Yuu Watase: A Storyteller

Yuu Watase - This is the front cover art for the first volume of the manga series Alice 19th written by the artistWith the rise in popularity of anime, shōjo manga, and Japanese graphic novels, few manga artists have been as influential as Yuu Watase (born 1970), a cartoonist, writer, and illustrator from Osaka, Japan. Since writing and illustrating her first story, “An Intrusion in Pajamas,” Watase has created more than 80 volumes of short stories and series. As influential as she is as a storyteller, her unique manga-style illustrating has subtly changed the industry style.

The work featured here is the front cover art for the first volume of the manga series Alice 19th.

The story follows Alice Seno, a fifteen-year-old girl forever in the shadow of her older sister. Watase claims that she thought of Lewis J. Carrol.’s work, “Alice in Wonderland” when developing her characters.

The Golden Age of Illustration

Howard Pyle - The Wonder Clock, or Four and Twenty Marvelous Tales: Title page - 1887 - Pen and black ink on paper - sheet: 10 1/4 x 7 1/16 in. (26 x 17.9 cm) - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NYThe Golden Age of Illustration was a period of unprecedented excellence in book and magazine illustration. It developed from advances in technology allowing for the accurate and affordable reproduction of art, combined with a voracious public demand for new graphic art.

In Europe, Golden Age artists were influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite movement, as well as by such design-oriented movements as the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau, and Les Nabis.

American illustration of this period was anchored by the Brandywine Valley tradition, begun by Howard Pyle (1853-1911) and carried on by his students, who included N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) and Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966), among others.

Pyle's oft-quoted advice to his students was, “Throw your heart into the picture and then jump in after it”. One biographer has described Pyle as having, “fought, sang, struggled and sobbed through his work.”. He paid close attention to historical detail and often painted live models wearing period costumes. Pyle published some 3,300 illustrations during his 35 year career.

Donato Giancola: Fantasy Artist

Donato Giancola - Otherness - Cover for the novel Otherness by David Brin - 14” x 30" - Oil on Paper on Masonite - Collection of the artistAmerican illustrator Donato Giancola (born 1967) specializes in narrative realism with science fiction and fantasy content. He describes himself as a "classical-abstract-realist working with science fiction and fantasy".  He favorite artists include many of the old masters, along with such artists as Piet Mondrian. 

Giancola has illustrated cards for the Magic: The Gathering collectible card game and has been described as a cult hero among fantasy collectible card game players. In 2008, the Bennington Banner referred to Giancola as "...arguably the most popular and successful sci-fi/fantasy artist working today".

Although he hails from the state of Vermont, the artist currently lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and family.

5 N.C. Wyeth: A Golden Age Illustrator

N.C. Wyeth - Tam on the Craig Face - oil on canvas - 86.4 x 63.5 cm (34.02" x 25”) - Private collection (click photo for larger image)N.C. (Newell Convers) Wyeth (1882-1945) was an American illustrator and muralist. Wyeth was raised on a farm, and he learned drafting and illustration in Boston before studying with the master illustrator Howard Pyle. 

During his career, Wyeth contributed his memorable illustrations to more than 100 books, including a famous series of children’s classicsTreasure Island, Kidnapped, King Arthur, Robin Hood, and The Black Arrow, among them. He also produced numerous murals in public buildings. N.C. was the teacher of his son, the painter Andrew Wyeth.

Maxfield Parrish: Saturated Hues

Maxfield Parrish - The Lantern Bearers, 1908, oil on canvas on board, created for Collier's magazine, the painting shows Parrish's use of glazes and saturated color in an evocative night scene, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, ArkansasOne of the Golden Age of Illustration artists was American illustrator and painter Maxfield Parish (1870-1966). Parrish became well known for his saturated colors, and for his idealization of classical imagery. His work was particularly popular during the first half of the twentieth century.