Upon Cursed Books, Knights in Black and Immortality

 When I was a boy I was heavily enamored with Arthurian Legend. I was familiar with the various versions because there is no real single telling of Arthur until Thomas Mallory came on the scene and wrote Morte de Arthur. Mallory synthesized the multiple legends into one tale and has been interpreted on film many times. Most notably in John Boorman's Excalibur. 

The Black Knight's origins though have always been shadowy and vague. In some tales he is a villain and others a neutral character, often amoral. I stumbled across this on the Ancient Origins site.  

  "Black Knights began to appear in history during the Middle Ages. Since the 13th century, a series of legends mentioning the mysterious Black Knights emerged. Although the Black Knights were said to have carried out good deeds and fought to protect cities from unjust rulers and other threats, texts referring to these legends were censored and banned by the Church during the medieval period. Nevertheless, the story of the legendary black knight Ashor endured over the centuries."

The Black Knight Ashor was renown for his good deeds and well as his bad deeds. Ashor was also in a sense a gun for hire. He was known also for assassinating oppressive kings and tyrants.  This led his engagement by a King that wanted his rival killed. This rival King was known for his harsh treatment of his subjects and his cruelty. Ashor took the assignment on the condition that the claims of the rival King's cruelty were true, which he investigated himself and found valid. 

While in the castle of the cruel King, after he dispatched with the monarch, he found a priest held captive in the dungeons. Ashor was moved by the priest's story and aided his escape, but the priest was weak and hindered their escape resulting in Ashor being wounded. 

Knowing that they both could not escape, Ashor sent the priest off on his own. The priest gave him his blessing and as Ashor's wounds proved to be mortal he was visited by an angel and a demon, both wanting to claim his soul. The angel said that he had done enough good deeds to warrant heaven and the demon claimed he had done enough bad deeds to go to hell. 

This is where the tale gets interesting and opens an unknown mythology that I was never aware of:

"As the two entities were getting ready to clash over the human’s soul, a third entity appeared. At this time, the angel and the demon had stopped fighting as if they had been frozen. The third entity had no form.

In order to be visible, it had appeared as a figure in a black cloak. However, nothing could be seen coming out of the cloak: no hands, no feet, no face. This third entity was Il Separatio , the Anonymous one, the keeper of universal balance, the one who cannot be named."

Statue of Il Separatio, Prague 

The entity known as II Separatio was there at creation when God divided the light from the day. He is absolute in the sense of neutrality. Beyond good and evil. He told the angel and the demon  that Ashor's soul belonged to him because his good deeds and bad deeds were equal. Therefor neither the angel or demon could claim his soul. 

The angel and demon departed and II Separatio healed Ashor and made him immortal and explained to Ashor that he was beyond the system. That Ashor could go where he wanted, do what he wanted with the power of his mind. That no matter what he did, bad or good, others would do the opposite to maintain the balance.

Now here is where it gets even more interesting. The acknowledgement of II Spearatio was banned by the Church. Even his name was not to be spoken, so hence he earned the moniker...Anonymous. Text and books mentioning him were either burned or even had their pages poisoned leading to books that list him as being cursed. 

Much of this eradication of II Separatio was led by the Spanish Inquisition. 

"Out of the few books mentioning Il Separatio that have survived up to the present day, one can point to two main examples: “Compendium Augumentum” and “Codex Lugubrum”. (The Codex Lugubrum may also have been printed in Latin with the title: D. Hilarii Pictauorum episcopi Lucubrationes quotquot extant : olim per Des. Erasmum Roterod. haud mediocribus sudoribus emendate. )"

 What really struck a cord with me was how this saga has really been with us for quite sometime in film and media. I maybe jumping to a bit of conclusions here, but there are similarities with Ashor and Elric of Melnibone with his cursed blade Stormbringer that steals souls and his pact with Arioch, who in Moorcock's saga is the god of Chaos. 

Now follow me if you will to the Western genre. During the '50's and '60's Westerns were highly popular. There isn't much argument that Westerns romanticized and reintroduced Chivalry. Of course a lot of it was invented and much retelling of historical events were glamorized in the dime novels that were popular in the late 1880's. 

One of the most prime examples would be much later,  the Lone Ranger, a masked man that merited out justice in the Old West leaving behind a silver bullet and rode a giant white steed. He would be an example of the quintessential white knight. But later would come a solitary figure clad only in black that was a hired gun who was known as Paladin. Played on television by Richard Boone in the series "Have Gun, Will Travel."   

Paladin played by Richard Boone

But the best example in the genre of Ashor would be Clint Eastwood's "High Plains Drifter" and "Pale Rider". Both about a supernatural entity that rides mysteriously out of the ether and deals out vengeance and reckoning. 

Nor is the SciFi genre immune, after all Lucas' Star Wars and the Siths and the Jedis.

So maybe Ashor did achieve immortality in a sense. Appearing here and there in film and media. 

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Upon What is Happening With INK and other Misadventures.

 So what's going on with INK?

When I first began INK I really wanted to dedicate a lot of time to doing the comic. I still do, but unfortunately an artist has to live in a real world and lately the real world has been pretty unstable. Between Covid 19, economic struggles and living off social security, I have had to make a lot of sacrifices, some I was really never comfortable with. 

To add to this, I was dealing with a storyline I felt wasn't working and will have to redo the beginning of Chapter 3 and it wasn't an easy decision because of all the time I spent on the artwork, but I had to admit myself it hurt the flow. So I had to reassess what plot line I wanted to follow.

Then came part time jobs that demanded more from me and my time that I wanted to sacrifice for minimum wage. But I had to have ends meet and bills to pay. 

You see I am not making that much off my art. Just a passive income and it isn't enough to get by on as I originally hoped. I don't look at it as a failure though, but a setback. Sales dropped off from Amazon dramatically, mainly because I don't know the secrets of self promotion...and trust me there is no real secret. I have spent countless hours watching Youtube of successful people, of course they later want to sell you a course. I studied about SEO engines, hashtags, etc. and still never was able to get to the point where selling my work online got to where I could devote the rest of my time creating. To be honest, that's all an artist wants to do. I also had to take in account, no one really has the money to spend right now on things that are not essential. I hope that changes.

INK is not gone and I am still working on it. But I also have to do artwork that I feel will generate something. I have been avoiding taking commissions but that may change. So I have to balance things. I also have to pay bills. 

I know I am not alone in this. Not just artists, but a lot of people are hurting financially right now. I wish I was in the situation where money wasn't an issue and I could simply draw all day. I also have to admit having worked the majority of my life at 9-5 jobs that offered financial security and transitioning to something that is often fickle and actually demands more devotion is not easy for me. 

The arcane secret some have of becoming successful on print to sell platforms is a bit of a magical formula that works for some. I haven't discovered it yet, one of the reasons is the stubbornness in me to do art that appeals to me and not just becoming full fledged commercial. I mean after all who doesn't love art of puppies and butterflies? I am not knocking that, just never was me gig so to speak. I tired to fill a niche and perhaps that is my undoing. Who can really judge?

I just wanted a modest success. In retrospect maybe that is a good thing that I didn't achieve it yet, because maybe it is the way Providence is showing me that I either have to work harder or that I need to learn how to develop my skills as an artist more. 

Either way, I am not done. I get frustrated certainly. I also get humbled, a lot. 

There are so many avenues, Patreon, print on demand sites, blogs, instagram, etc. to get your art out there. There are also people who have mastered these platforms and built followings. I have tried them all, some with more success that others. In fact Facebook really has been the biggest draw for my work. I have basically let my Patreon account set idle from lack of support. 

But I also have to be honest, my work is obscure and odd and not mainstream. That's a price you pay sometimes for being an individual. In paying that price, I will have to make more sacrifices, like going back to work part time to make ends meet. But I am far from done. 

Recently I even checked on a local framing shop that is run by a local artist. We chatted for awhile about known artists in the area as well as local art organizations. In my home town, it is basically nonexistent. He did tell me that he and another artist that I know and is well known in the region, make their money off of shows and they travel a lot. I am not in that position financially. But I did realize the amount of sacrifice and time they put into where they got today. It should also be noted that the internet was not there to help them in the beginning. These were very old schooled artists. 

So in the end, I guess it really depends on how bad you want it. I am not looking for recognition, just to survive so I can continue to create. So in the end maybe I have achieved what I wanted and even though I am not making a living off it, it is just a sacrifice I have to make. Because between the two, I would rather create than be known. Maybe being obscure, that old guy that lives like a hermit who lives with cats (currently a cat) is not such a bad thing after all. 

And even though I don't make enough money to live off of it, I do make enough to keep me going.

Currently working in ballpoint on a fan homage of Sandman by Neil Gaiman, for no other reason but I love the character and wanted to get back into ballpoint.

Currently listening to Audible books on the works of H. P. Lovecraft narrated by Wayne June.

Reading "The Boy Who Drew Monsters" by Keith Donohue.

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Upon Growing Old, Creativity and Being Foolish

Most every morning I get woke up by Marlowe, my cat, who most know is the inspiration for INK. After appeasing him with his morning breakfast, I drive to a local park to do a morning walk. It is an old park that used to be where I rode motorcycles when I was a kid. Back before it was cultivated into a park with a nature trail, it was nothing more than boondocks where we ratted about on our cycles and bikes, jumping gullies and knolls.  

I suppose it is my morning spiritual communion. I get lost in nature and become not so important. After you leave the paved walkway and meander on small trails that break away into the overgrowth, you become more aware of how an ecosystem can become an entity.  Trees stand like silent sentinels filled with arcane, forgotten lore and stories, watch over you as you pass through. Some, covered with vines, honeysuckle and poison oak seem aware of your presence. The undergrowth is alive, teaming with insects as the process of decay begins its work turning fallen limbs and trees into fertile soil.  

Bird song fills the air while squirrels dance madly from limb to limb. The pond the trail encompasses is alive with an underwater world that hints at mysteries and breaks off into creeks that gave birth to small bridges. Nature has a way of reminding us just how small we are and how large its mystery is. 

I will be turning sixty-five in December. I already feel it. I am an old cat now. Gravity is not as friendly as it used to be and sometimes it makes me feel like I am heavier. Reflexes slow, knees do not seem to be resilient. Your feet tend to plod, and the nimbleness of youth seems to wane. You realize age is diminishing you in a world that celebrates youth.  

Recently it was reported that one third of people over sixty live alone and over fifty percent over eighty are solo dwellers in our society. Soon the number of older people in this country will increase. I am curious on how this will change the landscape.  

In the past year since Covid broke out among the populace I have been reading books on aging and listening to podcasts on living alone. I am also a sucker for audio books that I listen to as I either draw or work on a project. Thomas Moore, a psychotherapist who wrote “Dark Night of the Soul” (not to be confused with Thomas Moore who wrote the poem “Dark Night of the Soul) also wrote a book entitled “Ageless Soul” dealing with growing older.  

I would be lying if I did not say I was afraid of growing older. But I have learned to channel this fear into creativity. It is the nature of things. You are not always going to get what you want out of life and sometimes you will not always get what you deserve. For me, creativity keeps me alive. This does not mean creativity makes me sane though, in fact, it may lead to me being foolish and even more eccentric. I can always use the excuse I am becoming senile. 

Which leads me to a talk the actor, writer Ethan Hawk gave on Ted Talks.   

 

I do not think old age is what you make it, I believe it is more about how you deal with it. It can become a personal Renaissance, or it could devolve into a bleak waiting room waiting for Death to show up and tell you it is time to clock out.  

Me, if Death shows up, I hope it is Neil Gaiman’s incarnation of Morpheus’ sister and I ask her before we go to come up to my room and look at my sketches. Maybe I will get lucky. 

NOTE: INK now has his own collection on Zazzle. 

Barry Windsor Smith's "Monsters" A Review

 

Three days ago, I received Barry Windsor Smith’s “Monsters” on my front porch from Amazon.  It has taken me that long to finish reading it. Here is my review.

 

I suspect that many of us was hoping that Barry Windsor Smith’s final entry into comics would be something akin to either heroic fantasy due to the crux of his work being primarily either Greek Mythology, Howard’s Conan or something ethereal like “The Beguiled.”  Many of us, like myself, who followed his early days on Robert E. Howard’s Conan and later when he teamed with Bernie Wrightson, Catherine Jeffry Jones and Michael Wm Kaluta and formed the Studio saw Barry’s work as a rekindling of the works of the pre-Raphaelites.  But that would ignore his later works in comics such as “Weapon X” or the Iron Man story where Tony Stark dealt with his alcoholism. Both written and drawn by Barry.

Later would come the short lived “Storyteller” series and then his work on Valiant comics. After which Barry seemed to go into seclusion leaving his devotees wondering what project he was working on. Some of us expecting perhaps a series of prints and posters such as what he created during Gorblimey Press would suddenly start trickling out.

But leave it to Barry to do something not only unexpected, but also, and I don’t say this lightly and even though it may sound trite, profound.

“Monsters” may have not been what we secretly craved, it’s better than what we could have hoped for.

The book weighs in at 365 pages. As I stated earlier it took me three days to read it. You don’t read this like you would a regular graphic novel, you read this like a book. It is dialogue driven. And that is the mastery of it.

Never once did I get bored, but I had to set it down and walk away from it just to digest what I had just read. It’s scripted so well, so human, that it plays with deep emotions. Amazingly the art and the dialogue accent one another is such a way that Barry’s style of graphic narrative flows seamlessly in a such a manner that the characters become the focal point. This is old school black and white comics at its best. The cross hatching, use of shadows, expressions and even environments riddled in detail don’t distract, it accentuates the narrative. Art and story don’t compete, they flow. That’s how much of a master of the medium Barry Windsor Smith is. Something he really doesn’t get enough credit for is his writing skill because his art has always been the first thing that comes to peoples’ minds.  “Monsters” is Barry at the top of his game. It is not only a mature work, it is something that many will re-read just to see exactly how all the threads came together. 

 

Even the excerpts from the journal  so humanly done, words scratched out due to either the author regathering their thoughts or misspelled a word. Entries accompanied by artwork rendered beautifully of the environment the entry was written it adds the personal touch of its author.

 

Then there is the story itself. About Bobby Bailey, a victim, about those seeking redemption through attrition and the subtilty of the synchronicity of fate. It’s a story of abuse that hits on an emotional chord deep within all of us. The outcome of those who neglect and cast off the broken and how those responsible for abandonment make amends. As I stated earlier, at times I had to put it down, shake it off, then pick it up again.

The story shifts in time like memories. Bobby goes to join the military, like his father. He shows up a homeless vagabond hoping for refuge in the service but being maimed in one eye makes recruitment doubtful. Instead he is chosen for a secret project, Prometheus. A project that requires a subject that no one would miss and come looking for. The Prometheus Project transforms Bobby into a misshapen abomination through the science of Nazi engineering. As characters' memories and backstories are explored we go back decades to the fall of Germany during WWII.   

 

For decades the industry seemed to find Barry Windsor Smith difficult to work with, he was often labeled a rouge, too independent or wanted too much control. He just never seemed to be “one of the boys”.  He never gave frequent interviews, but when he did, he made it known that he had issues with the industry, so both the industry and himself seemed to have a falling out. Though he inspired many, even Jim Lee, Barry was a legend to many that grew up reading comics in the seventies. But he never really sought the attention of mainstream in comics in his later years. A lot of comic fans today don’t even seem to know that the origin of “Weapon X”, the story of Wolverine, is all his. A story he did on his own then took to Marvel by the way.

Weapon X

But what “Monsters” reveals about Barry Windsor Smith is more than he is an amazing craftsman of drawing and storytelling skills, it reveals who Barry is. A sensitive soul who understands what it is to be human, someone who himself has known deep personal pain and transmutes it into art. This alone negates any opinion of an industry who didn’t appreciate enough just who and what they had on their hands to give him the creative license to set him loose. So, he did it on his own. I am not saying that Barry was a victim of abuse, but he is someone who has the empathy to understand pain, loss and abandonment. So I don't want to read anything more into that. But what one can safely say, this was a laborious work at 365 pages. Even in an interview though he said it wasn't fun working on "Monsters", it definitely had to be a labor of love and had to be important for him to bring to the public

From the interview he has given on “Monsters”, Barry now at seventy-one  has retired. This is his last entry into the world of comics…and what a final note to leave on.

 

Below is the interview that Barry gave on "Monsters" and sadly we probably won't see another.

 

Searching for Michael Zulli

 Back in the '80's comic books shops were thriving. They were a haven for a collective of like minded individuals to gather, discuss and even argue passionately about their interests. Storylines were dissected and prophesized. Characters were deconstructed and analyzed. The art was either heralded or criticized. 

Shelves were littered with action figures and sculptures. Rare and limited resin model kits were sought after and imported Japanese kits consumed a lot of paychecks. There was also another phenomenon, underground and independent comics gained attention.

To be fair, underground comics were around since the 60's with the advent of Robert Crumb, Fritz the Cat, the Freak Brothers and more. Most of them dealt with adult content and the marijuana movement. But in the '80's independent comics began to break away from the mainstream industry and gave birth to a creativity that wasn't restrained by the industry. Titles littered the racks like Dave Sim's Cerebus, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the very X rated Faust by David Quinn and Tim Virgil (which was banned in England and Canada), James O'Barr's The Crow and a lesser known title written by Stephen Murphy and drawn by an unknown artist, Michael Zulli called Puma Blues.

One of the covers of Puma Blues

Puma Blues was set in the not too distant future and dealt with ecological themes. It was not light reading. The artwork was unique. When I first picked it up and thumbed an issue I thought Zulli was channeling Barry Windsor Smith who was gaining popularity from his work on Marvel's Conan. But on more examination, Zulli was uniquely developing his own style, a style that distinguished him and set him apart. His detailed drawings and delicate inks impressed me and I wanted more. Unfortunately issues were hard to find and I believed they even switched publishers. I was never able to complete the 23 issue run until decades later when Dover Comics & Graphic Novels republished the collection with a 40 page conclusion. 

Excerpt from Puma Blues

When Sandman came out in 1989 Sam Keith was the beginning artist on the series. I was already obsessed with the storyline. The title went through a variety of artists and I was extremely pleased that Michael Zulli made an appearance here and there in its run. I was ecstatic that Zulli concluded the series beautifully with The Wake. 

Michael Zulli is my favorite Sandman artist. It was also not the last time Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli would work together. Later would come The Last Temptation, featuring Alice Cooper and Creatures of the Night which featured Neil Gaiman's The Price. 

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch.
Illustrated by Zulli, written by Gaiman

Michael Zulli has also done prints of Neal's Sandman, aka Morpheus. 

Silver point drawing of Morpheus

Painting of Morpheus

In 2011 Michael Zulli released The Fracture of the Universal Boy. A beautiful hard bound edition of surreal and at times nightmarish journey of the artist's self revelation. 

Excerpt from the Fracture of the Universal Boy

Then he dropped off the radar. 

Michael Zulli

Curious of Zulli's absence and selfishly craving more of his work, I once messaged Neil Gaiman who responded that Michael was one of his favorite people. He heard that Michael had recently married but what project or work he was involved with he didn't know. 

Like Barry Windsor Smith who disappeared from the  scene decades ago only to re-emerge with a recently released volume that is almost 400 pages, Monsters, I began to think maybe that The Fracture of the Universal Boy may have been Michael's opus. Or maybe, with hope, he is like Windsor Smith, working in seclusion on another project...so the search still goes on. 

Artist for the Month of April, Frazetta a Master of More Than Oils

 

If you mention the name of Frank Frazetta the images that come to mind are a multitude of brilliant oils depicting warriors, sensuous females, monsters, demons and gritty battle scenes. Yet, people seldom refer to his pen and ink work. A medium that Frazetta was a master of as well, and naturally so since his roots took place in the comic industry.

Before the public came knocking down his door for Frazetta to paint a cover for either their book, magazine or even movie poster, Frazetta had already established himself in the world of black and white comics. For instance in his beginnings Frazetta was the ghost artist for Al Cap on the widely circulated Lil’ Abner. He also did several western and fantasy comics during that era before gaining wide recognition for his Warren Magazine covers for Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella. Later came the Lancer Conan Paperback covers and soon Frazetta was the Norman Rockwell of the fantasy and horror industry.

I first became acquainted with Frazetta’s line work when the Science Fiction Book club decided to reprint the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ line and they hired Frazetta to not only do the covers, but do illustrations. Since color printing was expensive back then, the interior art was in black and white and I was amazed on how Frazetta was able to master the medium.

He never lost his iconic style of anatomy nor the sense of action that he was able to emulate in oils when he was working with pen and ink. His line work was always deliberate in creating a sense of motion and also retaining the ability to render texture.

The illustration on the right is from the John Carter of Mars series that was published by the Science Fiction Book Club. 

Below in his piece “Sheba” (below) look at the level of detail and line work and none of it takes away from the reclining figure, but accentuates it.

It’s no mystery on how Frazetta not only influenced the genre but also inspired many artists. He has a rich legacy that has stood the test of time. I followed his career since I was a boy and his popularity never waned. I remember as he grew older, as if to re-establish himself, or to show us he still “had it”, he released the “Death Dealer.” 

In his final days Frazetta suffered a heart attack that caused his right hand to become too shaky to paint with, he learned to paint with his left.

Frazetta’s status is not only well earned, but well deserved.

Artist of the Month of February Roy G. Krenkel

 I discovered Frazetta back in the late 60's early 70's. I pretty much devoured everything he did, buying fanzines and artbooks as well as the Conan paperbacks that had his covers as well as the Ace books that had his covers for their Edgar Rice Burroughs line. I read countless interviews where he mentioned people that he had collaborated with or had inspired him. One name continued to pop up. Roy G. Krenkel. It dawned on me that I was already familiar with Krenkel, I had many of the paperbacks he did for Ace so I delved deeper and in fanzines I saw his pen and ink work and understood why Frazetta spoke so highly of him.

"I met Roy Krenkel back in 1949 or 1950, and he has never ceased to be a constant source of inspiration to me—a truly conscientious artist who will not tolerate incompetence." Frank was quoted speaking of Krenkel. They had even collaborated on a few projects, especially when Krenkel was pressed to meet deadlines. Once I studied his work more, I understood Krenkel's impact not only on Frank Frazetta, but other artists as well. Krenkel I believe used a technique known as "gesture drawing" concerning more with catching a dynamic pose than being exact or detailed. Something both Frazetta and Krenkel were masters of.  Also something I recognized later in Michael Wm. Kaluta's work. 

Below is a video concerning the technique of "gesture drawing".

 Krenkel's work had energy, his ink drawings, though not detailed were suggestive but his ability to capture and freeze movement and posture were exceptional. 

His line work also accentuated the movement of his figures, the directions on the line as well as the absence of line all centered the eye on the movement of his figures. Krenkel was a master of the style.

His work was primarily in the fantasy genre and Burroughs was the subject of much of his work. Even his architecture was suggestive, based on form and never distracted from the action or pose of his figures. If you watched the video on "gesture drawing" you will understand that it doesn't focus on the details of constructing anatomy from circles, blocks or the count of head size, but on form and movement. 

 Krenkel also used light and shadow to center your eye on the action. Everything flows and the energy flows, capturing movement rather gracefully. 

He was also a master of color and his oils accentuated his style. His colors rarely muted, but if you notice he seemed to layer more details into his paintings that his ink drawings and yet retained his ability to capture motion as being natural and not forced. 

It is sad in a way that Roy G. Krenkel doesn't get the attention he deserves and somehow got lost in the shuffle and is only known and revered by people from his field and hardcore fantasy art buffs. His contribution not only to the genre, but the inspiration he fueled in artists that are well known today is unmistakable. 

For more on Roy G. Krenkel's legacy, here is a tribute.

Artist of the Month January 2021

Note: This is in no way a comprehensive essay on Durer. It is rather a homage to one of the old school Masters that have inspired me.  A layman's take so to speak to acknowledge his work. Nor is it biographical in nature. 

You could probably write volumes on Albrecht Durer and only skim the surface. Print maker, publisher, painter, engraver, author and artist. He was one of the most important figures in the Northern Renaissance, the offshoot of the Italian Renaissance that made it’s way into Germany.

Durer is probably best known for his Biblical illustrations of Revelations, such as “The Four Riders of the Apocalypse”. His apocalyptic illustrations (woodcuts) are literal renditions of the descriptions of the beast, the dragon and other metaphors used to describe events that transpire in the book and often have found their way into mainstream. 

The Four Horsemen

Yet the woodcuts, though numerous, represent only a fraction of his work, it’s his later meticulous engravings, highly detailed oils and the use of the water color medium are what elevate Durer and made him one of the primary figures that came out of the Northern Renaissance.

If anyone asked me what I would chose personally as a piece of art that I would chose that either inspired me or captured my imagination to hang on my wall, for me there would be no hesitation. When I first saw Durer’s “The Knight, Death and the Devil”, I saw everything I wanted to be able to convey in pen and ink. The piece is like an ultimate goal, one I know I will never achieve, but will always be there to remind me what could be the end result of progress. Not only using lines to convey form, but texture and space. “The Knight, Death and the Devil” is ink in prose, deep prose, but prose for me still.

Knight, Death and the Devil

Another would be Durer’s “Melancholia” done the year of his Mother’s death. An angel with an architects compass, broken musical instruments, lingering in thoughtful repose with a cherub against a surreal and distant landscape riddled with visual metaphors. Like “Knight, Death and the Devil”, Durer’s pieces are left to interpretation and many papers have been written on the subtle meanings these pieces convey. Durer seemed to me, conveyed not only remarkable draftsmanship in his engravings, but also was sharing a mystery.

Melencholia

And yet there’s more. It would be easy to pigeon hole Durer into being a graphic artist of his time, his body of works gaining the most attention being his woodcuts and engravings, but one would be ignoring his body of works in oils and watercolors. For instance his series of self portraits, the one I consider the most remarkable below. His attention to detail and use of color equals his mastery of the line work of his engravings. The self portrait below was even used in the film, Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”...though with Gary Oldman’s visage painted over Durer’s face.

I also found this image where the geometric layout of the self portrait shows either a well executed composition or that Durer’s eye was so unerring in his layouts. Either chance or executed with precision, well you can judge for yourself.

Durer was also one of the first artist to take watercolor seriously. Primarily watercolor was used to do thumbnails and sketches. Durer instead used watercolor with a dry brush technique to capture nature in detailed pieces giving watercolor legitimacy.

And one of the most popular pieces of Durer that everyone has seen and probably have no idea was his, is the “Praying Hands”.

Durer also authored four books on anatomy, measurement and fortification as well as theological works that were sympathetic to Martin Luther.

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