Masters of Fashion Illustration Paperback – September 19, 2012

Masters of Fashion Illustration is not a book I was looking for; it found me, by way of a "you might like" email from Amazon. Normally such an email gets dispatched to the trash in no short order. But I'm delighted--absolutely delighted--that I happened to see this suggestion, took a chance, and bought it.The book encompasses a 100-year arc in fashion illustration, from one turn-of-the-century to another (the 1900's to the early 2000's). In addition to the plentiful full-color illustrations, each chapter contains introductory--yet substantial--text that situates the movement and/or the particular artist within the context of the time. There are five major sections: The Age of Opulence; An Emergine Line (which are illustrations from the 1930's); The New Graphisme (1940's and 1950's); From the Salon to the Street (1960's through 1980's); and a section on author David Downton's work, spanning from the late 1990's through 2009. As for the actual illustrations, gorgeous watercolors and pen-and-ink washes abound. Gouache is also a popular medium for the illustrations selected, but oil pastel, acrylic, charcoal, marker, and even collage are also represented. The illustrations are most often in full-page or half-page format; occasionally they will actually take up a 2-page spread. Very rarely are the illustrations less than 1/4 page.It's a nice size book--the 8-1/2" x 11" size is reminiscent of an artist's notebook, which suits the subject. The production values are very high, with lovely thick paper that is nice to the touch. The illustrations appear to have an eggshell finish and the colors--from the most subtle pastels to super-saturated brights--are all beautifully reproduced.Downton's passion for both illustration and fashion serves him well as the author of this book. Perhaps shamefully, I admit I had my doubts when I saw that the author was an illustrator. Downton's writing, however, is smooth and readable; he is knowledgeable and thorough without being academic or a bore.Previous fashion illustration books I've bought have all been how-to; this one, alas, doesn't provide step-by-step instruction, nor does it pretend to. What it does provide is inspiration and plenty of eye candy. And for the alert student, there is an education to be had here; these masters show us how it's done.

This book is FABULOUS!! It's in a whole other category. Downton's own illustrations are a joy to look at and the others included are wonderful as well. I began my career as a fashion illustrator myself, so I am always on the lookout for other illustrators whose work I admire. Another one to adore is Antonio's Girls featuring the illustrations of the incomparable Antonio Lopez. I would love to see another collection of his illustrations. I used to have the double page spreads he did for "W" on my walls.Another reason I love this particular book is that the cover is RED!! my favorite color!

This book is a bundle of inspiration. For any artists experiencing art block, this is a necessary book.

An excellent review of the best (in the author's opinion and mine) practicioners of a nearly extinct profession. I was not aware of several of the artists but glad to know them now. When I compare the elegance and style of that bygone age of fashion illustration to the stiff mechanical photos of vacuous malnourished hermaphrodites that populate the pages of style magazines today... too sad.

The book I purchased is in like-new condition, as the seller described. And it was priced very fairly. Thank you.

An awesome example of the great masters of illustrators in the fashion world. Useful for people who are interested in all forms of art however as the brush strokes and line work are something to be looked up to for any artist.

Beautiful and gorgeous, inspiring for any would be fashion or standard illustrators. I don't know if fashion illustration really exists as a field anymore (ok let's face it, it doesn't) but wow, did those illustrators have vision. That said, there isn't a ton of content, wordwise in the book.

I decided to buy this book because Downton has made a selection of his own favourite or influential illustrators/artists, and you can see certain elements in the brush work or lines that lead up nicely to the last section of the book focusing on his own work (about 25% of the book). He gives 1-2 pages of history of each artist and a sampling of their works. I would say that this is a good introduction to fashion illustration from the point of view of one of today's talented artists, and is a good stepping stone into further research on your own. The pages are large and heavy paper with large images so you can see the linework clearly.