You know, its kind of gratifying to see that Fawcett wasn't b.s.ing when he did this 'celebrity endorsement' for Flo-master markers. It turns out he really did do his rough sketches in marker!
Many of us are interested in process, especially when we have a chance to peek at how the great illustrators worked. This sketch provides the added bonus of hand written notes from Fawcett. This first one below seemingly a note to GH's art director about what to expect in the finished version of the illustration.
Fawcett wrote, "Interior very warm - nice shadows, lots of kid-clutter around (toys, etc.) The crib prominent. I'll do whole picture in rich 3 colors - add blue as accents on left page (like the spread last year). In the finish all this [illegible] will be much less prominent." Then Fawcett (or the AD) seems to have changed direction. Someone has scribbled out the note and emphatically marked down, "No blue."
And here's the finished printed piece.
Even more interesting is this second note added, it seems, at some later date, initialed "RF" and addressed to "Ed":
"Do you collect these g.d. things? Herewith one from Gd. House."
Yes, thank goodness someone did collect 'these g.d. things' -- otherwise Fawcett's many fans and admirers would not be able, half a century later, to bask in the glow of the master's originals -- as they will this weekend at a show of 25 Robert Fawcett originals opening on Saturday, May 22nd at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA.
I wish I could be there!
* My Robert Fawcett Flickr set.
* Many thanks to Heritage Auctions for allowing me to use their scan of the Robert Fawcett marker sketch in this post.
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