Famous Artists School

Famous Artists School. FAMOUS ARTISTS COURSE IN COMMERCIAL ART, ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN. [SN13922] $425

Westport, CT: Famous Artists Schools, 1967. Folio (11" x 14"), 880pp, over 100 full-color and over 2500 b&w illustrations, custom binders. Fine (binders are clean & sharp, some pages are slightly wrinkled otherwise clean, with all the lesson plates and assignment sheets for sections 1-10). 27 sections (24 lessons plus Introduction, Fashion Illustration, and The World is your Studio) in 4 printed folio binders.

The 1967 course marked the course's transition from classic SEP-style illustration to modern illustration with its greater emphasis on graphic design. New faculty members Bob Peak, Bernie Fuchs, Tom Allen, Franklin McMahon, and Lorraine Fox contribute the majority of the artwork. Hundreds of illustrations by Peak and Fuchs are reproduced throughout as examples. Peak and Fuchs are each the subject of several chapters. Bob Peak writes "Concept - Now is the Thing" in Lesson 15 (19pp with 52 illus). Norman Rockwell writes "A Picture with Feeling" (4pp with 15 illus). Thomas Allen writes "Feeling and Mood - their importance in illustration" (15pp with 26 illus). Bernie Fuchs writes "My Approach to Illustration" in Lesson 12 (21pp with 37 illus).

Austin Briggs. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN24887] $500

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1952. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 140pp, 2 color plates, 1 tipped-in color plate, over 300 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. VG+ in a VG+ binder (the two color pages have ring hole reinforcements, the rest of the pages are okay with some showing some ring hole stress, the one-page assignment sheet is missing - a photocopy is included, the binder is moderately worn with a bump to the bottom of the spine).

Part of the Famous Artists Advanced Program. "America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making." An entire course written and illustrated by Briggs.

The 6-page introduction, Meet Austin Briggs, is by Henry Pitz. Briggs takes over with a general discussion of method, research, design, and painting (lasting 67 pages), and then provides seventeen case histories of actual assignments from beginning sketches to finished illustration to demonstrate his approach to illustration.

This copy is in a black Institute of Commercial Art binder rather than the brown Famous Artists Advanced Program binder.

Austin Briggs. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26602] $600

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1952. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 140pp, 2 color plates, 1 tipped-in color plate, over 300 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Austin Briggs's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. A 140-page course written and illustrated entirely by Briggs.

The 6-page introduction, Meet Austin Briggs, is by Henry Pitz. Briggs takes over with a general discussion of method, research, design, and painting (lasting 67 pages), and then provides seventeen case histories of actual assignments from beginning sketches to finished illustration to demonstrate his approach to illustration.

Stevan Dohanos. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN22438] $225

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1950. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 86pp, 1 color and 144 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing, but none are broken; the one-page assignment sheet is included; binder hinges are tight). An excellent copy!

Dohanos contributed numerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post and whose precise realist paintings and attention to detail contributed to the development of the Photorealism movement. This copy is from the library of painter/illustrator John Joseph Eppensteiner (1893 - 1984) with his name imprinted in gold on the binder.

Stevan Dohanos. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26603] $225

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1950. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 86pp, 1 color and 144 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Stevan Dohanos' contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course written and illustrated by this illustrator who contributed numerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post and whose precise realist paintings and attention to detail contributed to the development of the Photorealism movement.

Meet Steve Dohanos, a 9-page profile of the artist written by Alden Hatch opens the book. Dohanos takes over with "My Attitude Toward Commercial Art"; "My Place in the Commercial Art World of Today"; "A Point of View"; "Consider the Common Object"; "Evolution of a Magazine Cover"; "Versatility"; "Evolution of a Story Illustration"; and more.

Stevan Dohanos. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN24890] $150

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1950. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 86pp, 1 color and 144 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a VG binder (pages are clean and tight with mild age darkening around the edges; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing, but none are broken; the one-page assignment sheet is missing - a photocopy is included; bumps to the lower corners of the binder; hinges are tight; covers clean).

Part of the Famous Artists Advanced Program. "America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making." An entire course written and illustrated by Dohanos who contributed numerous covers for The Saturday Evening Post and whose precise realist paintings and attention to detail contributed to the development of the Photorealism movement.

Meet Steve Dohanos, a 9-page profile of the artist written by Alden Hatch opens the book. Dohanos takes over with "My Attitude Toward Commercial Art"; "My Place in the Commercial Art World of Today"; "A Point of View"; "Consider the Common Object"; "Evolution of a Magazine Cover"; "Versatility"; "Evolution of a Story Illustration"; and more.

Stevan Dohanos. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN21653] $100

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1950. Folio (13" or taller), 86pp, 1 color and 144 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. Good (binder edges rubbed & worn, pages show mild ring hole and edge wear, many pages show a water stain at the bottom corner).

Famous Artist Ben Stahl's copy with his name imprinted in gold on the binder.

Robert Fawcett. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26601] $850

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 174pp, 306 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Robert Fawcett's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course (10 lessons in 160 pages) written & illustrated entirely by Fawcett, one of the most innovative and admired illustrators of the twentieth century.

Fawcett describes his method and approach in depth. Lessons cover the following topics: germination of the idea; the finished sketch; three are devoted to the "finished" drawing; "The Alamo," a case study; line drawing; two cover advertising illustration; opaque media; the motivating idea; the serial.

Robert Fawcett. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN24912] $700

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 174pp, 306 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. VG+ in VG+ binder (overall pages are very clean & bright, only a handful have any ring hole stress and only five pages have a ring hole tear to the edge, the 3 fold-out pages and the one-page assignment sheet are missing - facsimiles are included, the binder has mild wear).

Part of the Famous Artists Advanced Program. "America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures. ...we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making" An entire course (10 lessons, 160 pages) written & illustrated by Fawcett, one of the most innovative and admired illustrators of the twentieth century.

This copy is missing the original color foldout plates (two) and the fold-out transparent page.

Peter Helck. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26595] $450

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 136pp, 2 color fold-out plates and over 400 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

Peter Helck (1893-1988) studied art at the Art Students League in Manhattan and later studied in England with muralist Frank Brangwyn. He was "for more than thirty years, the acknowledged leader in the pictorial interpretation of American industry and agriculture." In the mid-forties, he began painting early automobile races and a monograph of these paintings was published in 1975.

This volume is Peter Helck's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course (7 lessons in 136 pages) written & illustrated by Helck.

Lessons: composition; dramatic composition; research; methods and tools; color; from sketch to finished painting; an industrial painting from start to finish.

Fred Ludekens. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26596] $350

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1951. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 98pp + fold-out transparent page, 306 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; all pages including the assignment sheets are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

\This volume is Fred Ludekens' contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. A 98-page course written and illustrated entirely by this illustrator (1900-1982) who lived in California most of his life and specialized in Western & Southwestern scenes & subjects. He assisted Albert Dorne in creating the original Famous Artists basic course in 1948, hence his late addition to the Advanced Program (Dorne never completed his advanced volume before closing down the program).

Lessons include: my approach to pictures; research; preliminary work; drawing procedure; making an advertising picture; making an illustration picture; pictures I like and why; black and white; the dramatic picture; etc.

Al Parker. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN24889] $600

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 192pp, 4 color and over 500 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. VG+ in a VG+ binder (a previous owner has stamped his name on the margins of several pages (unobtrusive) otherwise pages are generally clean with only minor wear to the edges; about 25 pages have torn ring holes; about 15 more pages have ring hole reinforcements neatly applied; the one-page assignment sheet is included; six pages (three sheets) are missing - copies of these pages are included; binder has mild wear).

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Al Parker's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course (11 lessons in 192 pages) written and illustrated entirely by Parker, one of the most innovative and admired illustrators of the twentieth century.

"What you will get out of this course: I will do all I can with words and pictures in my course to assist you to become an illustrator. I have tried to keep my course informal, just as though you had dropped into my studio to talk of this business of illustrating. First of all, there are no short cuts, there never were any and there never will be any. However, I can ease the way for you, which is more assistance than I had when I started. In other words, there will be less trial and error if you follow my instructions.

"I can give you the kind of thinking that precedes my painting of a picture. You get step-by-step procedures. I use a variety of procedures myself and I will give you as many of them as I feel are needed. You'll get a thorough idea of how my job goes from manuscript to mat. This information should make you think for yourself and evolve your own methods....You'll have all the information I could ever give you on how to be an illustrator."

Al Parker. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26600] $850

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 192pp, 4 color and over 500 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Al Parker's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course (11 lessons in 192 pages) written and illustrated entirely by Parker, one of the most innovative and admired illustrators of the twentieth century.

"What you will get out of this course: I will do all I can with words and pictures in my course to assist you to become an illustrator. I have tried to keep my course informal, just as though you had dropped into my studio to talk of this business of illustrating. First of all, there are no short cuts, there never were any and there never will be any. However, I can ease the way for you, which is more assistance than I had when I started. In other words, there will be less trial and error if you follow my instructions.

"I can give you the kind of thinking that precedes my painting of a picture. You get step-by-step procedures. I use a variety of procedures myself and I will give you as many of them as I feel are needed. You'll get a thorough idea of how my job goes from manuscript to mat. This information should make you think for yourself and evolve your own methods....You'll have all the information I could ever give you on how to be an illustrator."

Al Parker. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED COURSE) (FACSIMILE). [SN12961] $225

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 192pp, 4 color and over 500 b&w illustrations, hardcover cloth. Fine. One of the Famous Artists Advanced Courses.

An entire course (11 lessons, 192 pages) written & illustrated by Parker. The item being offered here is a high quality laser copy custom bound in hardcovers. Some of the illustrations are a bit dark.

Ben Stahl. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26597] $225

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 140pp, 4 color and over 500 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (only the first page is slightly distressed [small scrape, slightly darkened, two corners creased] otherwise clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; all pages including the six assignment sheets are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Ben Stahl's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire 140-page course written and illustrated entirely by Stahl who was an early talent and moved easily between fine and commercial art, illustrating 750 Saturday Evening Post stories.

Divided into three broad lessons: "Turning words into pictures," "Composing the picture," and "Painting the picture," plus a supplementary lesson: "Painting in casein."

Jon Whitcomb. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN24888] $600

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 142pp, 1 double-page color and over 400 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; the one-page assignment sheet is missing - a photocopy is included; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

One of the Famous Artists Advanced Courses. An entire course (9 lessons, 142 pages) written & illustrated entirely by Whitcomb. Whitcomb was best known for his glamorous covers and illustrations and his idealized renderings of men & women. He was also co-founder of the influential Cooper Studio in New York. This course is the only instance Whitcomb put in print his philosophy and approach to illustration. Meet Jon Whitcomb, a 10-page profile of the artist written by Alden Hatch opens the book.

Whitcomb takes over with Working Procedure; The Face; Men & Women; Fashion; Love Scenes; Photography; Techniques; Story Illustration; Color and Covers; with case studies ending most lessons. This copy is from the library of Famous Artists School faculty member (and later Director of the School) Edwin Eberman with his name imprinted in gold on the binder. (As with all our copies of the Famous Artists Courses, we have verified the contents and completeness of this volume.)

Jon Whitcomb. HOW I MAKE A PICTURE (FAMOUS ARTISTS ADVANCED PROGRAM). [SN26598] $600

Westport, CT: Institute of Commercial Art, 1949. 1st. Folio (13" or taller), 142pp, 1 double-page color and over 400 b&w illustrations, printed custom binder. NF in a NF binder (clean, tight, and sharp; some ring holes show mild wear/stressing; all pages including the one-page assignment sheet are present; the binder is also tight and sharp). An excellent copy!

"America's most famous artists have spent a lot of their time, thought and energy in putting down for you in words and pictures all the ideas and methods they use in making pictures....we are confident you will find it fully expresses the man and his work, and is designed so you can readily understand his way of thinking about picture-making."

The Famous Artists School's Advanced Program which started in 1948 consisted of ten separate volumes/binders each written and illustrated by a different faculty member (John Atherton, Austin Briggs, Stevan Dohanos, Robert Fawcett, Peter Helck, Fred Ludekens, Al Parker, Ben Stahl, Harold Von Schmidt, Jon Whitcomb). It only lasted for a few years before school president Albert Dorne cancelled the program due to low enrollment and had all the material incinerated (according to an instructor at the school at the time) resulting in the scarcity of the remaining volumes.

This volume is Jon Whitcomb's contribution to the Famous Artists School's Advanced Program. An entire course (9 lessons in 142 pages) written & illustrated entirely by Whitcomb. Whitcomb was best known for his glamorous covers and illustrations and his idealized renderings of men & women. He was also co-founder of the influential Cooper Studio in New York. This course is the only instance Whitcomb put in print his philosophy and approach to illustration.

Meet Jon Whitcomb, a 10-page profile of the artist written by Alden Hatch opens the book. Whitcomb takes over with Working Procedure; The Face; Men & Women; Fashion; Love Scenes; Photography; Techniques; Story Illustration; Color and Covers; with case studies ending most lessons. (As with all our copies of the Famous Artists Courses, we have verified the contents and completeness of this volume.)