Arthur Rackham
Arthur Rackham was an English illustrator who lived from 1867 to 1939. He was one of the artists who was extremely popular during the ‘Golden Age of Illustration.’ Fantasy and fairy tale illustrations were very much in style during the early 20th century, only declining in demand with the onset of the World War.
A prolific artist even from an early age, there are stories of Rackham as a child sneaking pencils into bed to draw on his pillow. At the age of 18, he had his first illustration published and at 25 he quit his job as a clerk to pursue art full-time.
Rackham’s technique was simple, but effective. He first sketched out his illustration in pencil, slowly filling in the details, then he inked everything in, erased the pencil markings, and added layers of watercolor washes until he got the depth of the color he was looking for. Rackham married Edyth Starkie, a fellow artist, who was his most severe critic, and he trusted her opinion above all others. In 1939, he died at 71 years of age from cancer. His works were influential on both C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien and are still extremely popular today.
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