That's fascinating about the children's books. Sir John Tenniel, who drew the famous original illustrations for the original *Alice in Wonderland* books, was a noted political cartoonist in Victorian Britain. He drew the famous cartoon "Dropping the Pilot" (about the resignation of Bismarck) still often referred to visually by today's political cartoonists. The *Alice* illustrations are very detailed and realistic even while showing absurd situations. They definitely don't look like something produced on computer. You could say similar things about the original illustrations in the Narnia books. Even Quentin Blake, whose illustrations for Roald Dahl and other writers I grew up with are much more sketch-like, has a feeling of hand-made idiosyncrasy and charm.
Yes I find the decline in artistic standards really sad. I went to the Children's Literature Museum in Newcastle in the North of England and they have original prints of famous classic children's books and as beautiful as they are mass produced in person they are DELIGHTFUL. You really feel the person coming through - luminous is the best way I can describe it - they lift from the page. Even original Disney animations were painstakingly hand painted.
That's fascinating about the children's books. Sir John Tenniel, who drew the famous original illustrations for the original *Alice in Wonderland* books, was a noted political cartoonist in Victorian Britain. He drew the famous cartoon "Dropping the Pilot" (about the resignation of Bismarck) still often referred to visually by today's political cartoonists. The *Alice* illustrations are very detailed and realistic even while showing absurd situations. They definitely don't look like something produced on computer. You could say similar things about the original illustrations in the Narnia books. Even Quentin Blake, whose illustrations for Roald Dahl and other writers I grew up with are much more sketch-like, has a feeling of hand-made idiosyncrasy and charm.
Yes I find the decline in artistic standards really sad. I went to the Children's Literature Museum in Newcastle in the North of England and they have original prints of famous classic children's books and as beautiful as they are mass produced in person they are DELIGHTFUL. You really feel the person coming through - luminous is the best way I can describe it - they lift from the page. Even original Disney animations were painstakingly hand painted.
You might be interested in this drawing festival, a friend of mine used to work on it: http://thebigdraw.org/about-us
Thank you! I love the idea of that - although I do find their use of AI for their promotion material a bit disconcerting given their theme... ?? https://x.com/The_Big_Draw/status/1828822427448787137
There is a standard visual style across the third sector. Might as well be AI generated.
Not least it's that homogenous 'cute authoritarianism' as Ewan Morrison terms it.
Don't you think a charity that champions drawing should have promotional materials with... drawing?
That is how far we've fallen.