The Work of E.H. Shepard

I only ever saw this book once in my life, and I did not have the money to buy it at the time. This has been a source of great sorrow to me ever since. Rare, hard to find, but well worth the effort to own. A beautifully produced collection of illustrations and sketches by the world renowned illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard, of Winnie the Pooh and The Wind in the Willows fame. To my mind no illustrator has ever come close to Shepard for his purity of line and motion. His work exudes emotion and charm. Other illustrators such as A.B. Frost and William Donahey share many of the fine technical aspects of Shepard's work, but they lack the beautiful simplicity of his illustration. With a few gestures Shepard captures a sense of time and place, environment and animated life. His work is never in risk of becoming an artifact or symbol. Like the Pooh sketch book, this collection gives you a new understanding of a true artistic master. Illustration often takes a backseat to fine art, yet Shepard shows the same mastery of his medium that Whistler showed. Only the lines that are needed are used, nothing wasted, nothing extra. Knowing when to stop drawing becomes almost as important as knowing what to draw. Anyone interested in illustration, art or drawing should own this book. As a fan I am grateful that this book exists, even though I do not own it. It is a great treasure to be hunted down and passed on from generation to generation.