The second great big coffee table book of the work of a giant of 20th century commercial art to arrive this year full of eye-popping graphics in every style and genre is REYNOLD BROWN: A Life in Pictures.
Brown was a bit younger than his colleague-in-greatness Norman Saunders, and his career was more L.A.-centric. He grew up here, went to Alhambra High School, studied at Otis, and was later in life an instructor at the Art Center College of Design. Whether through geographical proximity or inclination, Brown left his greatest mark as the painter and designer of some of the most memorable commercial artwork for movie posters, especially in the Science Fiction genre, as you can see from this cover illustration which is a part image from the one sheet of The Attack of the 50ft Woman.
Like Saunders, Brown also worked for Men's magazines, and did cover and illustration work for Popular Science and other technical journals like Mechanix Illustrated, owing to his stint working for the U.S. Air Force where he created sectional and cutaway drawings of aircraft.
His paperback book covers for Signet and Pocket Books in the 1950's are really beautiful examples of the craft. I love that they give you the before and after artwork in the book, so you can peek behind the curtain into his creative process. I happen to have both of these paperbacks in my own collection, and it was interesting to learn more about the man behind the intriguing artwork on their covers. (Dorothy B. Hughes, by the way, was the great female noir writer behind novels that were adapted for film like "In A Lonely Place" and "The Fallen Sparrow!)
Later in life, like his peer Norman Saunders, Reynold Brown turned his hand to portraiture. This one is called "Chirstina con munequas" or Christina with her dolls, a more innocent depiction of small figurines than his seminal Attack of The Puppet People movie poster, but perhaps just as haunting and beautiful.
Tomorrow: More of the work of master illustrator Reynold Brown
william
He had a great hand, very skilled, love his work!
Elsi :)
Posted by: Elsita :) | May 07, 2009 at 06:28 AM
I forgot to say that I LOVE the last picture with the girl and the dolls!
:)
Posted by: Elsita :) | May 07, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I adore that last painting .
It really reminds me of your beautiful wife and also your daughter.
Please give her an extra special hug from me tomorrow:)
Posted by: margie oomen | May 08, 2009 at 05:58 AM
I actually prefer the left image of "Sanctuary" with the implied shadow and the more startled expression on her face.
I love the covers of these books but I've never opened one. Are the stories as dynamic and well-executed as the illustrations?
The last painting is amazing; this girl has a very strong presence.
Posted by: dutchbaby | May 08, 2009 at 06:53 AM