A lavishly illustrated and beautifully designed book that celebrates the work of the great fashion illustrators from late-19th century to the present day. The book covers the work of fashion illustrators, such as Rene Gruau and Antonio Lopez, fine artists such as Boldini and Warhol, and graphic designers such as Tony Viramontes and Bob Peak.
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About the Author
Over the last decade, David Downton has gained a reputation as one of the world's leading fashion artists. His classically elegant, yet highly contemporary images have been a strong factor in the resurgence of interest in fashion illustration.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, Vibrant, and Fun: A Must-Have Retrospective of Fashion Illustration
January 5, 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Masters of Fashion Illustration is not a book I was looking for; it found me, by way of a "you might like" email from Amazon. Normally such an email gets dispatched to the trash in no short order. But I'm delighted--absolutely delighted--that I happened to see this suggestion, took a chance, and bought it.
The book encompasses a 100-year arc in fashion illustration, from one turn-of-the-century to another (the 1900's to the early 2000's). In addition to the plentiful full-color illustrations, each chapter contains introductory--yet substantial--text that situates the movement and/or the particular artist within the context of the time. There are five major sections: The Age of Opulence; An Emergine Line (which are illustrations from the 1930's); The New Graphisme (1940's and 1950's); From the Salon to the Street (1960's through 1980's); and a section on author David Downton's work, spanning from the late 1990's through 2009. As for the actual illustrations, gorgeous watercolors and pen-and-ink washes abound. Gouache is also a popular medium for the illustrations selected, but oil pastel, acrylic, charcoal, marker, and even collage are also represented. The illustrations are most often in full-page or half-page format; occasionally they will actually take up a 2-page spread. Very rarely are the illustrations less than 1/4 page.
It's a nice size book--the 8-1/2" x 11" size is reminiscent of an artist's notebook, which suits the subject. The production values are very high, with lovely thick paper that is nice to the touch. The illustrations appear to have an eggshell finish and the colors--from the most subtle pastels to super-saturated brights--are all beautifully reproduced.
Downton's passion for both illustration and fashion serves him well as the author of this book. Perhaps shamefully, I admit I had my doubts when I saw that the author was an illustrator. Downton's writing, however, is smooth and readable; he is knowledgeable and thorough without being academic or a bore.
Previous fashion illustration books I've bought have all been how-to; this one, alas, doesn't provide step-by-step instruction, nor does it pretend to. What it does provide is inspiration and plenty of eye candy. And for the alert student, there is an education to be had here; these masters show us how it's done.
The book encompasses a 100-year arc in fashion illustration, from one turn-of-the-century to another (the 1900's to the early 2000's). In addition to the plentiful full-color illustrations, each chapter contains introductory--yet substantial--text that situates the movement and/or the particular artist within the context of the time. There are five major sections: The Age of Opulence; An Emergine Line (which are illustrations from the 1930's); The New Graphisme (1940's and 1950's); From the Salon to the Street (1960's through 1980's); and a section on author David Downton's work, spanning from the late 1990's through 2009. As for the actual illustrations, gorgeous watercolors and pen-and-ink washes abound. Gouache is also a popular medium for the illustrations selected, but oil pastel, acrylic, charcoal, marker, and even collage are also represented. The illustrations are most often in full-page or half-page format; occasionally they will actually take up a 2-page spread. Very rarely are the illustrations less than 1/4 page.
It's a nice size book--the 8-1/2" x 11" size is reminiscent of an artist's notebook, which suits the subject. The production values are very high, with lovely thick paper that is nice to the touch. The illustrations appear to have an eggshell finish and the colors--from the most subtle pastels to super-saturated brights--are all beautifully reproduced.
Downton's passion for both illustration and fashion serves him well as the author of this book. Perhaps shamefully, I admit I had my doubts when I saw that the author was an illustrator. Downton's writing, however, is smooth and readable; he is knowledgeable and thorough without being academic or a bore.
Previous fashion illustration books I've bought have all been how-to; this one, alas, doesn't provide step-by-step instruction, nor does it pretend to. What it does provide is inspiration and plenty of eye candy. And for the alert student, there is an education to be had here; these masters show us how it's done.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Beautifully produced and executed book on a now (sadly) lost art form. The days of most of the great fashion illustrators died back in the mid-eighties. Killed by changes in technology and the market. If you'd like to see what stylish and elegance fashion illustration used to be, this is the best place to start looking.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By nudeart
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
the easy line & form of apparent illustration...I'm glad David gave us his own style as an addendum...inspiration for all figurative artists
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masters of Fashion Illustration
This book is FABULOUS!! It's in a whole other category. Downton's own illustrations are a joy to look at and the others included are wonderful as well. Read more
Published 2 months ago by P. Kelsch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Made her eyes light up!
Hey Amazon,
These were actually a gift for my sister, I saw her putting them into my father's Amazon account as a way of dropping hints as to what she wants for... Read more
These were actually a gift for my sister, I saw her putting them into my father's Amazon account as a way of dropping hints as to what she wants for... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Jonathan Ford
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and inspiring
Beautiful and gorgeous, inspiring for any would be fashion or standard illustrators. I don't know if fashion illustration really exists as a field anymore (ok let's face it, it... Read more
Published 4 months ago by mochaLite
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVE
I was incredibly excited for this book. It definitely is worth every penny/cent. I use it a lot for inspiration. I cannot wait for a new David Downton book to come out. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Delia M. Howe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Masters of Fashion Illustration
An excellent review of the best (in the author's opinion and mine) practicioners of a nearly extinct profession. Read more
Published 8 months ago by JohnB
1.0 out of 5 stars
less than 20 pictures from David Downton!
This book only has a small chapter at the end, with less than 20 pictures from David Downton, so If you thought it was an entire book dedicated to him, you are WRONG, and there are... Read more
Published 21 months ago by R. Colon
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