Showing posts with label Clive Uptton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clive Uptton. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Spot the Mistake!

Elisha by Clive Uptton
Here's a picture taken from the new 'Egermeier's Bible Story Book.' The picture is by one of my favorite Bible artists Clive Uptton and shows Elisha with the Shunammite woman. (2 Kings 4:18-37)
Can you spot the mistake? I'll add the first correct answer below.

The correct answer came in from Nikolaj from Belgium. Well done Nikolaj! The answer is:
Elisha was Bald!
This is a common mistake made by Bible artists. The reason for this is, I think, due to the fact that the most popular depictions of Elisha are when he is present at the translation of Elijah in 2 Kings 2:1-11.
The Bible artist would need to read on past this story to verse 23 to know that Elisha was bald!

The only reason that I've mentioned this is that I was thinking the other day how helpful it would be if publisher brought out a 'Bible Artist's Bible'. A reference book that gave a physical description, (where possible) of every character in the Bible along with a time-line showing the age of each character at the different events in their lives. This would stop Bible illustrators drawing a young Daniel in the Lion's Den! There may already be a book like this available. Let me know if you see one!

It's not only Bible artists who would benefit from a book like this, I'm sure that Bible students, writers, film makers and many more would welcome an easy to follow reference guide to Bible characters.

Picture © Warner Press 2009

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Egermeier's Bible Story book

Egermeier's Bible Story book
I've finally got hold of a copy of 'Egermeier's Bible Story book' written by Elsie E. Egermeier and illustrated by Clive Uptton, and I must say that it's superb!
If you're a parent, grand parent, or Bible illustrator, and you've been looking for a good children's Bible, this is the one for you! It's one of the best children's Bible story books to come out in recent years! I would highly recommend it.

This book contains 122 excellent illustrations by Clive Uptton, and has a very useful 'question and answer' section on each story that parents and children will love. These questions will be very useful too for children's quizzes. There are many other features too that you don't normally see in a children's Bible story book.

Full marks to the 'Warner Press' team!

Related posts:
Clive Uptton

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

My favorite Bible artists #3

Clive Uptton 1911-2006
Clive Uptton was a Wartime political cartoonist for the Daily Sketch between 1940-1942. He was a left handed artist like myself, but wrote with his right hand!
You can actually tell he was left handed from his Bible pictures! (left handed artists draw the shine in peoples eyes on the left hand side! Right handed artists draw it on the right.)
As well as his pen and ink drawings he liked to work in watercolors, oils and acrylics, Following the war he became an internationally successful illustrator, poster artist and painter, painting both landscapes and portraits. In 1930 Clive Uptton added an extra 't' to his name to avoid confusion with another illustrator of the time named Upton.

In the late 1960's Clive Uptton was commissioned to produce 121 full-color Bible illustrations for 'Egermeier's Bible Story Book. I first came across Upttons Bible pictures in the Ladybird Bible stories series, (606A). In my humble opinion he was the best artist in this series. I'm not sure if these pictures were reprints from the 'Egermeier's Bible as I don't have one to compare them with.
It's easy to spot a Bible illustration by Clive Uptton, as all his characters seem to have big brown eyes! I particularly like the facial expressions he manages to capture.

Uptton died shortly before his 95th birthday.

Favorite Bible Artist #1 Frank Hampson
Favorite Bible Artist #2 Nestor Redondo
Favorite Bible Artist #4 Cicely Mary Barker