Awesome piece, Jed! This particular image would look great as a poster of some sort, and the slight revision with added saturation and contrast injects that extra bit of life into it (though I do like the effect of the original's classic time-worn feel).
I'm hoping to somehow pick up the fanzine you mention, once published, solely for this particular image, if possible.
And, as always, I look forward to new pieces (such as this) posted here on your blog - I really enjoyed your recent "Anonymous" story a great deal. Any luck in submitting that one somewhere?
Wow - more beautiful work! I have a real sentimental attachment to the Oz books as my dad read them all to me when I was little and I'm particularly attached to the W.W. Denslow illustrations. Having said that I really love what you've done here - you've honored the original 'feel' of the illustrations, but added your own fresh twist and interpretation! I just really really love them - for lack of a better expression! As you likely know Greg Hildebrandt also illustrated an abridged edition of the first Oz book. I personally really enjoyed it!
I think i've seen Hilderbrandt's version--though I admire Hilderbrandt's work (and his brother's as well), I prefer Denslow and, in particular, John R. Neil. Hilderbrandt's approach, to me, was a little too realistic for the material. My favorite contemporary Oz illustrator is Lisbeth Zwerger.
I'm a BIG Zwerger fan! She has illustrated a lot of Andersen's fairy tales, but my favorite so far is her adaptation of Oscar Wild's Selfish Giant - so haunting! I haven't seen her Oz illustrations so I'll have to check those out ASAP! thanks for the heads up on that!
I think I agree with you about the Hildebrant drawings - they are very realistic at times. I have a fairy tale book that was illustrated by Hildebrandt and it was one of my favorites as a child just for the sheer realistic creepy factor. I've never been able to get his illustration of The Tale of the Tontlawald out of my head!! I think one of my biggest complaints about his artwork is that it tends to look a little dated/80s style at times.
As a young teen I remember being into the Lord of the Rings and other fantasy stuff from both Hilderbrandt brothers, and their older work does have a little bit of a dated look now (haven't seen any of their new stuff), but they were also really great with dramatic lighting, something I've attempted in my recent Dolittle image.
But for me Alice and Dorothy are best when they don't look as though they were painted from models. Also, as I recall, there was a little too much MGM in the Hilderbrandt version of Wizard of Oz for my taste.
Awesome piece, Jed! This particular image would look great as a poster of some sort, and the slight revision with added saturation and contrast injects that extra bit of life into it (though I do like the effect of the original's classic time-worn feel).
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping to somehow pick up the fanzine you mention, once published, solely for this particular image, if possible.
And, as always, I look forward to new pieces (such as this) posted here on your blog - I really enjoyed your recent "Anonymous" story a great deal. Any luck in submitting that one somewhere?
Hope are well, and all is good there.
All the best!
Ryan H.
Wow - more beautiful work! I have a real sentimental attachment to the Oz books as my dad read them all to me when I was little and I'm particularly attached to the W.W. Denslow illustrations. Having said that I really love what you've done here - you've honored the original 'feel' of the illustrations, but added your own fresh twist and interpretation! I just really really love them - for lack of a better expression! As you likely know Greg Hildebrandt also illustrated an abridged edition of the first Oz book. I personally really enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI think i've seen Hilderbrandt's version--though I admire Hilderbrandt's work (and his brother's as well), I prefer Denslow and, in particular, John R. Neil. Hilderbrandt's approach, to me, was a little too realistic for the material. My favorite contemporary Oz illustrator is Lisbeth Zwerger.
ReplyDeleteI'm a BIG Zwerger fan! She has illustrated a lot of Andersen's fairy tales, but my favorite so far is her adaptation of Oscar Wild's Selfish Giant - so haunting! I haven't seen her Oz illustrations so I'll have to check those out ASAP! thanks for the heads up on that!
ReplyDeleteI think I agree with you about the Hildebrant drawings - they are very realistic at times. I have a fairy tale book that was illustrated by Hildebrandt and it was one of my favorites as a child just for the sheer realistic creepy factor. I've never been able to get his illustration of The Tale of the Tontlawald out of my head!! I think one of my biggest complaints about his artwork is that it tends to look a little dated/80s style at times.
As a young teen I remember being into the Lord of the Rings and other fantasy stuff from both Hilderbrandt brothers, and their older work does have a little bit of a dated look now (haven't seen any of their new stuff), but they were also really great with dramatic lighting, something I've attempted in my recent Dolittle image.
ReplyDeleteBut for me Alice and Dorothy are best when they don't look as though they were painted from models. Also, as I recall, there was a little too much MGM in the Hilderbrandt version of Wizard of Oz for my taste.
Incidentally, Zwerger did a great Alice as well!