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Illustrators In The 1800s

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At the beginning of the 1800s illustrators like Felix Octavius Carr Darley were typically on staff at printing companies, or in the newspaper offices. On average they would create their works with on-the-block engravers or lithographic stone plates. If they weren’t appointed to draw, coloring was their alternative means of collecting a paycheck. However, such opportunities went to a very meager amount of illustrators because at the time art training was scarce in America, so most illustrators had to teach themselves. However, overseas in Europe the illustration profession fared much better. (www.illustrationhistory,org) In England and France, illustrators were tasked with composing satirical prints, books, journals and posters; as long as they had some formal education or prior workshop experience. When illustrating these forms of media, especially books, it was their job to devise artwork that would entice the reader to pick up the novel,or provide inspiration for the writers themselves. Overall, the early 1800s saw illustration still in its general stages of development. However, eventually that all changed (www.illustrationhistory.org) …show more content…

As a result, the distribution of magazines, books, and newspaper became more efficient. Which in turn made it much easier for the populace to get a hold of current events. In regards to illustrators, they were tasked to render on the site sketches, political/allegorical cartoons and illustrations for stories. Although if they wanted their work published, illustrators had to hand over their artwork to wood engravers, who would then transfer the artwork onto presses.

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