A Study in Sherlock Holmes - (Various)

There are some really interesting examples of illustrations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. The first person to illustrate the character/stories was the artist Sidney Padget. I've heard various stories, such as at first Conan Doyle expected a different (less pretty) archetype for the character, and then decided that the Padget interpretation was fine. They also apparently mistook Sidney Padget for his brother, who was actually more famous at the time.

After Padget's illustrations, not many different stylistic archetypes have changed about the character, and you can definitely see his illustrations in the aesthetics many film adaptations of the stories. It's hard to say how much is due to the direction of the author's descriptions vs. the artist's interpretations though.

the first print illustrations of the story (I couln't find the artist information in the book I was looking at)

below are two Sidney Padget illustrations (along with some actors, etc.)

I found Wyndham Robinson's illustrations very interesting. He was mainly a cartoonist. 

these are all from "A Sherlock Holmes Scrapbook". 

you can find more of sidney padget's illustrations here: http://www.arthes.com/holmes/

and a whole bunch more: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Illustrations_from_books_of_Sherlock_Holmes

and more about wyndham robinson here: http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/arts/drawings/Cartoonography/SatiricalArt/case2/case2.htm

Taiyo Matsumoto

This is another of my favorite artists, a japanese illustrator/comickeer. He's most famous for writing and illustrating Tekkon Kinkreet  (Black & White), a comic about two rebellious street kids, which was eventually turned into a movie.

I'm still not sure if comic artists count, but I think his design and other senses are still really important to look at, even for non-comic narrative illustration. Everything from his covers, characters, storytelling, colors and line & drawings sense is really great. I'm sorry my scans are so bad!!

here's scans of his other book, no. 5:

Jules Feiffer's Characters

Another character post! 

Jules Feiffer is an american ilustrator, he's most known for his illustrations of the Phantom Tollbooth I think. He also does his own writing & illustration for some stories, and does some sassy cartoons.

He's got a really great sense of humor. Also he definitely really influenced me artistically and maybe mentally as a child, so I thought I should share some of his work, since it was important to me at that time.

Herve Tullet

The best children’s books are the ones that parents love to read to their kids, don’t you think? No matter what time of day or how many chores seem to be in the way, there are a few books that beg you to take a break and put an instant smile on your face. Those are exactly the kind of books that Hervé Tullet makes. Just watch:

Q: Where do you work best?

A: I’m always thinking and finding new ideas, so I can work everywhere; I just need a pen and a notebook.

Q: Your text is always so casual and friendly! How many languages do you speak?

A: I try to speak English, but I’m still learning. With my books, I can “talk” everywhere, from Korea to Italy and Russia. There have been times when I’ve spoken directly to children in other countries without any help from a translator. Amazing, I tell you!

Q: I’ve seen adults play along with Press Here with pure joy, and The Coloring Bookeasily draws in such a wide range of ages. How do you make your art so identifiable and fun to both young and old? It is such a trick!

A: Books need to be shared by everyone. All ages. There is not a specific world for just children, with lovely little stuff filling it, so the best book idea for me is the one where everyone can play together.

winnie the pooh illustration by EH Shepard
i love how simple yet poet and child-like these illustrations are. they're so simple yet capture such a simple innocence of childhood.

Emily Gravett

Emily Gravett's work has a really great quality to its linework. 

Ruben Toledo

I have seen Ruben Toledo's illustrations on fashion, like Nordstrom's advertisements on magazine, but I didn't know he did illustrations for book as well. He did some for Penguin classics, such as Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights. While he emphasize negative and positive space on Pride and Prejudice cover, he focuses on shapes on the cover of Wuthering Heights. His signature curvy, organic lines creates a mysterious mood.

Line drawings in The Edgewood Chronicles

As a whole, not all of the illustrations in The Edgewood Chronicles: Beyond the Deep Woods by Chris Riddell are successful, but every once in a while he creates something that I really respond to. He creates some great characters such as the crazy guy on the top. There are numerous creatures in the book that are funny. Using ink he also achieves something amazing with the page layout and the way he incorporates the illustrations around the text in the lower image. It's such a strong spread.

Nancy Ekholm Burkert's Characters from James and the Giant Peach

The character's of Ronald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach are haunting yet soft, which fits the style of Ronald Dahl very well. I love the two aunt's, who are hilarious, and I also feel like the ghostly frailness characteristic of James.

Jared Lee

I remember being super into this series growing up, it's surprisingly funny considering the audience and the illustrations have this great line quality, sort of John Cuneo-esque in the shakiness.  He also does some nice things with the watercolor, where he lets it form those hard edges in some areas, and he also uses a sort of white outlining technique that helps otherwise cluttered areas stay clear.

Harold and the Purple Crayon

This comes from another one of my most beloved childhood books: Harold and the Purple Crayon. Looking back, the simplicity of the illustration is ingenious. The entire plot of the story is carried by the power of the character's drawing in a way that is engaging and (on a children's level) suspenseful. This story truly takes line drawing and merges it with visual problem solving in a very inventive format.