Monday, July 1, 2013

Busch Spot Illustrations



Wilhelm M. Busch captures a specific mood or situation with an economy of lines in these charming small size drawings. They were published in the 1960 German book "Zuweilen Lohnt es sich zu Weilen" (It pays to stop and smell the roses… very loosely translated). 
The printing size for each illustration is no larger than 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. I wonder what the actual drawing size was. 
The text is a collection of phrases comprising simple words of wisdom.

As usual I love the way characters relate to one another. Solid compositions and believable perspective, drawn in a style where every line counts. A joy to look at!








This is a phenomenal sketch. Three characters, three different attitudes. Evidently the boy has done something that troubles his parents. Look at the guilt in the kid's body pose. From his lowered head to the pouty lips...perfection. The mother seems to be trying to find out what really happened. I love her facial angle, and the stretched arm reaching for the boy signals some sympathy.
Father is pacing up and down in the back, he is probably contemplating what punishment his son might receive. You couldn't draw and stage this type of situation any better.









7 comments:

  1. Pure genius. I love these kind of simple, clear drawing style, where all poses and expressions are so unbelievable well readable. Maybe just why i love animation. From these drawings came mind master of the same kind of clear and simple awesomes paintings, Rene Gruau, which works i admire.

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  2. Dear mr Deja,
    A while ago, I commented on one of your posts to ask you which pencil you prefer to draw with, because I want to be an animator. In two years, I'll be finished with high school and I really have to make a choice which profession I want to be (and so, which school/college/university I want to attend)
    It's a very hard choice for me, because I live in Holland, and my family as well. But if I want to make it to the real film animation world, I will have to leave home and probably go to the States. Seems like a great adventure and I'm willing to do that, but some people said to me that there are no real jobs to find in the animation branch. (as in: it doesn't pay that well and you'll never make it) I don't really care if I make a lot of money, if I have a job that is my hobby I would be happy. Even if I would make little money.
    My question to you is: is there a chance that when I attend a school for animation here in Holland and after that I go to America, that I could get a job in animation? I have to know, because I don't want to leave my homeland if I won't even be able get a job there (pretty sure you can easily connect with this situation, since you moved too)
    Thank you in advance :) you inspire me very much and you're my favorite animator!
    Greetings from Lola

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  3. Really fabulous little drawings - Thanks !

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  4. Amazed that so few lines can capture human actions and emotions this effortlessly. :D

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  5. Just started reading great book, "Creative Illustration" by Andrew Loomis. He talks about line so inspiring.

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  6. Absolutely breathe taking. This man sure understood how to tell a story in one drawing. I read that Busch always created from imagination through a lot of observations. You wouldn't happen to know if any of these are studies directly from life, would you?

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  7. I am almost certain that all of these illustrations came from his imagination. He had done so much life drawing and knew the human body enough to create his own storytelling compositions.

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