This is a recent illustration i did of a cat. Above is the original sketch with some type on it, but i decided not to include that in the final drawing and added a ball of yarn instead.
Halfway through the drawing, i noticed that my cat also looked my like a dog… Hmmm… What do you think?
I decided to do a watercolor poster illustration with the word “Torn” as a sequel to “Worn”, competely unrelated to this week’s Illustration Friday theme, “Shaky.”
Strange day and a strange painting.
I was supposed to write about something that inspires me and this topic always brings me back to works of artists such as Gustav Klimt, Aubrey Beardsley, and Egon Schiele. Their works are characterized by their use of decorative elements that are organic, curvy, and rhythmic with themes that are symbolic of fertility and eroticism. I won’t go into details about art history, but you can read more about this artistic style on Wikipedia.
Gustav Klimt
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
The Kiss by Gustav Klimt is a beautiful example of Art Nouveau at its best.
Aubrey Beardsley
The Climax by Aubrey Beardsley
Aubrey Beardsley, who died at the young age of 26, was renowned for his dark, perverse images and grotesque erotica. Above is an lithograph for Oscar Wilde’s tragedy Salomé.
I was about 18 when i first picked picked up a book about Beardsley and was inspired by his use of space and detail. His images are more graphical than fine art, which influenced me to do several drawings in ink. One such piece I did was with technical pens titled Dark Petal. This was about nine years ago. I even hand-bound a book made from A4 Paper and cardboard to fill it with ink drawings.
Dark Petal (2000)
Egon Schiele
Egon Schiele, Self Portrait
Egon Schiele, a protege of Klimt’s, was noted for the intensity of his drawings, characterized by twisted body shapes and expressive lines.
I first found a book of his drawings in the library and was taken aback by the grotesque images, a lot of which were nude figures. I found them repelling and captivating all at once and was surprised to find that he was Klimt’s student, seeing how their approach and styles are completely different.
Last year, Prada featured some beautiful illustrations by Taiwanese-American award winning artist and illustrator James Jean in their Spring/ Summer 08 collection (read more on notcot.com). I was pleasantly surprised to find illustrations being used in High fashion. The fine line between art and illustration is blurring; their functions in our daily lives are expanding. Wearable art is translated more literally in this amazing collection.
And the master behind this extraordinary canvas is James Jean. I am in awe of his painterly genius. His images seem to be steeped in magic and tales, either of folklore or of myth. They could be telling you a familiar story or one that is completely unknown. I personally find the experience transcendent; I am brought into a new world. In this sense, visual art is not unlike music. It can move you in ways words cannot. To view more of his mesmerizing art works visit his website at jamesjean.com.
