Large Shapes In Illustration And Graphic Design

Below is a motley collection of illustrations but I feel they share something in common: They seem to have started from an assemblage of large shapes of colour. On top of those shapes, some are rendered and shaded while others aren’t.

The peak example of what I’m talking about is the illustration below.

KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
Winter Evening, Julie de Graag, 1919
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
KÔ & KÔ (1933), Vieira da Silva (illustrator), Pierre Gueguen (author)
LES MÉTAMORPHOSES D’ALADIN OU COMMENT IL FUT PASSÉ AU CAVIAR (1912,2006) Lucien Laforge and Jean-Jean-François Martin
Olya Gaidamaka
Kutsu Kutsu Aruke
Kleine Ezel Little Donkey 2001
Dick Bruna (1927-2017) from his children’s book The Circus (1963)
Dick Bruna (1927-2017) from his children’s book The Circus (1963)
Dick Bruna (1927-2017) from his children’s book The Circus (1963)
Dick Bruna (1927-2017) from his children’s book The Circus (1963)
From Sleepy Book, 1958. Illustration by Vladimir Bobri, born in Kharkiv, Ukraine
1920s Harper’s Bazaar cover artwork by Erté
かげ (Shadow) 篠原勝之 1976
かげ (Shadow) 篠原勝之 1976 back cover
Lisbeth Zwerger – Dwarf Nose
Woman’s World Magazine Mar 1921
Arthur Grover Rider, American (1886-1975) Spanish Fisherman not dated
Max Kurzweil (Austrian, 1867-1916) Woman in a Yellow Dress, 1899

Another illustrator who reminds me of LIsbeth Zwerger: Olya Gaidamaka, in which large, tomoe, teardrop shapes dominate in composition.

Olya Gaidamaka
Olya Gaidamaka
Olya Gaidamaka
De roze jurk 2008
Kleine Ezel Little Donkey 2001
おとうさんのえほん 1994 Dad’s Picture Book
みどりのようせい 1968
かぼちゃにしたら 竹内通雅
いたらいいのにな 古川タク 1985
Polish illustrator  Zdzisław Witwicki, (1921-2019) cover
Polish illustrator Zdzisław Witwicki, (1921-2019)
HOLČIČKA A DÉŠT (1974) Jan Kudláček
HOLČIČKA A DÉŠT (1974) Jan Kudláček
Raoul Chareun (Cagliari, 1889 – Milan, 1949) The pastoralism, L'Agricoltura Italiana illustrata, Milan, 1918 crop circle
Raoul Chareun (Cagliari, 1889 – Milan, 1949) The pastoralism, L’Agricoltura Italiana illustrata, Milan, 1918 crop circle
HERZAUGE (1937) Hap Grieshaber
HERZAUGE (1937) Hap Grieshaber
MITKEY ASTROMOUSE (1971) Heinz Edelmann
MITKEY ASTROMOUSE (1971) Heinz Edelmann
MITKEY ASTROMOUSE (1971) Heinz Edelmann
MITKEY ASTROMOUSE (1971) Heinz Edelmann
Back cover of an issue of Kodomo no tenchi magazine, 1934 children drawing
Back cover of an issue of Kodomo no tenchi magazine, 1934 children drawing
THE BOY WHO HAD WINGS (1974) Helga Aichinger
F. MASSE (1976) Francis Masse
FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS (1937) Robert Lawson they hopped away to strawberry hill
FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS (1937) Robert Lawson they hopped away to strawberry hill
FEODORA (1947) Jan Goeting
FEODORA (1947) Jan Goeting
FEODORA (1947) Jan Goeting
FEODORA (1947) Jan Goeting
FEODORA (1947) Jan Goeting
HERZAUGE (1937) Hap Grieshaber
HERZAUGE (1937) Hap Grieshaber
HERZAUGE (1937) Hap Grieshaber
Jean Helion Untitled 1943
Jean Helion Untitled 1943
The words seemed to shimmer away from her, Illustration in 'English Woman' 12 July 1958. Artist not found
The words seemed to shimmer away from her, Illustration in ‘English Woman’ 12 July 1958. Artist not found
Cover by Marcello Dudovich, 1908 A good example of four colour illustration
Cover by Marcello Dudovich, 1908 A good example of four colour illustration
NICOLE ET L’ASCENSEUR (1971) Bernadette Després cover
アナンシと6ぴきのむすこ 1980
太陽へとぶ矢 2000
Al Dempster for Alice In Wonderland Little Golden Book 1951
Al Dempster for Alice In Wonderland Little Golden Book 1951
Leonard Weisgard; 1916-2000 muffin
Illustration (1960) by Lev Tokmakov dog
Illustration (1960) by Lev Tokmakov dog
Mary Blair It's a Small World' concept painting (Walt Disney, 1964-66)
Mary Blair It’s a Small World’ concept painting (Walt Disney, 1964-66)
beavers from The World Amazing Animals (1957) Marie Neurath (1898-1986)
The American Puritans Their Prose and Poetry edited by Perry Miller, 1956, illustrated by Edward Gorey
The American Puritans Their Prose and Poetry edited by Perry Miller, 1956, illustrated by Edward Gorey
Antonio Lopez (1943 – 1987) 1967 advertisement illustration ‘We Dream Of Ice Cream’ for Elle magazine
Al Parker (1906 - 1985) Cosmopolitan Magazine Cover 1964
Al Parker (1906 – 1985) Cosmopolitan Magazine Cover 1964
Artwork  (1975) by John Luke Eastman
Artwork (1975) by John Luke Eastman
St. Mark's Square Venice Cover by Marcello Dudovich, 1907
St. Mark’s Square Venice Cover by Marcello Dudovich, 1907
Nicolas Sidjakov, illus. for A Lodestone and a Toadstone by Irene Elmer, 1969
Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky) Ukranian
Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky) Ukranian
Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky) Ukranian
Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky) Ukranian
Vladimir Bobri (Bobritsky) Ukranian
‘Arbiter’ The Modern Man’s Review – Cover by Paolo Garretto, 1951
LATEST AUDIOBOOK (short story for children)

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