Drawing inspiration: Illuminations by Saul Steinberg

I learned about the work of Saul Steinberg through a drawing course on Domestika taught by Javier Royo. From the brief introduction, I was immediately intrigued by the artist. Steinberg (1914-1999) was born in Romania, fled anti-Semitic sentiments by emigrating to the United States in 1942, and rose to become The New Yorker’s most well-known and highly regarded artist.

I started by going through Illuminations, the album published in 2007, which features illustrations from the 1940s to 1970s.

I was particularly drawn to Steinberg's very detailed ink illustrations because that’s the aesthetic that is closer to mine.

Cassino, 1945, ink over pencil on paper

Underground, 1946, ink on paper

I also greatly liked the artwork created using the gelatin silver process, a technique for image development. For a time now, I've been wanting to try combining drawings and photographs.

1) Woman in Tub, 1949, gelatin silver print, 2) Excavation, 1951-52, ink on gelatin silver print

As well as Steinberg's art created with colored pencils. His beautiful outcomes encourage me to use colored pencils more often.

Breakfast Still Life, c. 1974, pencil and colored pencil on paper

View of the World from 9th Avenue, 1976; ink, pencil, colored pencil, and watercolor on paper