John Lawrence - Part 2

The British illustrator, John Lawrence’s work is still as inspirational today as it was when the technique of wood engraving to create illustrations was first made popular in the 18th century.
It is amazing how his engravings can be so detailed, and yet not too crowded. Even with the black and white designs, Lawrence still achieves his purpose by drawing your eyes to the main or central feature of the illustration, despite the elaborate, inter-woven black lines that form the picture. I particularly like his black and white images as I think any other colour takes away from the printed effect.
In comparing his style with the engraving done in the seventeen hundreds, Lawrence’s appear quite crude, lacking the delicate lines used to create depth and shadow. But I think this is one reason why he is so popular even in these days. He has created his own, contemporary style. His work has really inspired me to widen my skills and try more handcrafted types of design.





References:

Illustration Cupboard. John Lawrence.

Available from

http://www.illustrationcupboard.com/artist.aspx?aId=66&page=2

[Electronically accessed 8 April, 2016]