History & Practice Session 9: Mid-Century American Illustration

Bob Peak

​illustrations by Bob Peak  

​An American commercial illustrator, Bob Peak eventually came to be known as 'the father of the modern movie poster'. He earned this title through his famous poster work in the mid 90s - gaining a reputation after being hired to illustrate a poster for 'West Side Story', he went on to be hired as the illustrator for many other famous posters. He also illustrated for advertisements, alongside producing his own original illustrations.

Though some of his illustrations lapse into more cartoon-like territory, Peak's work is mainly defined by a realistic style featuring unnaturally bright, often neon colours. Take his poster for the film 'My Lady Fair' - the entire background is a very "out there" shade of hot pink. Such an unmissable colour would catch the viewer's eye even from a distance. In contrast, the central illustration is done mostly in stark blacks and whites; only the figures of the main characters are lined and shaded boldly, highlighting their importance as protagonists. The eye then moves progressively to smaller detailed scenes around the focal point; these are coloured in an orange so similar to the pink that they appear undefined from afar. This is a clever trick to draw the viewer closer, making them pay more attention to the poster to quench their curiosity.

Overall, the eye-catching combination of bright colours and stark contrasts is extremely effective for advertisement - whether it be a new clothing range or an upcoming film, his work was sure to draw the attention of the public to the product at hand. This ultimately lead to his famed reputation and his rise to success in commercial illustration.

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Bernie Fuchs

​illustrations by Bernie Fuchs

​Another notable mid-90s American illustrator was Bernie Fuchs. As a trumpet player, Fuchs' initial ambition was to be a musician. However, after losing three fingers in an industrial accident, he turned his attention to art despite having no experience. After graduating from university, he began his career illustrating car advertisements - word of his talent spread fast and soon he was a much sought-after illustrator, going on to work in magazines and portraiture.

Fuchs had somewhat of a fascination with mundane scenes - the everyday man and his everyday activities. In theory, these should be boring concepts for an illustration. But Fuchs had a gift for making the mundane extraordinarily eye-catching. His paintings lacked bold lining, instead using stark colour contrasts to define people and objects. He had a tendency to use warm tones, but would tailor his colour schemes to the subject of the painting (note the pale clinical colours of the hospital illustration against the warmth of the café scene).

However, the defining quality of Fuchs' style is the bizarre angles he chooses to illustrate from. His odd use of perspective hints at abstraction. By showing everyday life from rarely-used angles, he creates art from the ordinary - turning familiar scenes into new ones, if you will. This draws the viewer's attention despite the lack of action in his scenes.

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Practical Task