Saturday, February 28, 2009

Milton Caniff's Studio

Creating a comic like Steve Canyon or Terry and the Pirates involves a lot of tasks besides drawing. Milton Caniff laid out his studio to have separate workspaces for different parts of his job. Click to enlarge the picture.



Under the large north window are two drawing tables (penciling and inking?), but also bookshelves, a model of an airplane and a jeep, filing cabinets, a typewriter, a globe, a writing desk, a barometer, a radio, four fluorescent task lights and a wood floor.

The Norman Rockwell Museum currently has an exhibition through May 25 featuring artists in their studios. The Rockwell exhibit includes photos of the ateliers of John S. Sargent, N.C. Wyeth, and William Merritt Chase (though I don't think they include Milton Caniff). For more info, link.

The photo of Caniff's studio courtesy of ASIFA, Hollywood Animation Archive, link.

8 comments:

Daroo said...

I have my studio divided into digital and analog sides -- though its not a very big space and so the demarcation line between the two sides keeps moving. Currently I have Cad red in my keyboard and my hog bristle filberts seem to be moving slower due to a spam problem.

The Ohio Historical Society has a small exhibit of Milton Caniff's work and some of his actual studio furniture:

www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/exhibits/

Jason Peck said...

Hey James,

I love that pic, I always wanted to model my studio after it. Im glad to see you posted it. One of these days Ive gotta go visit the Norman Rockwell Museum.

Best Jason
p.s. Spectrum 16 judging starts today.. :)

Dave H said...

That's a very nice studio.

I would venture a guess that the extra drawing table was for his assistants.

Erik Bongers said...

A dream studio indeed.
But then again...perhaps distractingly luxurious...

Jussi Tarvainen said...

Mr. Gurney,

Let's see the full spectrum of your studio?!
I know there's bits and pieces of it here...

Jeff Z said...

There's a great book out with pictures of many cartoonists and artists taken in their studios:

http://www.amazon.com/Artist-Within-Greg-Preston/dp/1593075618

The author came to one of our CAPS meetings to share it with us since so many CAPS members are in the book. It's really beautiful and well worth it.

Michael said...

Two drawing tables and two typewriters, perhaps old and new, it is always nice if you can have two so you don't have to shuffle things out of the way.......as often. The drawing table to our left has an adjacent taboret with inks. He is using what looks like a pencil at the other. That huge window could have helped prevent feeling overwhelmed with clutter though I suspect Caniff like most of us would have seen the organized network of it all.

Casey Klahn said...

How many Sundays I thrilled to Steve Canyon in that C-47 (or DC-9 ?) airplane or that Army Jeep!

Wonderful trip - I feel like I've been in the wayback machine...