Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s by Rian Hughes

Lifestyle Illustration of the 60s Reviews

• 
  Parka

  
  
  (
  More pictures at parkablogs.com)
  
  Kudos to the author for putting together this amazing collection of illustrations from the 60s. I can't imagine the amount of effort required to source and credit the thousand over pieces of art. There's a total of 576 pages so this paperback book is rather thick.
  
  The style, well, is 60s and the variety comes from the different human subjects featured and the colours. The reproduction of the paintings are good. There's a very nice textural look to them. What strikes me immediately besides the style is the use of masterful composition. The examples on composition are good enough for me to recommend this book even to lifestyle photographers who haven't any interest in paintings -- there's plenty to learn from seeing.
  
  This book should be very nostalgic for anyone working in the design industry during those times. It provides a very interesting glimpse into the the 60s pop culture.
• 
  M

  This is such a good collection…i love the 60’s work.. u can see the transition from bright world to darker world.. as if the world got more complex and dark and the drawing imitated it…then slowly it goes to abstract and then into line-work and a mixture of it.
  You can literally see the transition.. overall loved it.. and yes quite an food for eye…
  
  Found it in my college’s library.. i wouldn’t buy it tbh but i guess maybe because i m not sucker for illustration just yet… my fav was still the starting work 60-61s .
• 
  Avedon Arcadio

  One of the best collected and curated books on the art of a decade of groundbreaking style and design.
• 
  Matt

  The decade of the ’60s seems to conjure up a lot of images of femininity to me — slinky James Bond gal, mod miniskirted model, Donna Reedy housewife, hippie chick, California beach bunny. All of those archetypes, and many more, are on full display in Lifestyle Illustration of the ’60s, a brick-like volume of vintage magazine illustrations expertly selected by Rian Hughes. Sure, there are some men pictured within these pages, but since the illustrations come from various popular British women’s mags of the era (Woman, Woman’s Own, Homes and Gardens, Woman’s Journal to name a few) they tend to focus on the fairer sex rendered in every color of the rainbow. The women are generally seen in swooning, romantic poses with body language and facial expressions that hint at some intrigue or outside danger (what is the trench coated beauty on page 322 looking at?).
  
  What most impressed me about this book is how craftily the illustrators worked with white space and printing techniques to make a visually stunning statement. The artwork is presented in chronological order, reproduced in graphic layouts that punch up the often stunning color palettes the artists used. The earlier examples are more conservative subject-wise, with prim ladies emoting in billowy dresses, but the art is surprisingly daring in technique. As the ’60s move along, we see wilder colors and looser, more artfully sketch-like renderings, until 1966-67 brings on a mod, Carnaby Street influence with a graphic punch. Cartoons, collage, surrealism, revival and psychedelic styles all get their due, but by 1969 we’re back in the realm of glamorously swooning ladies rendered in washy paints. Some things never change, it seems.
  
  This book focuses solely on British publications, which honestly let me down a little, but many American artists of the era are represented here with quality work by the likes of Coby Whitmore, Andy Virgil and Lynn Buckham. One of my favorites from that period, Bob Peak, is represented only once — a striking image of a kissing couple dominated by the black space between their profiles. Wow!
  
  - Scrubbles.net review, September 16, 2011
• 
  Glasdow Teacosy

  Much of the illustration of the 60s & 70s never appealed to me. As a young boy I couldn't understand why ugly was IN. This book helped me understand the evolution of lifestyle illustration through the 60s as it competed with photography in a dwindling market. I still dislike much of it, with the gritty underpainting and garish colors leaning towards oranges and greens. However, there was some great work done, and I'm glad to have discovered it in these pages.
• 
  Donnell

  Great way to get a pictorial and social history of the 1960's--not to mention learning about various mid-20th century illustrators. Being old-fashioned--so preferring the more photo realistic rather---my fav artist was Jac Mars.
• 
  Leonard

  It maintained my interest as I leafed throught it. There isn't much text and it's a topic I don't know much about, but the illustrations were mildly interesting.