The illustrations in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz have a very creepy, old, unique feel. The artist who illustrated this book was W.W Denslow. He was L. Frank Baum's collaborator and friend, he also co-held the copyright. Baum was the author of The Wizard of Oz. His drawings in this book are engaging and they not only provide a visual of the story but they are a narrative themselves.
Denslow was an editorial cartoonist, and is well known for his illustrations in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, he also loved doing caricatures.
His drawings in the Oz books have odd, muted colors to them. Not all of his drawings in the book have color, but the ones that do give off an eerie vibe. I love how he draws, he definitely found his technique and it ties together with the story of The Wizard of Oz. The illustrations are so creepy which makes them fascinating. He has great line work and his compositions are wonderful.
I really like the Green and Red Illustration. That incorporation of that typeset and the scholarly looking lion. It almost remind's me of early Christian art work. His illustration does look a little eerie, but I like it. It feels really unique.
ReplyDeleteThe lines are so crisp and the space between the lions mane's makes me think of woodcuts. I totally get this vibe from the background of the image on the left, with all of its little lines and crisp points. It's true that his work look a lot like illuminations from old Christian bibles.
ReplyDeleteIt seems appropriate that not all of the illustrations are in color given the dramatic effect that color has in the movie.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that these were probably made from some kind of printmaking technique. I think the separation of the colors makes for an interesting interpretation of space. It draws the eye back in and out of the scene.
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