John Lawrence is a classic English illustrator and wood engraver, widely regarded as the best in his time. Recently retired from lecturing at The Cambridge School of Art, MA Degree course in Illustration, John continues to work full time for Random House, Walker Books and The Folio Society. His distinctive wood engravings and drawings have been his style for over 40 years. The process of his print/collage technique involves different colours and textured backgrounds, these are separate prints that are overlapped into the overall design. He uses a mixture of wood and vinyl to create contrasting textures and which he then manipulates together using a computer. I love this mix of very old fashioned style to new day technology of computer technology.
Over the course of a career that began in the 1960s he has illustrated 100's of books from including ones such as Shakespeare, and one of my favourite, Watership Down, he creates rabbits using watercolours which, have a realistic element to them and yet still given human characteristics.
I myself have previously tried many types of print as was a massive lover of the techniques, especially Lino-cut as they create one-offs that have the unpredicibitly that give them character. From this research it has made me want to create more printing pieces and rekindle the love of printing I once had. I love the fusion of technology as it makes it available on multiple levels, whether it be traditional or newly digital.
I myself have previously tried many types of print as was a massive lover of the techniques, especially Lino-cut as they create one-offs that have the unpredicibitly that give them character. From this research it has made me want to create more printing pieces and rekindle the love of printing I once had. I love the fusion of technology as it makes it available on multiple levels, whether it be traditional or newly digital.
