Classic WSJ Art, part 6

( To view the initial Post in this series, please click on https://cyan-sunfish-e2wr.squarespace.com/config/pages/620a981b1f3c5f26f4888ee8 )

The next in my series. Let’s dive in!

WSJ Hedcut

Portrayed above, the photographer Andre Kertesz, in the standard ½-column format. Note my signature in the shadows of the shirt-collar.

“Lizard”

Here is a full-column illustration of a Lizard Trainer. This looks like a page-one image. Notice the parallel wavy lines. I was inspired to adopt a technique I admired in the pages of the New York Times used by the illustrator Elliott Banfield. It involved making a custom template to guide my pen with the help of a T-square and Adjustable Triangle. The Journal often ran human interest stories about people doing fascinating things. Also, there were always animals that appeared in the paper…

Seal

I know this was destined for the ‘A-Head’ column, as it noted under this image of a Seal. The A-Head was the 4th column of the 6-column paper, named for the graphic device that adorned only that column, and resembled the letter “A”. I guess I liked the way this turned out, as I signed it. See my name on the plank, bottom right.

Satellite Banking

Sometime in the mid-Eighties, The Wall Street Journal made a major shift by adding an entire section to the previously One-Section newspaper. In House, it was called ‘The Second Front’… aka Section 2. It meant a lot more space to fill, as with this 2-column drawing. The expanded paper meant an increase in the size and frequency of illustrations. At the time, banks were starting to rely on satellites to receive and send funds. Hence the image above.

The Journal was nothing if not literary. Here’s one to prove it:

WSJ Hedcut

The Bard himself landed in the pages of the WSJ. Here is an early hedcut of mine, William Shakespeare.

FYI, I am still creating portraits to this day for various corporate bodies and individuals alike. The hedcut-style portraits have proved very popular, helping me to prosper as a freelance illustrator. If you, Dear Reader, have an interest, you may contact me at kevin@sprouls.com

That’s it for this time. More to come!