used to say: Good night and thank you.

Those are my favorites ones:

Dmitry Ligay

Ruben Scarelli

David Sossella

Powl Goudsmit

Zutto

Iain Macarthur

Dilka Bear

Alex Andreyev

Constanze Moll

Zach Flaman

Source Box:

Visit the portfolios of those amazing illustrators:

Dmitry Ligay
http://www.behance.net/d-planshet

Ruben Scarelli
http://www.behance.net/RubensScarelli

David Sossella
http://www.behance.net/david_sossella

Powl Goudsmit
http://www.behance.net/PowlGoudsmit

Zutto
http://www.behance.net/orange_zutto

Iain macarthur
http://www.behance.net/iainmac

Dilka bear
http://www.behance.net/dilka_bear

Alex Andreyev
http://www.behance.net/alexandreev

Constanze moll
http://www.behance.net/federspiel

Zach Flaman
http://www.behance.net/zflaman

In this part we are gonna run through 30 years of history beginning with the Psychodelia of the 70’s to finish with the tech 90’s and the first steps of Internet. This is the end of the world as we knew it.

The main facts of this period are:

1.- Punk style.

2.- Science-Fiction.

3.- The development of a growing market for magazines fosters the opportunities for new and young illustrators. Some of them are working for the Movies Industry creating amazing posters.

4.- In the print history we have: Laser Printer (1969), Dot Matrix Printer (1970), Inkjet Printer (1976), Fine Art Digital Photo Printers(1991) and 3D Printing (1993).

4.- The growing industry of the Advertising.

5.- Artistic influences of the period: Performance Art, Photorealism, Post-Modernism, Techno-Impressionism

In this chapter we are going to see the famous movie poster creator Chris Foss, the psychodelic Gerald Scarfe, the irreverent Ian Pollock, the beautiful simplicity which charmed Woody Allen in the illustrator Jean Michel Folon, the popup books of Jan Piekowski, the tenderness of Maurice Sendak and, finally, the iconic Phillip Castle with the famous red tongue of Rolling Stones and the violence of the movie Clockwork Orange.

Enjoy it!

The next week, the final part.

Chris Foss

Gerald Scarfe

Ian Pollock

Jean Michel Folon

Jan Piekowski

Maurice Sendak

Phillip Castle

Source Box

Maurice Sendak

http://sanseverything.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/sendak.jpg
http://www.timswineblog.com/~ASSETS/IMG/upload/reading%20is%20fun.jpg
http://www.artknowledgenews.com/files2008/MauriceSendakOutsideOverThe.jpg
http://fundacionlafuente.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/sendak-2.jpg
http://spoonfulofeverything.blogspot.com/2009/10/where-wild-things-are.html
http://childscapes.com/web-content/jpegs/allnew/214%20sendak2.jpg
http://www.schickele.com/images/Scanned/shoppe/sendak.jpg
http://atsi-batsi.blogspot.com/2009/02/thank-you-maurice-sendak.html
http://jerellekraus.com/images/14MauriceSendak.jpg
http://www.omnivoracious.com/images/2008/01/07/sendak_2.jpg

Jean Michel Folon

http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_588_386376_jeanmichel-folon.jpg
http://www.bruxelles-j.be/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/folon.jpg
http://www.pasqualeart.com/folon/folon_42453.jpg
http://www.haditoons.com/site_files/Jean-Michel-Folon.jpg
http://ajourneyroundmyskull.blogspot.com/2008/12/jean-michel-folons-metamorphosis.html
http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_112255_406754_jeanmichel-folon.jpg
http://www.carmenes.org/imagenes/folon.jpg
http://lettres-histoire.info/lhg/Art/XXe_Illustrations_annees70/1974%20JeanMichel%20Folon%20Couverture%20Express.jpg
http://lettres-histoire.info/lhg/Art/XXe_Illustrations_annees70/1970%20JeanMichel%20Folon%20Elle.jpg
http://elcoleccionistadtbos.zonalibre.org/archives/bouncer5.jpg

Jean Pienkowski

http://www.natlib.govt.nz/images/collections-highlighted/pienkowski%201.JPG/image_preview
http://childillustration.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html
http://www.chompoblog.com/_blogimages/janFairyTales-thumb.jpg
http://medinger.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/gallery-pienkowski-jan-pi-006.jpg
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/gallery/2008/dec/19/booksforchildrenandteenagers?picture=340934957
http://www.puffin.co.uk/static/spreads/all/3/8/9780141382883L_003.jpg
http://www.wispofwhimsy.ca/2008/04/inspiration-in-books-jan-pienkowskis.html
http://www.library.unt.edu/rarebooks/exhibits/popup2/images/ROBOT.JPG
http://vulpeslibris.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/christmas2.jpg
http://www.fidragallery.co.uk/wp-content/lg-gallery/jan-pienkowski/illustrations/NutcrackerSleigh.jpg

Phillip Castle

http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/philip_castle_truly_trionic.jpg
http://i082.radikal.ru/0904/0b/15e2179f58f8.jpg
http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/philip_castle_airflow_2.jpg
http://newartssite.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/bs-2dfsf-2dphilipcastle-2dabreakinthetraffic-resize.jpg
http://elhombredehule.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/188471375_a70d2ca3a0.jpg
http://susi-a.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
http://susi-a.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gatochy/188489271
http://img.maniadb.com/images/album/178/178823_1_f.jpg
http://septimoarte7.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/a-clockwork-orange.jpg

Chris Foss

http://www.igorstshirts.com/blog/conceptships/foss_blue.jpg
http://warden.idv.tw/warden/personalPage/graphics/chrisFoss.jpg
http://application.denofgeek.com/images/m/21st-Century-Foss.jpg
http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/chris_foss_travelling_cities.jpg
http://www.sci-fi-o-rama.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/chris_foss_letos_car.jpg
http://www.likecool.com/Gear/Pic/Chris%20Foss/Chris-Foss.jpg
http://redredballoon.com/extras/sf_art/Foss.jpg
http://facelessart.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/chris-foss-dune-spice-pirate-ship.jpg
http://www.chrisfossart.com/v/vspfiles/assets/images/theearthisroomenoughsml.jpg
http://pics.livejournal.com/sirwilliam/pic/000ckd2s

Ian Pollock

http://frsimon.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/labourers-in-the-vineyard_ian_pollock_2000.jpg
http://www.aoiportfolios.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/pollock.jpg
http://www.superchefblog.com/images/marcopierrewhite_ianpollock_100dpi360pxl.png
http://dwellingintheword.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/8-leper-cured.jpg
http://citypaper.net/images/articles/2006/11/16/cover11-3.jpg
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/illustrators/images/thumbnail1.php/46ebb14d.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12616147@N08/1350460442
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12616147@N08/1342015387/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/romanywg/3097280321/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/romanywg/1342313979/

Gerald Scarfe
http://www.cliobook.nl/antiqbook/661.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42647000/jpg/_42647201_comic_relief_scarfe400.jpg
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/gallery/2008/jul/08/art.design
http://www.enkiri.com/terrasse/wall2.jpg
http://mruttan.ca/mruttan.ca/blog/2006_09_01_archive.html
http://www.filibustercartoons.com/scarfe.jpg
http://dceqc.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/zizi.jpg
http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy/Image/pink_floyd_the_wall.jpg
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/Gerald%20Scarfe%20Pink%20Floyd%20The%20Wall%20-%20Hammers.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/content/images/2005/05/24/kenlivingstone_scarfe_470×386.jpg

Now, the illustrators:

Norman Rockwell

Thornton Utz

Peter Blake

Dr Seuss

Victor Moscoso

Robert Crumb

Rowland Emett

Source Box

Norman Rockwell

http://www.duvekot.ca/eliane/archives/Norman_Rockwell.jpg
http://www.applegateinn.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/009_575-010norman-rockwell-triple-self-portrait-posters.jpg
http://arturovasquez.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/norman-rockwell-poster-card-c10231128.jpg
http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Norman-Rockwell-The-Roadblock-Posters_i311848_.htm
http://afrocityblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/norman-rockwell.jpg
http://doomedforeverandever.blogspot.com/2007/09/norman-rockwell-is-brilliant.html
http://tightlywrapped.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/spanking-norman-rockwell.jpg
http://www.best-norman-rockwell-art.com/images/1921-12-17-The-Country-Gentleman-Norman-Rockwell-cover-A-Drum-For-Tommy-no-logo-400-Digimarc.jpg
http://www.art.com/products/p10231092-sa-i789621/norman-rockwell-first-love.htm
http://www.ithaca.edu/students/breynol1/rockwell_girlatmirror_640.jpg

Thornton Utz

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2007/03/thornton-utz-sequential-artist.html
http://www.curtispublishing.com/LeadingLadies/LeadingLadies.htm
http://www.freespiritart.com/images/angelica-utz.jpg
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/saturday-evening-post/1741-1.jpg
http://mckenzie.communityblogs.us/files/2008/02/2-saturday-evening-post.jpg
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/saturday-evening-post/1788-1.jpg
http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/cover_9551119_nomast.jpg
http://theinvisibleagent.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/snow-post.jpg
http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/saturday-evening-post/1891-1.jpg
http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2009/09/thornton-utz-condensed-in-62.html

Peter Blake

http://www.chocolatfactorylabdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/pbsp.jpg
http://www.chess-theory.com/images1/12705a_peter_blake.jpg
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/programmes/images/peterblake.jpg
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/peterblake/images/works/onthebalcony_lg.jpg
http://stylefrizz.com/img/sir-peter-blake-love-painting.jpg
http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_1124_329910_peter-blake.jpg
http://www.rca.ac.uk/UploadedImages/NEWS_Secret.Peter.Blake.jpg
http://www.tate.org.uk/liverpool/exhibitions/peterblake/images/works/thebeatles_lg.jpg
http://www.marrowmedia.co.uk/popprints/Auction/images/blake_babe_rainbow.jpg
http://images.artnet.com/artwork_images_424755059_471745_peter-blake.jpg

Dr Seuss

http://www.dyersville.lib.ia.us/images/movies-posters/drseussatc772510.jpg/image
http://mrsdereksclass.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/dr_seuss_final.jpg
http://solathompson.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/dr-seuss-book-cover1.jpg
http://www.pcart.com/images/SuessOhTheStuffYouWillLearnLE11×14WS.jpg
http://chud.com/articles/content_images/5/the_lorax1.jpg
http://thehaystackneedle.typepad.com/.a/6a01053610d3e6970b0112791912bb28a4-pi
http://sarabeth3283.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/seuss2.jpg
http://share-sports.3ds.com/2008/05/21/a-tribute-to-philippe-fuchs%E2%80%99-feet/
http://urgh.wordpress.com/2005/12/
http://www.thedigeratilife.com/images/lorax2.jpg

Victor Moscoso

http://vinxtremeqt.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/victor-moscoso.jpg
http://lambiek.net/artists/m/moscoso/moscoso_zapcover.jpg
http://lambiek.net/artists/m/moscoso/moscoso_victor.jpg
http://lambiek.net/artists/m/moscoso/moscoso_zap.jpg
http://criaturascosmicas.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://criaturascosmicas.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://criaturascosmicas.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html
http://www.lacarceldepapel.com/images06/2008/09/postermoscoso.jpg
http://www.lacarceldepapel.com/images06/2008/09/colormosocos.jpg
http://vi.sualize.us/view/3a8c0e30fd83ef2b8a4f5b1617004779/

Robert Crumb

http://www.subaquatica.com/images/RCrumb2.jpg
http://www.intramuros.es/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/c0.jpg
http://www.nodo50.org/rebeldemule/foro/viewtopic.php?p=9407&sid=b016e8d92132d8d81d7072a6489a5897
http://punko.com.ar/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/86337366_3eb4a3ecc3_o.gif
http://www.symboliccollection.net/originalart/images/Robert%20Crumb%20BitchBod%20%280%29_jpg.jpg
http://www.bookpalace.com/acatalog/CrumbExcerpt.jpg
http://www.entrecomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/crumb64.gif
http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/3quarksdaily/images/crumb_01.jpg
http://eslpod.com/eslpod_blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/crumb_head_explode.jpg
http://karavanazine.blogspot.com/

Rowland Emett

http://www.tebeosfera.com/fco_fotos/articulos/ART-F556-487-419-745.jpg
http://bodwyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/091809-nellies-crew-in-the-deep-south-by-rowland-emett.jpg?w=332&h=400
http://bodwyn.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/091809-repairing-the-trans-atlantic-cable.jpg?w=273&h=400
http://unsinkablecork.com/chitty/images/emett.jpg
http://www.mech.mcmaster.ca/~nyet/emett/life_cover_July_26_1954.jpg
http://www.artnet.com/Artists/LotDetailPage.aspx?lot_id=1D66CB15D5DA3DE7B44ECCE6560E3FC7
http://thebloghorn.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/emett.jpg
http://www.stuartngbooks.com/emetttrain1.jpg
http://www.tebeosfera.com/fco_fotos/documentos/documentos-F803-619-807-629.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosered/145748842/

Howard Pyle

Beatrix Potter

Jean de Brunhoff

Howard Chandler Christy

James Montgomery Flagg

Ernest Shepard

Maurits Escher

Source Box

Escher
http://centros5.pntic.mec.es/sierrami/dematesna/demates56/opciones/sabias/Conoces%20Escher/escher3.jpg
http://antonioperezrio.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/escher.jpg
http://www.ricci-art.net/img004/462.jpg
http://www.luventicus.org/articulos/03Tr001/estrellas.jpg
http://latierradeuel.blogspot.com/2007/02/el-mircoles-pasado-pude-asistir-la.html
http://allforthegreatergood.com/Maurits_Cornelis_Escher–Relativity.jpg
http://folliamagica.blogspot.com/2008/10/maurits-cornelis-escher.html
http://venta-directa.blogspot.com/
http://www.lghs.net/teachers/math/canderson/escher_inverse.jpg
http://dherrero.wordpress.com/2006/12/21/exposicion-de-mc-escher/

Shepard

http://daddytypes.com/archive/eh_shephard_sothebys_pk.jpg
http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/SOL20081217_37257/10.jpg
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/shepard_e-h/shepard_ernest_h_punch_19.jpg
http://www.arcadja.com/artmagazine/en/wp-content/gallery/081107-top-lot-of-the-week/06-eh-shepard-winnie-the-pooh.jpg
http://www.cambridgeprints.com/illustrators/shepard4.jpg
http://www.ectomo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/3066777026_1c3d6ea2cf_o.jpg
http://mickyboris.blogspot.com/2009/08/el-viento-en-los-sauces-sopla-en-las.html
http://www.lambiek.net/comics/disneyartists/shepard_ernest_disney_punch_1935.jpg
http://whistlinginthedark.co.uk/library/lingered.jpg
http://www.chrisbeetles.com/gallery/images/pictures/Z1373-b.jpg

Jean de Brunhoff

http://darabuc.wordpress.com/2007/10/
http://antiquesandthearts.com/Archives/2008/09-September/images//2008-09-23__12-44-30Image4.GIF
http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/images/current/drawing-babar.jpg
http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/drawing_babar/mlm_0809_05.htm
http://www.russellrareprints.com/images/Babar%20and%20the%20photographer%201934%201980%20copy.jpg
http://prose.web.wesleyan.edu/Babar/characters.htm
http://prose.web.wesleyan.edu/Babar/images/bmeetsoldlady.gif
http://prose.web.wesleyan.edu/Babar/images/bafterdinner.jpg
http://www.popartuk.com/g/l/lgfd1434+babar-en-avion-laurent-de-brunhoff-art-print.jpg
http://arthistory.about.com/od/from_exhibitions/ig/drawing_babar/mlm_0809_12.htm

Beatrix Potter

http://misswink.blogspot.com/2009/01/beatrix-potter.html
http://www.bethanyroberts.com/images/benjamin_bunny.jpg
http://misswink.blogspot.com/2009/01/beatrix-potter.html
http://carmennomadas.blogspot.com/2007/09/beatrix-potter.html
http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/42258-large.jpg
http://blogs.librodearena.com/myfiles/margarita/Beatrix-Potter.gif
http://greatmarsh.blogspot.com/2007/11/great-movie.html
http://www.cats.gatech.edu/MySignStoryTime/Jemima%20Puddle-Duck/Media/Page%201.jpg
http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/32601-large.jpg
http://chessaleeinlondon.wordpress.com/2008/09/10/beatrix-potters-hill-top-farm/

Howard Pyle

http://giam.typepad.com/100_years_of_illustration/2005/01/story_of_captai.html
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pyle_pirate_duel.jpg
http://www.linesandcolors.com/images/2006-05/pyle_450.jpg
http://storytelling.whatscookin.com/photos/album/the-art-of-storytelling/photo/163666254
http://www.bpib.com/images/pyle-1.jpg
http://www.delawarecountyimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/pyle_soldiers_big.jpg
http://storytelling.whatscookin.com/photos/album/the-art-of-storytelling/page/1/photo/flying-dutchman-howard-pyle
http://students.ou.edu/S/Sandra.A.Stanton-1/pyleka_excalibur.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f5/Pyle_pirates_ghost.jpg
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/1895pyle.jpg

James Montgomery Flagg

http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/2007/250_issue12/unclesam.jpg
http://www.heraldsquarehotel.com/JamesMontgomeryFlagg/08.JamesMFlagg.jpg
http://www.heraldsquarehotel.com/JamesMontgomeryFlagg/08.06.04.JamesMFlagg.jpg
http://www.classroomtools.com/army1944.jpg
http://www.nevadaobserver.com/TNO%20Reference%20Page%20File/USMC%20Birthday.jpg
http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/hist/gwposters/A/031.jpg
http://www.nevadaobserver.com/TNO%20Reference%20Page%20File/Veterans%20Day%202006.jpg
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/ARTflagg4.jpg
http://www.alchemysite.com/blog/uploaded_images/3b52635u-706534.jpg
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/cartoonamerica/images/ca102-03307v.jpg

Howard Chandler christy

http://www.ladybluestocking.com/Howard%20Chandler%20Christy/Books%20with%20Jackets_files/Ishmael,-Burt-1905-photo-bl.jpg
http://www.askart.com/AskART/photos/SNY5251988/271.jpg
http://chisenbop.blogspot.com/2007/09/bill-of-rights-howard-chandler-christy.html
http://houdaiyama.egloos.com/4470311
http://houdaiyama.egloos.com/4470311
http://www.bpib.com/illustra2/various2.htm
http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/hist/gwposters/poster4.html
http://docsouth.unc.edu/wwi/41880/50.html
http://www.klingarts.com/pp/christy/images/christy_01.jpg
http://www.americanartarchives.com/christy,hc_music_and_life4.jpg

It is ordered in five parts. This is the first one.

This first part goes since the beggining in the caves to 1900.

The first illustrations were made in a cave (well, maybe it was in a tree, but we do not have samples right now). Have you ever seen the bulls of the Lascaux caves? Or the hands printed on the walls in red? These are the first samples of a whole new art.

Greece and Rome developed extended forms of art, even in some sorts of erotic graffiti, as you can see at Pompeii (specially at the entrance of the brothels).

The second step in the history are the Woodblock Printing (200 AD), an extended technique in the East of Asia.

Before 15th Century, books were hand illustrated. Some notable examples in this period (476 AD- 1492 AD) are the mediæval illustrations accompaning the manuscripts. Books were made working over coat or cow leather and using the “illumination” technique, decorated with thin layers of gold to illuminate the illustrations.

And suddenly in the year 1430 appears the Intaglio Printing, which it used cooper or zinc as the medium for printing.

In the year 1439 began the reign of the Woodcut Illustrations, because it  came to life the Gutenberg’s Printing Press (First Book: The Bible).

During 16th and 17th Century was extended the use of the Etching and engraving techniques.

At the end of the 18th century appears the Lithography (1796) and in the next century was enhanced by the chromolithography (1837).

In the 19th century “… the medium moved away from steel engraving which was the standard in the early century towards wood-engraving which could more easily be incorporated into pages of text. Book and journal publishers would employ workshops of wood-engravers to render artists’ drawings onto polished blocks of fine-grained yew or box-wood which could then be locked directly into the printing-chase with the metal type.” (Wikipedia.org: Illustration).

If you think in 19th century, think in Honoré Daumier.

Daumier is my favorite illustrator of the first fifty years of 19th century. He used a lot of techniques: lithography, xilography and when he was going blind he began to paint. He illustrated magazines like “La Silhouette” and “La Caricature”.

The magazines will be the main scenario to publish for the illustrators of this century and the first fifty years of the 20th century. Well, there was a big place for the books too.  If you want some reading about it, click here.

And finally (for this chapter) we have a new technique in print: the Rotary Press. We are in the year 1843 and the world is ready to receive a huge amount of artist and illustrators. And the new techniques allowed the use of colors and shades.

Some information to have in mind for the second half of the 19th century:

1.- The Industrial Revolution.

2.- The declining of the Censorship Laws in France (Daumier had to stop his political caricatures because of them).

3.- The massive migration of artist that developed the Social Realism (known as Realism too) to England.

4.- The influences of Pre-Rafaelite Brotherhood, Arts and Crafts Movement, Sthetic Movement , The Art Noveau, Les Nabis, the Impressionism and the Post-Impressionism.

In this period was the Golden Age of the Victorian Illustration (UK) and it began the Golden Age of the American Illustration.

Here are some of the illustrators of the last decades of 19th century:

Alphonse Mucha:

Aubrey Vincent Beardsley:

Paul Christophe Gustave Dore:

George Du Marier:

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec:

Phil May (The Father of the British Illustration):

If you want to read more about the history of Print:

http://www.cartridgesave.co.uk/news/the-history-of-print-from-phaistos-to-3d/

If you want to read a brief dictionary of artistic movements:

http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/THEARTS/ArtMvmtsandPeriods.html

Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illustration

Excuse my english ;)

Sources:

• agweb.okstate.edu
• eso-garden.com
• bium.univ-paris5.fr
• www.wfu.edu
• abcgallery.com
• takver.com
• momoetmoi.files.wordpress.com
• cromorama.files.wordpress.com
• designinfluences.files.wordpress.com
• epdlp.com
• sktb3000.net
• shahravarbellydance.com
• art.com
• soulstripperr.files.wordpress.com
• pichintungrafico.files.wordpress.com
• reproarte.com
• fapeartnouveau.wordpress.com
• artchive.com
• artmagick.com
• reprodart.com
• artmagick.com
• zerogahou.cocolog-nifty.com
• finduriel.blogspot.com
• bbc.co.uk
• www.nyu.edu
• wikimedia.org
• victorianweb.org
• solarnavigator.net
• mtholyoke.edu
• johncoulthart.com
• creadesign.files.wordpress.com
• www.satyrsight.com
• allposters.com
• blogs.librodearena.com
• poster.net
• allpaintings.org
• oszerrigueltaires.files.wordpress.com
• gutenberg.ca
• askart.com
• karaartservers.ch
• wfu.edu