Skip to content
  • Home
  • Geezers Roll Call
  • Not Forgotten
  • Gatherings
  • Contact

Geezers’ Gallery

San Francisco's Golden Age of Advertising and the people who created it.

  • Home
    • Privacy Policy
  • Pages
    • Geezers Roll Call
    • Not Forgotten
  • Who was Where
    • Agencies
    • Copywriters
    • Photographic
    • Reps
    • Staff Creatives
    • Studios & Freelancers
    • Publications
  • Gatherings
    • Gathering 2022
    • Gathering 2021
    • Gathering 2020
    • Gathering 2019
    • Gathering 2018
    • Gathering 2017
    • Gathering 2016
    • Gathering 2015
    • Gathering 2014
    • Gathering 2013
    • Gathering 2012
    • Gathering 2011
    • Gathering 2009
    • Gathering 2008
    • Gathering 2007
    • Gathering 2006
    • Gathering 2005
    • Gathering 2004
    • Gathering 2003
    • Gathering 2002
    • Gathering 2001
    • Gathering 2000
    • Gathering 2010
    • Gathering 1999
    • Gathering 1993
  • Contact Us

Interpreting art for a storywriter or copy writer

Posted on February 3, 2017January 17, 2019 By Ann Thompson

Inter­preting art for a story­writer or copy writer
Following up on the previous post, regarding the chal­lenges that artists (illus­tra­tors, designers or cartoonist must face) — artists often must read pages of descrip­tion and deter­mine how to present images that are as close as possible to the words presented.
In the past years, I have already shown artists that have this talent. Here are two more, John Larrecq and Joe Cleary. In 1963 John Larrecq had seven illus­tra­tions accepted the SFADA’s Four­teenth Annual Exhi­bi­tion. Most of these illus­tra­tions had been assigned to John by an art director — but John’s talent in inter­preting copy is evident in his illus­tra­tions for children’s’ books. This is where he shows a visual of the book’s char­acter as described by the writer.

A Single Speckled Egg
A Single Speckled Egg 
Just the Thing for Geraldine
Just the Thing for Geraldine 
Tom Swifties
Tom Swifties 
Broderick
Broderick 

“A Single Speckled Egg” By Sonia Levitin, Illus­trated by John Larrecq, Parnassus Press, 1976
​“Just the Thing for Geral­dine”  By Ellen Conford, Illus­trated by John Larrecq, Published, 1974
​“TOM SWIFTIES” By Bill McDo­nough, Illus­trated by John Larrecq, Tom Swifties Publishing Company, 1963.
​“BRODERICK”, By Edward Ormon­droyd, Illus­trated by John Larrecq, Parnassus Press, 1969

Joe Cleary excelled in illus­tra­tion for commer­cial jobs. From the begin­ning, illus­trating ​“Boy’s Life” stories to illus­trating stories in major maga­zines; he caught the reader’s interest. Here are two images that were shown in the 1963 SFADA Exhi­bi­tion Annual.
They are the same two illus­tra­tions that I had clipped from maga­zines that year. This was a kind of illus­tra­tion that I could never even attempt — but I admired the work, so I saved Joe’s art in my artist’s ​“morgue” (my 2 drawer scrap-file of subject refer­ences and art styles). Because of the many years in the file, these samples were torn…but I show my clip­pings to show their detail and color.

Joe Cleary Illustrator
Joe Cleary Illustrator 
Joe Cleary Illustrator
Joe Cleary Illustrator 

Artist: Joe Cleary / Logan & Carey, Art Director: Asger Jerrild, Client: Saturday Evening Post, 1963

During my almost forty years as an inde­pen­dent contractor in San Fran­cisco, I was often required to illus­trate, following only copy for a variety of commer­cial assign­ments. Early assign­ments were to show just simple instructions.

Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 
Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 

Cali­fornia Casu­alty, double spread of 10 steps. 1967, Charles Matheny Advertising
Grade-Set, Self Indi­cating Color Grade Sticks. 1965, ADS Advertising

With cook­books, the art spots did not require much thought unless it described special tech­niques or various steps.

Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 
Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 
Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 

​“The milk-free cook­book” Mull-Soy Liquid / Neo-Mull-Soy Liquid, Syntex. 1971, Klemptner Casey

If copy was describing an analysis or descrip­tion of a medical condi­tion — illus­tra­tions could be humorous as with ​“TAKING CARE OF YOUR ALLERGY”.
In other cases, detail and accu­racy needed to be very precise. There were 42 illus­tra­tions required for a 52 page 3 3/4”x 5½” pocket-sized booklet for LifeScan’s ​“ONE TOUCH”.
The require­ment was to use the largest type possible for some patients with poor eyesight. I was able to ​“spec” (design, size and place the type) and create the dummy layout with ​“fine-line felt marker” instruc­tional illus­tra­tions in place. When all was approved, the next step — the creation of very accu­rate finished art — demanded so many hours that I offered the assign­ment to illus­trator, Dick Moore, who took over executing the tedious ink line details that were needed.

Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 
Ann Thompson Illustrator
Ann Thompson Illustrator 

“TAKING CARE OF YOUR ALLERGY” Syntex Labo­ra­to­ries Inc. 1981, Vicom Associates
​“ONE TOUCH II” Instruc­tion Booklet. LifeScan, 1991, Rain­oldi, Kerzner & Radcliffe

Inter­preting assign­ments, following copy, demands more of the artist. I found the chal­lenge most rewarding since I had full control of the results. I also present this collec­tion, hoping to show ambi­tious artists that there are many needs for artwork.

Ann Thompson

Geezerpedia, Recollections

Post navigation

Previous Post: Printing Films
Next Post: When a very ​“cool” campaign turned very cold.

Artist's Sites

  • Allan and Carol Hayes
  • Bill and Nina Stewart
  • Bill Cone
  • Bill Schwob art
  • Bob Bausch
  • Bob Porter and Patricia Reed Porter
  • Bruce Lauritzen
  • Bruce Wolfe
  • Bryn Craig
  • Caleb Whitbeck
  • Charles Pyle
  • Chris Blum
  • Chuck Eckart
  • Dugald Stermer
  • Frank Ansley
  • Fred Lyon
  • Gale McKee
  • Hans Halberstadt
  • Jack Allen
  • Janet Jones
  • Jeff Leedy
  • Jerry Huff
  • Jim Stitt
  • John Hyatt Illustration
  • John Mattos
  • Larry Keenan
  • Lowell Herrero
  • Marc Ericksen
  • Mark Keller
  • Mark Schroeder
  • Mik Kitagawa
  • Robert Arnold
  • Robert Evans
  • Robert Gantt Steele
  • Roger Shelly
  • Stan Dann
  • Tom Whitworth
  • Ward Schumaker

Artist Galleries

  • Tom Watson
  • Keehn Gray
  • John Pratt
  • Chuck Eckart
  • Jerry Huff
  • Al Davidson
  • Bill Nellor
  • Jim Stitt Designs

Copy Writers

  • Joel Fugazzotto
  • Samm Coombs
  • Todd Miller

Still In The Game

  • Bill and Nina Stewart
  • Bill Schwob work
  • Bob Bausch
  • Chris Blum
  • David Johnson
  • Fred Lyon
  • Hans Halberstadt
  • Jack Tom
  • Jeff Leedy
  • Jim Stitt
  • John Hyatt
  • John Mattos
  • Kirk Henderson
  • Lars Melander
  • Marc Ericksen
  • Mark Keller
  • Mark Schroeder
  • Peter Thompson
  • Robert Arnold
  • Robert Holmes
  • Rory Phoenix
  • Scott Simpkin
  • Steve Rustad
  • Tom Whitworth
  • Ward Schumaker

Places We Like

  • Patterson Hall Early History
  • Piet Halberstadt
  • Printing Films
  • The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

Copyright © 2023 Geezers’ Gallery.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme