Warwick Goble: Subdued Stories

by - 21:10


I tried out the new cotton rag paper I'd purchased a few ago from Paperchase, using the Arthur Rackham that I've been recently toying with. This inking technique sure is growing on me; could it be I've found my distinctive style? *o*

I love how the style forces me to practice drawing, which has always been more of my forte than painting. It's a very familiar style, in other words, so I'll see if it works out for me later on. As for the cotton rag paper, I love how it works with ink; I want to hoard more :))

Yesterday, as I was browsing through random illustration blogs on the net, I came across an artist whose work I think mirrors my current experimental style more so than that of Rackham's: Warwick Goble.

From Book of Fairy Poetry VII
1920
A contemporary of Rackham's though not as popular, Goble made a name for himself in creating beautiful fairytale illustrations inspired by Japanese and Indian themes. His work can be found in select MacMillan publications such as The Water Babies (1863) and Treasure Island (1883), as well as in the first edition of The War of the Worlds (1898) by H.G. Wells, and many folk tale anthologies (notably Other Japanese Fairy Tales and Tales of Bengal).

Warwick Goble
Nautilus Ship
Sea Nymphs
Unlike Rackham, Goble seemed to love colors more; in several of his works you can see splashes of different colors (watercolor was his primary paint medium), all encased within thin, almost nonexistent ink lines. I love how soft his technique is; it makes his art appear dreamy, quite perfect for a fairytale setting in my opinion.

A Fairy Revel
I don't think I can ever achieve the subtlety of Goble's work; I'm having a fantastic time trying to though! The controlled application of lines and the delicate washing of colors, blended together in a calculated recipe of imagination to create a story of a thousand words; artists like Warwick Goble remind me how much I love art.

On that note, I'd like to wish you all a happy happy New Year's Eve. :)

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