Franklin Booth

Franklin Booth, born 1874 and raised in Indiana, was an artist who worked mainly with ink and a pen. His works are composed of thousands of lines, whose careful positioning next to one another determine the density and shade of that particular region. His unusual technique was the result of a misunderstanding: As a boy, Booth scrupulously copied magazine illustrations which he thought were pen and ink drawings. In fact, they were wood engravings. [Reed, Walt and Roger, "The Illustrator in America 1880-1980", page 89. Madison Square Press, Inc., 1984.]

Booth was primarily a commercial artist and his works have been used in Harpers, The Century Magazine, Everybody's Magazine, McClure's, Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, House & Garden, Ladies Home Journal and others.

Despite the laboriousness of his technique, Booth's compositions were characterised by a grand sense of space. As a result, his drawings were often well-matched to poetic or editorial entries. [Reed, 1984, p. 89.] A book of his drawings was published in 1925.

Legacy

"I have always admired the beauty of Franklin Booth's work and regard him as an exponent of the very best in American Illustration". ~Norman Rockwell. ["20 Masterpieces", Frances Publishing. N.Y. 1947.]

"Booth's pen-and-inks have the lush richness of a fine old tapestry plus an exciting imagination". ~ James Montgomery Flagg. ["20 Masterpieces", Frances Publishing. N.Y. 1947.]

"I have always stood spellbound before on of Booth's noble pen paintings. They recall today the Golden Age of American Illustration when such giants as Pyle, Abbey, Remington, and Gibson set a standard hard to reach. Booth earned his place beside such men as These". ~Dean Cornwell. ["20 Masterpieces", Frances Publishing. N.Y. 1947.]

"I still wish I could do a pen drawing the way Franklin Booth handled them. The present-day student who wants quick success should be forced to copy a few of his illustrations just for the discipline. I used to do them just for the love of it". ~ Milton Caniff. ["20 Masterpieces", Frances Publishing. N.Y. 1947.]

Roy Krenkel cited Booth as an influence and has dedicated some of his paintings to him.

References

External links

* [http://www.bpib.com/booth.htm A biography of Booth]
* [http://www.fleskpublications.com/galleries/booth/ A gallery of Booth's works]
* [http://www.auadpublishing.com/gallery/sp_booth1.htm Another gallery of Booth's illustrations]