Friday's Odds & Ends from Charlie Allen

By guest author Charlie Allen

I'll shoot a few more scans your way from the old ad file... and good stuff.  I already sent a nice illo of the business man and the early Bleriot plane that flew the channel.  I said something about insurance....but no, these were for Pan Am flights and shipping.  Found a few more....excellent, academic illustration....but still have no clue on the illustrator.  Not a 'typical' style that I knew.






After that, a couple of calendar illustrations for International Harvester, or now Navistar.  By Tom Hoyne.



I admired his facile confident gouache style, composition and color. When clipped, had no idea who he was.



Turns out, a famous marine oil painter....and, almost as old as I (1924).



Hoyne is dead now, but his legacy and books are still here. I've ordered a book by him from Amazon that should be a good one... and cause for a blog.


A brief preview of things to come!

Cheers... Chas.

* Many thanks, Charlie -- for saving my bacon while I was otherwise occupied this week! ~ Leif

"More Odd Stuff" from Charlie Allen

By guest author Charlie Allen

Another very diverse, eclectic, group of ad illustrations....continuing the odd, but good, clips from the venerable old file.  But first, a dinosaur chuckle to lighten the day.  



First illustration, in this case a very different cartoon style and I thought you'd appreciate.  



The name is 'Weber' or 'Weker'....don't know. A football article, and no idea from what magazine or publication.





Second, a Honda motorcycle ad, frequent and ubiquitous in the magazines of the 60's.  I'll call it 'illustration lite', almost all done by the same illustrator.... I don't know who.  The reason I think it's good....the colors are always bright and cheerful....the low power modern Honda bikes looked simple and appealing....the draftsmanship was excellent....all in all, very effective advertising.  



Honda was changing motorbike sport and transportation, formerly dominated by the 'burly' Harley crowd. Honda made biking a middle class, desirable, acceptable way to get around.  The ads so effective, I spent several afternoons doing trial runs, mainly at the dealer's lot, trying out a 50cc bike.  Never got one, to my regret, but maybe furthering my safety and extension of the illustrator biz!

Next ad, a natural gas magazine illustration by Al Muenchen....an illustrator about my age whom I met a few times. He came out from the east to check the western 'scene'.  Always competant....and sometimes, (in the Sat. Eve. Post) exceptionally good editorial illustration.  



Next, a Pall Mall ad, artist unknown, but definitely one of the many 'Fuchs School' illustrators.  Again, very slick, competent work.  



Following that, a wine ad that's beautifully drawn and rendered.  Loose, relaxed, excellent drawing, et al.  I want to say Mitchell Hooks, but I'm probably way off on the artist.  (Charlie is correct, this is by Mitchell ~ L)

This was a series as I remember.  



Finally, a simple strong game ad, again the Fuchs School....but effective and attractive.



Hey, enough for now. Thanks, I think, for the TI 'old file' blog! These things are definitely not seen these days.    

Cheers......  Chas.

Charlie Allen's Odds and Ends

By guest author Charlie Allen

I trust you're not completely fed up with these diverse examples from the old file.  I'll persist with the pot-pourri unless I hear 'no mas' from your end.  First, I found one more Time cover, a bit earlier in years, but at least a strong painterly quality.  In fact, looks like they gave printed credit to a 'fine artist', Henry Koerner, on the cover.  Gross discrimination....credits were never offered for the far better artists I've already posted to you.  



Second, will send along a strange Barron Storey, clipped from 'Flying' magazine.  It's very inventive....the direction he and other late stars were going when the whole thing collapsed.  Then followed by a vast wasteland of TV and digital screens!



We live in strange times.  The past, my era of illustration, and that of the east, is gone, ignored, almost shunned, by today's digital youngsters.  What a shame...and how shallow can a culture be!

Forwarding three more oddities from the old file.  The two Pendleton ads I liked....and was told by someone later on they were done by an S.F. illustrator.   Late 70's I believe.  




The Cousteau Arco ad I also liked.  Very strong....can't read the signature, but nicely done.  



That's about it for today.

Cheers....  Chas.

Charlie Allen on Time

By guest author Charlie Allen

Another illustrative era I miss greatly....those few short years in the 70's when Time magazine had an enlightened art editor who bought bright bold illustrated covers.  Enclosed are three from the old ad file.  I wish I had saved more.

Time used top people also... and of these examples, one by Barron Storey (below), one by Paul Calle (at bottom)... not exactly shabby performers.  



The Arab theme cover also very proficiently done... don't know who.


* The signature seems to read "Roy - or Ray - Anderson" ~ Leif

In my youth Time covers were all art....very square, boring illustration.  From a stable of a few artists....but it was a very conservative age.  Post WWll I think they alternated between photography and illustration.  But it was in the 70's when they had the fine bold stuff.  



I should think Time would have records even today on the past covers... but again, maybe not. Certainly worth a blog if these can be fleshed out a bit.  

Cheers... Chas.

Charlie Allen Cleans House

By guest author Charlie Allen

After the Evers blog, thought I'd send along some scans of mid-century ad illustrations and illustrators I have admired. I cleaned out a voluminous ad clip file in the past couple of weeks... a whole lot of stuff that wasn't very good... probably clipped for information or reference. In doing so, came across some work that is good and that you might enjoy seeing.

Several examples of the ubiquitous TV Guide.



These are not outstanding art or illustration....just average issues. Most are signed, but with the exception of 'Amsel', hard to read.



But... they reminds me of an era.



An era where, somehow, there was a stability about going to the check-out counter and always seeing TV Guide prominently displayed on a wire stand.



It was a constant and familiar part of our lives. And....to an illustrator, reassuring because the covers were illustration. Strong, bold illustration, easily seen... some by the 'better' illustrators, and most by artists not well known.



Certainly by the 70's there were a lot of new names in the east....many 'would be' Fuchs, or Peaks in style. I miss those TV Guide days. Being a creature who resists and even abhors change, in spite of my announced mantra of 'change is the constant', I miss order and the slower way of life that 'usta be' in those days.



Enough geezer rambling and pondering. These were in the bulging ad file that I've cleaned out, and not worth a blog, though with a few better illustrators, a 'TV Guide' blog might be an interesting TI. More odds and ends to come....hopefully for entertainment.

Cheers and best... Chas.

"Thank you, Jack for everything you gave us."

By guest author Daniel Zalkus

It’s been 8 years now since Jack Potter passed away and I still think about him all the time.



I was fortunate to have been able to take his class and get to know him on a personal level. He taught me a new way of seeing and to this day I can still hear his voice telling me, “Get the proportions!”



I attended Jack’s class long after I was required to by school curriculum. Jack’s influence, approach and mentoring has often served as a guiding light in my work and in my career.



Even my leisure time, personal drawing is heavily influenced by Jack and his classes.



He was a unique individual and one of a kind. Myself, and many others, miss him.



Thank you, Jack for everything you gave us.

* And many thanks to Daniel for sharing his recollections of Jack potter with us, as well as all the fantastic art and photos! ~ L

* Daniel Zalkus is a freelance illustrator, graduate of the School of Visual Arts and loves to wear plaid. To see samples of his artwork please go to www.zalkus.com

* My Jack Potter Flickr set

Jack Potter: “I want a full meal, not a nibbly snack!”

By guest author Daniel Zalkus

When I first stepped foot into Jack Potters class, back in 1997, it was intimidating. Jack, with his bald head and strong voice, had us draw with a “big punchy pencil” on white paper.



The focus was on shape and composition. He wanted us to interpret what we saw rather than draw it as accurately as possible.



There was great energy in the room and much of it had to do with his enthusiasm for his students and the work they were doing.



Jack would find his models at flea markets or anywhere he could during his daily routine. He sought out models that he felt had a certain look that would make our drawings better.



Sometimes he’d have his models pose by themselves but usually he’d put them in some sort of scene. Maybe two models at a table watching television. Or a few models set up to look like a murder scene.



Whatever it was he wanted us to draw the entire composition, get us seeing the shapes and the big picture.

Towards the end of class he’d take one or two drawings, tape them to the wall and give a talk. I remember him telling a student “I want a full meal, not a nibbly snack!” and another time he compared the good in a drawing to MSG in Chinese food.



He was a serious artist but also had a sense of humor. He told us that he became a “caricature” because of his students. He spoke in an exaggerated manner because he felt that he had to be clear when pointing out an idea.



At times he’d also do “diagram” drawings to show us what he felt could be better in our work. The wall talks helped me grasp a visual example of what he was verbally talking about. He gave his all and did his best (in his words) to “push us up the mountain.”

Concluded tomorrow...

* Daniel Zalkus is a freelance illustrator, graduate of the School of Visual Arts and loves to wear plaid. To see samples of his artwork please go to www.zalkus.com

* My Jack Potter Flickr set