Samantha Fenn

CE drawing
CE Art Drawing Paper

Andrew Loomis shaped art as we know it. He has had a tremendous

effect on the way I interpret and practice art. Loomis was an accomplished
illustrator and author. He led a very productive career. He has been essential
in my artistic development. The knowledge he imparted through his text,
(now nearly a century old) may be responsible for the fundamental
knowledge of generations of artists.

Andrew Loomis was born 1892 in Syracuse, New York, but spent his childhood
in Zanesville, Ohio. As a child Loomis was inspired by the work of Howard
Chandler Christy, even calling Christy the inspiration for his art career. He
received his art education from; The New York, Art Students League and The
Chicago Art institute. He is best known his series of instructional art books,
loomis grew up in Zanesville, Ohio and spent his adult life in Chicago, Illinois.
While attending school in chicago Loomis worked at the Charles Everett art
studio.
Andrew Loomis served in the U.S. Military during World War I. After the
conclusion of the war Loomis worked at a couple of studios before going into
business for himself. His versatility as an artist was probably what helped him
become successful and gain clientele that included some of the biggest
brands of the time such as Kellogg's, Coco-Cola, Lucky Strike, etc. His

confidence when working in several media including; oil, pastel, charcoal,

watercolour, etc. As well as his ability to portray a wide range of subject
matter where part of what set him apart.
Even though Loomis led a successful career as a commercial artist, he is most
famous for his work as an educator. Loomis began teaching at the American
Academy of Art in Chicago, where his experience as an educator inspired him
to write the first of his six books which include: Fun With A Pencil (1939),
Figure Drawing For All Its Worth (1943)(probably his most popular), Creative
Illustration (1947) , Successful Drawing (1951), Drawing The Head And
Hands(1956), Three-Dimensional Drawing (successful drawing revised 3rd
edition, 1961), and his last text Eye Of The Painter And Elements Of
Beauty(1961) was released after his death with assistance from his wife.

Loomis text have been fundamental to me. In the following paragraphs I

would like to explain the way His works and texts have been useful to me in
my development as an artist.

"I feel that talent means little unless coupled with an insatiable desire to give
an excellent personal demonstration of ability...talent must be in company
with a capacity for unlimited effort which provides the power that eventually
hurdles the difficulties that would frustrate lukewarm enthusiasm."- Andrew
loomis
Loomis thought a beginning artist had all the potential in the world. He also
taught that an artist is never good enough. You must always strive to

improve.
Ones skill is never complete, ones knowledge is forever lacking, ones taste
is invariably altered, ones opinion ever subject to controversy. There is a
complete and constant urge towards improvement. Andrew Loomis.
I consider that a lesson to live by. His work has influenced my love of art and
inspired me to work hard instead of relying on just talent, his work ethic is
unbelievably inspiring. Being an artist is a lifelong commitment to learning. I
recognize that there will never be a point when my art will be perfect. I can
only work toward becoming better than I was before. If you cant put all of
your effort into your work, then no amount of talent will make you a better
artist.

Andrew loomis art work reflected the way he thought and his outlook on life.
He had a fun personality, some of his illustrations are very silly and
cartoonish, filled with disproportionate figures with silly faces and large ears.
"It is ten percent how you draw, and ninety per cent what you draw.'' Andrew Loomis
His individualistic personality gave life to his work and In my opinion it
is part of what makes andrew loomis work stand out so much. Loomis
pushed himself to take risks and try new techniques. He did much of his
artwork in color which was not a common practice at the time. His work
inspired me to try different techniques, even if they seem like they might not
be the obvious choice. I particularly liked the drawings he did of women in his
own style, because of the colors and his use of space and values. It taught

me the importance of the appropriate usage of space and negative values.

Some of my favorites of Loomis works are his painting of women, most of

them are late 1800's - 1950s in brightly colored mediums. Loomis has
affected my development as an artist in many different ways. Andrew loomis
said that you should add anatomy to every figure you draw even if the figure
is clothed. Which is why I have tried to incorporate more anatomy into my art
and make my figures more Realistic. In fact his anatomy drawings have
helped me map out my own sketches to make them more accurate. Working
hard on your drawing skills is more important than any talent you could have
been born with.
"To any man who has slaved to acquire skill in his art, it is most irritating to
have his ability referred to as a gift. The way he looks at art as a talent
makes me feel better about my own art skills.-Andrew Loomis

Both of my parents are artists. I cant remember a time when art wasnt a
part of my life. From a young age my mother has been guiding me as I try to
improve my technique as an artist. Andrew Loomis had a big influence on her
art and she used his texts to help herself improve. As a child his books were
often used as a reference to learn about figure drawing. His books are often
found lying open around one of our projects. The content in them is as
relevant today as it was at the time they were written.
Loomis is responsible for assisting in the education and inspiration
of many artists today. This is partially thanks to his usage of human anatomy

and composition, as well as the Techniques he constructed himself. Not only

is he a great artist he is a great teacher. I would suggest you take the
opportunity to see his works in person if possible, they are truly lovely.

Bibliography

(Editor), Walter Foster, and Andrew Loomis (Illustrations), Alex Ross

(Illustrations). "Andrew Loomis." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

Cabrera, Armand . "William Andrew Loomis." William Andrew Loomis. Art and
Influence, 01 Aug. 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

"TOP 9 QUOTES BY ANDREW LOOMIS." A-Z Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan.
2017.

Vadeboncoeur, Jim, Jr. "Andrew Loomis." Andrew Loomis. JVJ Publishing, 2011.
Web. 13 Jan. 2017.

SOURCES
http://www.azquotes.com/author/50693-Andrew_Loomis
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/85596.Andrew_Loomis
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/loomis.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Loomis