For those of you who don’t know his work, Tom Lovell illustrated for the pulps and all the top magazines, and he did some legendary illustrations for National Geographic before he headed out west to paint western subjects.
He wrote back with helpful tips that I’d like to share with you over the next few days.
Color
“A good general rule is that color obtains in the light. Areas lose richness as they move into shadow. Restated: shadows tend toward the complement.-------
Look for movement in color—warm to cool, light to dark. It is all around us: sky, earth, grass, walls, etc. Areas will go back in space if slight amounts of complement are added.
Use of heavy reds tend to flatten out the illusion of depth.”
Above: "Rendezvous with a Traitor", illustration from Colliers, oil, 21 x 16 inches. From Leif Peng’s Lovell tearsheet collection.
Previously on GJ: Color Obtains in the Light.
Tomorrow: Lovell on Flesh Tones and Design
