Dudley Hardy (English, 1867-1922) was a cartoonist and illustrator who specialized in art for humorous postcards and posters.
He also kept a sketchbook to capture poses from and types around him in England and France. His sketches were quick expressions of gesture and personality.
An 1893 article in Studio Magazine admired the simplicity of his sketches, "There is great interest in such rough humour chiefly founded upon suggestion of notes or sketches. Indeed, were I the editor of a weekly illustrated paper I would rather use them than carefully finished drawings; but, of course, I should be foolish, since in Art matters the British public insists upon having the t's crossed, the i's dotted, and demands exact punctuation and proper capital letters—otherwise it seems unable to read. How can it be otherwise when the phrase about genius and taking pains is commonly supposed to be a justification for elaborate over-finish?
----
That's because I believe attitude and gesture are the main carriers of emotional connection to a figure, and not necessarily anatomical accuracy. I recall reading Alex Toth saying something similar regarding comics: "if I had to make a choice between anatomical accuracy and attitude, I'd take attitude; the body reflects thoughts and emotions--a mass of muscle doesn't". The fact that caricature exaggerates this effect can make it all the more powerful.
ReplyDelete