Jamie Hewlett has been my favorite comic artist for a long time. His artwork uses highly exaggerated forms with bold lines to depict characters in bold stylized manners. Each of the figures within his comics are instantly readable and expressive due to the precision with which he makes each line. However, my favorite work of his isn't any of his comics. Instead, it's a series of drawings and prints which he made in France simply entitled "Pine." Each of the trees he illustrates with immaculate detail, from the bark to the needle-like leaves. Hewlett doesn't use any color or varying shades of grey in his depiction of the trees. Each tree is comprised of either pure white or black, and yet he captures the texture and value of the trees nonetheless.
(Jamie Hewlett, "Pine 1," one color screenprint, 2015, 119 x 84 cm)
Looking at this first tree, his stylized lines immediately jump out, darting across the bark in a highly textural manner. The grooves and channels of the wood are instantly recognizable. He also pushes the values to the extreme, rendering almost half the tree in complete black.
(Jamie Hewlett, "Pine 2," one color screenprint, 2015, 119 x 84 cm)
Here in the second tree, the thing that leaps out to me is what Hewlett chose not to draw. In one of the lower-left limbs, rather than conveying it as pure black, he adds on details by drawing channels in the bark with white. Additionally, the curving forms and "motion" of the tree itself stands out in this piece.
(Jamie Hewlett, "Pine 3," one color screenprint, 2015, 119 x 84 cm)
Here, Hewlett plays with the negative space, creating a tall and imposing tree by allowing the viewer's eye an empty space to contrast the bold detail of the tree itself.
All of these trees have complex and interesting compositions, and these 3 pieces are just a sample of his 20 piece series, each of which can be picked apart for hours. There isn't a particular meaning to any of the trees, it's simply something Hewlett wanted to make, but his craftsmanship and detail continues to amaze me.
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