Andrea Innocent is an Australian born illustrator, designer and fashion designer. Her latest work explores Japanese pop culture. Themes investigate traditional Japanese folk tales and Japanese textiles and their meanings. I absolutely love the mix of western and eastern styles.

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$32,500 not quite in your price range then? Me neither…

Boris Vallejo 1978 Tarzan Calendar
5500 USD (maybe at the end of the month.)

Frank Frazetta Devil Rider Painting Original Art (circa 1970)
19 000 USD

Hal Foster Prince Valiant Sunday Comic Strip
11 000 USD

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)
‘The Rabbits’ Christmas Party’
About 1890
Watercolour

At Sotheby’s London, Beatrix Potter’s original watercolour illustration of the final scene from “The Rabbit’ Christmas Party” was sold for the remarkable amount of £289,250 – nearly five times its presale  estimate (est. £40,000-60,000). This has set a new record for book illustration sold at an auction.

The watercolour was one of 20 original illustrations, books, unpublished Christmas cards and letters by Beatrix Potter. They came from her brother, Bertram Potter, which were offered for sale in today’s auction of English Literature and History. The whole collection, which represents the most extensive group of Beatrix Potter artwork to have appeared on the market went for a total of £748,200.

Bertram Potter must be a very happy man.

“Olympia is an oil on canvas painting by Édouard Manet in the Realism style. Painted in 1863, it measures 130.5 by 190 centimetres (51 x 74.8 in). The nation of France acquired the painting in 1890 with a public subscription organised by Claude Monet. It is now in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.”

and

“What shocked contemporary audiences was not Olympia’s nudity, nor even the presence of her fully clothed maid, but her confrontational gaze and a number of details identifying her as a demi-mondaine or courtesan. These include the orchid in her hair, her bracelet, pearl earrings and the oriental shawl on which she lies, symbols of wealth and sensuality. The black ribbon around her neck, in stark contrast with her pale flesh, and her cast-off slipper underline the voluptuous atmosphere. Whereas Titian’s Venus delicately covers her sex, Olympia’s hand firmly protects hers, as if to emphasize her independence and sexual dominance over men. Manet replaced the little dog (symbol of fidelity) in Titian’s painting with a black cat, which symbolized prostitution. Olympia disdainfully ignores the flowers presented to her by her servant, probably a gift from a client. Some have suggested that she is looking in the direction of the door, as her client barges in unannounced.” Read More…

Olympia by Édouard Manet

This post was partly made as reference for: Mark Ryden

This post marks the beginning of a new category - Comics. In truth I have never really been an avid comic reader. I did once collect Ghost Rider, about 10 comic books in total. However there is defiantly something to be said for the artistic skill that goes into these comics. Here are a couple images from varies comics and publishers.

Above: This illustration is a snip it from the Marvel Superhero Team “Thunderbolts“.

For those of you not familiar with the world of comics, me being one, there is a whole universe that has been created around these superhuman characters. With political faction and superheroes joining each other to form teams and rally against other heroes. Much like Tolkien and his imaginary world of Orks, Hobbits and speaking trees.

Above: Achebe from Marvel Comics: “Reverend Doctor Michael Ibn al-Hajj Achebe’s true identity remains unknown. Stories persist that he was originally a Ghudazian farmer until Ujankan guerillas took refuge in his home, repaying his hospitality by stabbing him repeatedly, burning his farm, and stealing his unfaithful wife. Refusing to die, the farmer sold his soul to the devil for revenge, hunting down and slaying everyone associated with his wife, from close family to casual acquaintances.” Read More…

Above: “A.I.M. (Advanced Idea Mechanics) is an organization of brilliant scientists and their hirelings dedicated to the acquisition of power and the overthrow of all government by technological means.” Read More…

The stories are rather elaborate. If you go to the site there is a publishers rating for thing like power and intelligence. There is also a user rating. Then you have a full profile breakdown. What color hair, occupation (E.G.: Revolutionary, minister; former farmer, co-regent of Wakanda), Education (E.G: Ph.D. in Law (Yale)), Relatives (E.G: Unidentified alleged wife (deceased)) etc…

There you have it.

Woodcut is a artistic technique in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level while the non-printing parts are removed. The block is cut along the grain of the wood. In Europe beechwood was commonly used and in Japan cherry wood was used.

The surface is covered with ink by rolling over the surface with an ink covered roller. Multiple colors can be printed using this technique - a different block is used for each color.

It did not originate in Japan as some people believe. It came originally from China and was later adopted by the West and Japan.

The most popularized form of woodcut Art is called Ukiyo-e. It originated in Japan and it is probably what you have seen. Ukiyo-e means: “pictures of the floating world”. More specifically Ukiyo-e is woodblock prints (or woodcuts) and paintings. They where popular between the 17th and the 20th centuries. Ukiyo-e were affordable because they could be mass-produced. They were, therefore, meant for people who were not wealthy enough to afford an original painting. The original subject of ukiyo-e was city life, in particular activities and scenes from the entertainment district.

This is probably one of the most famous Ukiyo-e’s. It is called “The Great Wave”. (Why do you look surprised?). Artist is Hokusai and it is part of his subscription series, “Thirty-Six Views of Mt. Fuji,” completed between 1826 and 1833.

Artist: Kobayakawa Kiyoshi Nationality: Japanese, 1896-1948 Title: Eyes, Hitomi, from the series Modern Styles of Makeup Date: 1931.

Evening Snow at Kanbara, Ando Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858)

“Last year Nadia Plesner started a Simple campaign to raise awareness of the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to raise money for the helping organization “Divest for Darfur”.

On February 13, 2008, Nadia received a letter from Louis Vuitton’s, asking her to firmly end the campaign immediately, as they believe one of their products is being portrayed in the illustration.

Nadia Plesner is standing up for her artistic freedom to express her view of the world as she sees it without restrictions from anybody.

On February 20, 2008, she informed Louis Vuitton’s Intellectual Property Director that she intend to continue her campaign to support the victims of Darfur.“

Nadia Plesner startet her own campaige in 2007 to support the Victims of Darfur. 100% of the takings from the t-shirt and poster are donated to Darfur.

To support her please go to: www.nadiaplesner.com

The illustration Nadia is getting suede for:

Where does the word illustration originate from. Often words come from a very different origin then to which it is applicable today.

Etymology of Illustration:

c.1375, “a spiritual illumination,” from O.Fr. illustration, from L. illustrationem (nom. illustratio) “vivid representation” (in writing), lit. “an enlightening,” from illustrare “light up, embellish, distinguish,” from in- “in” + lustrare “make bright, illuminate.” Mental sense of “act of making clear in the mind” is from 1581. Meaning “an illustrative picture” is from 1816. Illustrate “educate by means of examples,” first recorded 1612. Sense of “provide pictures to explain or decorate” is 1638.

This was taken from etymonline.com.

So we looking at “A spiritual illumination”, an enlightening, distinguish and clear in mind etc… all sounding good to me! No hidden darker agenda behind the word.