Al Fresco Art Club Challenge, Dec. 20, 2020 - Paint From A Master (Howard Pyle)
/Today’s challenge was to copy from one of our favorite Golden Age illustrators. My favorite of that gang is Howard Pyle. I was introduced to his illustrations as a kid by my uncle Roy. He had heard that I was an eager reader. He gave me an illustrated classic work of literature every Christmas until I turned into a surly teenager. There was Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Dr Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, and Treasure Island. I loved the illustrations in Treasure Island most of all.
Today I decided to copy Pyle’s Marooned because it’s one of Howard Pyle’s simpler paintings. I got the colors right, but the figure needs some work; he doesn’t convey the emotions of a man marooned on a desolate island. My guy looks like he’s taking a nap. It amazes me that I can look directly at a reference but miss the important details.