Friday, November 12, 2010

Ralph Steadman

(His website is super shiny!)
((But I'm biased because I really, super, insanely, (adjective + adverbs x infinity = love his work.))

Ralph Steadman is a British illustrator, most known for his work done in partnership with writer Hunter S. Thompson, like "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas."  The pair are the icons of Gonzo Journalism.  If you've never read "Fear & Loathing," I highly recommend it.  Then, watch the film starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro (be warned, watching it may make you feel like you're on drugs, it is insane).  Steadman's work is notorious for being messy and expressive, mostly drawn in dip pen ink.  There is a wonderful maniacal energy to his work, with lots of pen scratchings and bleeds.  It is a mixture of controlled and absolute chaos!  Whenever I draw in ink, I strive to be as free and energetic  with line as Ralph Steadman is.  Maybe one day it will work.  In the meantime, please join me in my admiration of him and his work.

From "Fear & Loathing" (and similar):
"The Curse of Lono:"
"Sigmund Freud:"
"The Joke's Over:"
"America:"
"Alice in Wonderland:"
No idea where they're from but they're awesome:

"Garibaldi's Biscuits:"
Couldn't pass up the chance to post something with two of my favorite creative personalities attached to it: Ralph Steadman and Kurt Vonnegut, who says of Steadman, "The most gifted and effective existentialist graphic artist of my time."
<3

4 comments:

  1. if you like Steadman, you'll love Edward Henrion, whose works have never been published and can now be seen for the first time on his website, www.edwardhenrion.com, and in soon to be published books, Top Hat and Sweet & Lovely. Previews of the books, with musical accompaniment can be seen on youtube.

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  3. The one beneath the Christmas illustration is actually by the Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano, not Steadman.

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  4. Thank you for catching that, I'll correct it right away! :)

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