BETWEEN THE LINES

[@amrutanjan969]

I don't think black and white will ever truly die out. It's just so accessible to the masses. Whenever I travel I sketch in black and white only. I'm not Crumb but that's the beauty of the medium right now, the common person can tell their story irrespective of skills.

[@petebeard]

Hello and I agree I did rather overstae the demise of B&W. I'm sure it will continue. I suppose I was just getting carried away by the fact that there is nothing like as much of it as there used to be.

[@unklejon4690]

My admiration knows no bounds. A great speaking voice, well metered. Huge amounts of interesting knowledge and research combined with great illustrative work . You sir are a master .

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot. I hope you'll subscribe and watch more of the videos.

[@rexharrison6827]

I’ve just finished binge-watching a pile of “Unsung Heroes...” videos and the World Wars propaganda videos and have called it a night with this one! Excellent collection of artists and I understand how difficult it must be when having to cull selections for time. I think even if a video on this subject were an hour long there would still be great illustrators being left out; black and white drawing just in the post WW1 period up to 1999 is simply mindbogglingly huge. If you do get ‘round to doing a part 2, don’t overlook the English artists who came along in the Eighties, people like Cam Kennedy and John Bolton and the crew who worked on 2000AD. And yes, do check out Filipino artists. They are all amazing and there’s a long history of great illustration in the Philippines both in black and white and colour.

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks again for your commitment to the channel. The idea of binge watching always worries me though. When I was a kid I would eat chocolates literally until I was sick and I'd hate similar to happen to my viewers. And thanks for the tips about black and white artists. I'm in two minds whether to do another if only because the list of topics and artists still to be covered mean I'm going to have to try to stay alive for longer than I was expecting. But it's very tempting.

[@deltabloo]

Black and white forever! I once read that in terms of photography, Color depicts, but black and white interprets. It just underlines the fact that line drawing sans color allows us to focus on expression and feeling , without being distracted by unnecessary details. As an aside , I grew up reading old books by Zane Grey , horse stories by Margaret Henry , and many other books that were only illustrated with line drawings. I’m sure not all were pen and ink, but those continue to be some of my favorite artwork.

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot for your appreciation. I've been meaning to make a second similar video for quite a while but so far others have got in the way of it. Eventually though, I will.

[@dortebuttenschn3764]

Black and white drawings won't go away, ever. From Rembrandt's landscapes drawn with a "riet pen" over Kollwitz's lithographs to la ligne claire (with or without colouring), the workmanship of the pen clearly shows how good - or bad - the artist is. AI and colour splashes won't change that. It's a matter of talent, pure and simple, and what better, easier way of expressing that than through black and white? I remain optimistic!

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot for your comment and observations. You're right of course - I was feeling pessimistic when I wrote that and although it it'll never achieve the status it once had, too many of us are drawn (pun intened) to pen and ink for it to actually disappear.

[@janepage3608]

With quite a few of your examples, Beardsley being maybe the most obvious, the use of black and white shows the importance of empty space, and its impact when used alongside smaller areas of highly worked space. I recently watched a video by a young printmaker who championed the craft of the lino and woodcutter in an era where, as you say, so much is moving onto computers. This ‘back to the woods’ approach is very appealing and after a lifetime of art in oils and acrylics, it is immensely stimulating to move into the area of your earliest examples, and have to concentrate on simplifying an image into a balance of cut/not cut. Thank you very much for this particularly thought-provoking video.

[@petebeard]

Many thanks for your appreciation of this video. I find it fascinating that so many visual creatives persist in the use of line only monochrome, despite the fact there is no longer any need for it. I must admit I used to really enjoy pen and ink work so many years ago.

[@marsupialdungbucket]

As a lifelong admirer of book illustration around the turn of the 19th/20th centuries, these videos are a joy. Looking forward to a daily dose each morning for the next few months over my morning coffee. I originally came because I had a friend called Pete Beard in the 70's who played bass, but as we were both teenagers at the time he was obviously a namesake. It's an odd world. The Eisner and Wrightson sections made me wonder if you've ever had a look at Gerhard's work in the later Cerebus comics - glorious penmanship and design skills worthy of an earlier age.

[@petebeard]

Even more weird is that I also played bass for a while in the 70s, although by that point I was already in my mid 20s. And thanks a lot for alerting me to the presence of Gerhard. I was previously unaware of his work - a lot of what I think of as modern stuff isn't generally on my radar.

[@davidshurville3658]

A masterclass of fine illustrations and commentary. I hope that your final prediction never comes to pass!

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks for both your recent comments, and appreciation of my efforts. Other than the obscenity angle (which I have no problem with but youtube do, apparrently) the problem with both these chaps is they aren't actually dead. And you have to be in order to be included as a solo subject. If I outlive them (anybody's guess) they will appear.

[@roghaz1]

I think there will always be a place for black and white, line illustration. It's the ultimate in interpretation of reality

[@petebeard]

Hello and I absolutely agree. And I kope you're right about its ability to endure.

[@MadWolfMike]

Great compilation! Thanks for making this! Don't know how I missed this one but, again, really appreciate finding out about more great illustration artists going as far back as A.B. Frost... Just incredible masterful work here. Thanks again! ( Also the blues jams in the background lend a nice vibe to it all )

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot. Don't hold your breath as there are already loads of other videos waiting patiently in line, but eventually I'll be making a volume 2 about black and white.

[@kingofhearts826]

Wonderfully delivered, as are all of your presentations. Thank you! I worked for underground comic publisher Print Mint in Berkeley in the early 1970's.

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot for your appreciation. Print Mint is a name I'm not familiar with - over here it was all I could do to get my hands on Zap Comix. And I've still got some of them.

[@johnmitchelljr]

The comments covered mostly what I was going to say, so I will just add a sincere thank you for your work at being a great teacher. As husband of a great teacher I know their wonderful value.

[@petebeard]

Hello again and that's a very flattering comment so thanks a lot.

[@MolioMan]

Thanks for another wonderful piece! Can’t tell you how much I love this channel!!

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks for your comment. Music to my ears!

[@johncollado1151]

Wrightson being my favorite... thank you for an inspiring video.

[@gabrielerosa665]

May be because we beggin to learn art in black and white, it becomes so important, a gesture, a line, we no need color to appreciate who has the power to ignite pencils and pens with beatiful drawings.... An excellent portfolio of illustrators, I need to find another - now his name is out of my brain - to share with you....give me a minute....

[@DerFroschMitMaske]

Interesting one- Cool to discover some new gems amongst the great masters! I think that to find more BnW works today one needs to look at fanzines, mangas and Incredible anomalies à la Kim Jung Gi ! Yes print is struggling, but i kind of feel that illustration has it's place more than ever with our avid cosumption of pictures (i mean it's never been easier to be a nerd and get into Comics, the gateway drug to illustration ;P)

[@lorddolor6385]

You are the Best, Mr. Beard ❤ thanks for sharing your knowledge with us 😊

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation. It's very welcome and I'm very pleased you enjoy the channel content.

[@SindhuS]

I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL so much pete!! Its soo soothing and I am not even an artist, I just love seeing the stuff and appreciating it.

[@petebeard]

Hello and many thanks for your appreciation. It's great to know that many of the viewers of the channel aren't particularly involved with illustration as such. Luckily for me there aren't many people who don't appreciate a well made picture.

[@hurdygurdyguy1]

Nice compilation!! If you do a Part 2 you should include Mike Mignola!!! Or Milt Caniff! Even though the addition of color to monochrome illustration is seen (to the general public) as a bonus I find it usually the opposite. Comic strips in newspapers were always in b&w while the Sunday Funnies were colored (because Sunday, of course, was a "special" day). I don't know how widespread it is but a number of years ago our local paper began colorizing the daily strips also, which I thought was terrible and I still do!

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks. A second is on the cards but it's way back in the queue of others already in progress.

[@gitfoad8032]

Top class vid. Cheers. *Cracking music too.

[@melizen2]

Thank you for this parade of astonishingly talented artists - A. Beardsley dead at 25 must take first prize - but I enjoyed the works of all of them, so many familiar styles/images ~ and the music to go with is pure pleasure ~

[@petebeard]

Hi and thanks as ever for your appreciation. I'm considering a volume 2 for this video but it'll just have to take its place in the ever-lengthening queue...

[@sweetbusterbee]

Thank you for this channel. As an illustrator myself, learning about the history of my craft is invaluable and your videos have become a wonderful resource. My appreciation is boundless.

[@petebeard]

Hello and many thanks for your comment. It's good to know that professionals are getting something out of the content, and I hope your career is doing well in these difficult times. My own ride was somewhat of a roller coaster and I must admit when I retired I was glad to get off.

[@perevision]

Thank you so much for this video! As an illustrator who mostly works in ink, I was so happy to see it. (We’re still here, don’t worry!)

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot. I'm glad you appreciated the content. I've been meaning to make a part two of this for a while, but there are so many others I'm working on too.

[@perevision]

@@petebeard No worries! I'm working my way through the Unsung series. It's such a treasure trove!

[@WWS322]

THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN was a magazine sized black and white illustrated comic book for mature audiences. It had a following for more than ten years.

[@pprehn5268]

Once again, knowing as a teacher that we need positive feedback, I want to thank you again for the time and effort you put into each of these videos. I almost have to play the at 1/4 speed to begin to take in each example. Many of these remind me of one of my favorites, the Belgian (I think?) Masereel

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot for your continued appreciation and support. Masereel was someone I intended to cover but the research clearly showed he was almost exclusively creating his work as art rather than illustration, and I try as much as possible to stay on-topic. Maybe I shouldnt be so OCD about it. Anyhow he was a major influence on American Lynd Ward, who fearures in unsung 61 if you haven't alreaddy seen it.

[@mijiyoon5575]

Nice blues score in this vid...guitar riff was lovely & bluesy 🎸🎸🎸

[@petebeard]

Hello again and thanks for your recent expressions of appreciation. It's particularly rewarding that you liked the music on Between the Lines as it was all played by little old me (apart from the drums). When I started I had hoped to use a lot of my own music for soundtracks but soon realised I was spending far longer on the music than actually creating the video, so I turned to pre-existing sources. And don't worry about the Freesource thing. I now have many hours of archived non-copyright music to work with. If you spot one down the line I'd be interested to see where it came from. Thanks again.

[@mijiyoon5575]

@@petebeard Wow! That is fantastic! Playing a musical instrument is no easy task & writing music either. My poor ole violin still has its frets on it!!! I drag it out sometimes & pluck on it!!! My cats like to hear it! Yes, next time I hear/find music sources I'll pop it on here somewhere...have a beautiful September evening!!!

[@petebeard]

When I was a teenager learning to play blues harmonica our family cat hated it so much she used to headbutt me into stopping. Obviously a cat of some taste.

[@mijiyoon5575]

@@petebeard HA!!! 🐈🐈🐈😻

[@clindsay8362]

Great heros of illustration! Yay for the black and white guys!

[@petebeard]

...and thanks to you for sticking with the channel

[@inamorata966]

I love your channel, Pete. I would like to point out that, in Terry Zwigoff's documentary "Crumb," Robert's 's drug use is mentioned little if at all, though to be sure, the film is highly subjective from RC's POV. Maybe it was agreed (it required some effort on the part of Zwigoff to convince Crumb to make the documentary at all) that a mention of such would not be part of the film. You might have sources that suggest Crumb's LSD use was indeed, as you say, "enthusiastic." Love your channel, my friend.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot for your appreciation of my efforts with the channel. I can't for the life of me remember where I got that information from (but I'm pretty sure I didn't just imagine it). I seem to recall that the source said he was into all that between about 66 to 69 but then distanced himself from the whole San Francisco thing including the drugs. I suppose I should have said enthusiastic but brief.

[@futuristica1710]

I love Wrightson, he was truly a master.

[@petebeard]

Ansolutely. A remarkable pen and ink technique.

[@BradfordtheEclectic]

The sum total of the scholarship and potent, distilled commentary already form quite an entertaining immersion into the art, but enjoying the music only to find that Mr. Beard is also playing in the ensemble really is over the top! @petebeard

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot for your appreciation. I would have liked to create the music for all the videos but the tracks take forever to put together and I don't have nearly enough of them. So I settle for what I can find and download.

[@randomolli]

I love your videos.. so much inspiration and information with great narration. thank you so much!

[@petebeard]

Hrllo to you and I'm very grateful for your positive response to my work on the channel. It means a lot.

[@PatrickRosenbalm]

Loved it!! I didn't know whether to pick up my Jazz Bass, pencil and tablet or sit down at my piano or Hammond organ! Pencil is my preferred method so I really enjoyed this video. ;-)

[@petebeard]

Hi and thanks for your positive response.Keep on trucking...

[@gregday5169]

@@petebeard WOW! Keep on truckin' ?........straight out of the '70's!

[@mayobous4491]

One of my strongest influences with white and black illustration is Frank Miller, in particular his work with Sin City. As for what's to expect from the future, I believe that, even if digital, black and white illustration shall remain a very powerful anesthetic mean. It's even implemented in pixel art with 1-bit techniques or ASCII art.

[@petebeard]

Hello and lets hope it endures. I must get around to making another one of these with a new group of illusrrators. So much to do, so little time...

[@simonward-horner7605]

Excellent! Thanks.

[@cahorsman9299]

Not only have you brought us the world of illustrators past & present, but also add some really cool music of yours to act on your backing tracks. Is any of it commercially available? Well, please keep up your great work Pete and many thanks for your research and information.

[@petebeard]

Hello there and thanks a lot for your flattering comment. As far as the music goes I'm strictly amateur although I used to play in a couple of extremely unsuccessful bands years ago. I had the notion that I would use my own tracks on all the videos when I first started making them. But then I realised it was taking longer to make and record the music than the actual video so I had to fall back on generic mostly non-copyright stuff. But I'm very pleased you liked it.

[@AnekdotTheImmortal]

Great video. I prefer black and white over colour at the moment.

[@hellbenthornball1153]

Truly excellent examples and an unvarnished point of view. Thank you so much for including the likes of Crumb and Wrightson and Hirshfeld and Eisner, but that's the icing for me; the rest are just as incomparable. I believe black and white will stay, one way or the other, with the original source still a simple pen and paper. I do wish you had included Edward Gorey, unless you've included him in another video. May I ask, have you profiled Edward Gorey, or, if not, is he on your radar? Best regards.

[@petebeard]

Hello and many thanks for your appreciation of the video. Sorry for not including the wonderful work of Edward Gorey. I've been meaning to make a second instalment about black and white, but it hasn't got past the thinking stage as yet - too many other projects in various stages of completeion. But he would be well to the top of the list when I do. He's definitely going to be included in one of the videos I'm working on at the moment, but sadly it'll be a while before that one gets finished. So much to do, so little time...

[@tonymeads4693]

As someone who can only work in black and white due to being colour blind I love this video !

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks for the recent cluster of comments, all of which are greatly appreciated. Some day I very much want to produce a part2 of the black and white video.

[@TheKevphil]

Pete, I think that Indy comics may provide continuity for B&W illustration going forward. It isn't so much the cost of color printing which is prohibitive (Print on Demand, essentially color laser technology, makes color printing very affordable these days) but rather the man-hours required to *_DO_* the coloring which ironically keeps the ink artists in demand. I appreciate the inclusion of Bernie Wrightson (who died in 2020) as a true master of the B&W medium, and a talent that transcended "mere comics." Thank you also for turning the spotlight on a number of illustrators who were new to me, as well as highlighting popular favorites such as Eisner and Crumb. I wonder if you are aware of the astonishing stable of Filipino comics artists and the wonderful body of work by Coching, Alcala, Niño and Nebres. In fact, when Wrightson left *The Swamp Thing* his replacement was the hugely gifted Nestor Redondo, perhaps the most highly respected of that school of artists, and the man whom I regard as the best and most technically accomplished comics artist of the 20th century. (So *_there!_* )If you have not done so (and I don't see it among your many fine videos), I urge you to visit this group of artists. Each of the men I listed above could easily fill a lovely and exciting 15-minute video. Finally, while I truly enjoyed the musical accompaniment provided (you are quite the talent, sir!), it was a bit loud in places and made your narration occasionally muffled. ;)

[@petebeard]

Hello again and thanks for your insightful comments. And this gives me the opportunity to finally respond to your earlier comment about Filipino comic artists. I tried to reply and thank you for that comment (and these guys were completely new to me) but every time I did your comment mysteriously disappeared. Such is technology or maybe I'm more stupid than I think. Either way thanks a lot.

[@TheKevphil]

@@petebeard HaHa! No problem. I think you'll be in for a real treat! I look forward to your research! ;)

[@emmaknowles868]

great work Pete! really enjoyed this :-)

[@frankj.2426]

Your channel is brilliant. I want to give you money.

[@petebeard]

Hello Frank and thanks a lot for your enthusiastic response. Just keep watching - and share if you can. That's all the reward I need.

[@jonathannadeau6218]

I love your videos. I think they're top quality! But watching a documentary on Crumb recently I learned that apparently he took LSD only once. He didn't like the hippies and wasn't a drug user.

[@petebeard]

Hi and thanks for the comment. You're right to question my assertion. I shouldn't have called him 'enthusiastic' in his drug use. But like the Beatles it had an obvious and crucial impact on his subject matter. I've also heard the man himself state in other sources that he only packed it in when he felt it was hampering his processes. This is the problem with history -even the protagonists can't get their stories straight. Hope you'll continue to watch

[@bigblue6917]

As pen and ink sketches are very popular amongst many artists I have a feeling that it's time is not nigh.

[@petebeard]

Hello and yes I got a bit over-dramatic with that last comment.

[@Leotagorax]

Very interesting!

[@petebeard]

Hello again and I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy the videos.

[@BenVivas]

On that last thought Pete, can I rebuttal that black and white illustration in Japanese Manga has boomed over the last two decades? It’s also territory you might enjoy exploring. 🙂

[@petebeard]

Hello and yes you're right. I got a bit carried away in pursuit of a 'dramatic' ending and rather overstated the case. And although like other contemporary illustration it more than likely won't feature on the channel I am aware of recent manga and other graphic narrative illustration which proves me somewhat over-pessimistic.

[@petebeard]

P.S. and thanks for watching the whole thing - most viewers don't.

[@jvs2926]

Excellent.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot.

[@FundamentosdoDesenho]

Great video! I also disagree on the end of B&W. Graphical quality is a lovely thing. Lately some artists have been using 3D to create wonderful B&W images.

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks. Yes I probably laid on the possible demise of line illusttration a bit thick. But there's no denying statistically it's on the ropes.

[@tjwalkup7155]

Thanks for this

[@petebeard]

My pleasure. Thanks for the comment.

[@frankwakeman5216]

Very informative as always. One suggestion though, the music sound track on the video is too loud. It almost drowns out your voice.

[@petebeard]

Thanks a lot - and regarding the sound you're right it should be quieter. Later videos hopefully are better balanced.

[@artisttellthetruth6649]

Hi! It's possible to make a video about american editorial cartoonists?

[@petebeard]

Hello to you and thanks for the suggestion. At the moment I'm prioritising single subject videos, for the reason that they are much easier to research and make - and they usually get the most viewers to be honest. But I do have other broader topics in the pipeline and I'll add this to those possibilities. Don't hold your breath though, my list of works in progress is already terrifyingly long.

[@MichaelSHartman]

Well done.

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks a lot. If I ever get the time I hope to make at least one more about black & white illustration.

[@gina8727]

👁♥️👁

[@GullwingXtreme]

Great video

[@petebeard]

Thanks - it's appreciated

[@mikedirle520]

L O V E D this one... as always! (the background music was quite distracting...)

[@petebeard]

Hello again and thanks. Sorry about the music - I'm pretty deaf so I struggled early on with the relative volumes of the voice and music. But I'm told I mostly got it more balanced in the later videos.

[@JLRoberson]

Wonderful video except where you sadly say b/w is on its way out. I still work 75% that way and it's fine. And print is still a thing. I believe it will still be a thing, though maybe a little more boutique. But you see that reflected in how trades now are mostly hardcover and more lavishly printed than before. And correspondingly more expensive; a typical Marvel trade is now like 39.99

[@petebeard]

Hello John, and to be fair to me I said that was how it was looking compared to pre-digital. I didn't say it was all over. I'm glad you're doing well and incidentally I think your ink work is very impressive. But in global terms you can't deny it's becoming increasingly niche. You say potato....

[@zachgates7491]

Walt Kelly and Hal Foster would have been good ones to include, but a pretty good list.

[@petebeard]

Hello and I keep meaning to make another instalment but somewhow others keep getting in the way. But Hal Foster is on the list to appear in the unsung heroes of illustration series on the channel. No idea when though.

[@pauldobney6918]

Sergio Toppi ????????????????????????

[@petebeard]

Hello and thanks for the suggestion. I'd never heard of him. I've been wondering about making a part 2 for that video and if I do Toppi will be featured for sure.

[@pauldobney6918]

I love your features Pete ! Heaven knows how much time it must take you , in terms of research , photography, scripting etc etc . Thank you very much For your efforts , I hadn't heard of Toppi either until a little while ago whilst looking at some sequential art topics on youtube He is amazing

[@andrietsa]

And here I am, getting paid to do a black and white rendition of a caveman in 2021... ;)

[@petebeard]

Glad to hear it. Long may it continue!

[@gabrielerosa665]

I've just found it!! I'm talking about Alan Cober ( this is a Danny Gregory link where he commented some of his books : kzbin.info/www/bejne/paG2aaWboMh9m7c ) The first time I saw Cober works was in a Print or Graphis Magazine. The review was on his editorial and advertising works, some of them appeared in colour, but at the moment I discovered his B/W works, I forgot the others. Excuse Pete, for my action, including an other KZbinr link here, but I've think it was important for rhe discussion.

[@petebeard]

Hi Gabriel. Thanks a lot for sending me this information. I'm always happy to see the work of illustrators I didn't know about and you have found another. I have been wondering whether a part 2 about black and white would be a good idea and this fellow would make a good inclusion if I do.

[@antoniovillalobos6656]

can't believe you forgot Frank Miller's work

[@petebeard]

There's a difference between forgetting and leaving out. I never said the video was exhaustive, did I? Feel free to stay away from my channel.

[@justyp]

Loved the video! Dislike the annoying background music…volume too high. Thanks

[@petebeard]

Hello and sorry about the soundtrack. I'm fairly deaf and early on I struggled to get the balance right. But the only way to fix it is to take it down and re-make it. If you find others that are similarly imbalanced (and you probably will) try turning the sound down or off and using the subtitles.

[@mijiyoon5575]

🤔😲😛some of these ain't purdy ...not meant to be obviously😠