SOI - Orson B. Lowell and Charles Dana Gibson

While in New York, I did a lot of walking. Including a small jaunt through Central Park...
on the way to the Society of Illustrators. I mainly went to see the last day of Greg Manchess' work for Above the Timberline on display. But as usual, there was lots of other great work to see, and I'm fairly certain these are in the public domain, so I'm happy to share.
     The primary exhibit on display was a collection of black and white work by Charles Dana Gibson of the "Gibson Girl" fame...

and Orson B. Lowell. Most of the work represented was by Lowell, although the methods were remarkably similar - I believe we're looking at ink applied with a brush.
Ink very skillfully applied with a brush. I mean, look at the motion in these lines!
And how shape is alluded to rather than drawn straight.

His greyscale washes were also exquisite.


Even his color work was simply lovely.

The surprise to me was how large the pieces are - it seems all the publications of these pieces I've seen were small, so that they looked more like highly detailed etchings. No, these were big - at least 11x17" or bigger. Mistakes or corrections were drawn on new paper seamlessly glued on top. But what I loved most was all this energy and movement in the lines. (Anybody who knows me, knows what a line-geek I am after working on Snoopy for so many years early in my career.) What a treat and fantastic learning experience to see these works in person!
     Happily, while at the SOI, I met and had lunch with the Collections Manager, artist Eric Fowler. We dined right under a Greg Panchess painting and talked shop. I even ran into Betsy and Ted Lewin (who I interviewed HERE) who were there to see the George Booth exhibit. It was so much fun! Can you imagine a better time for an illustrator? I can't!

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