The Wolf and the Crane 1912

Arthur Rackham made this drawing of The Wolf and the Crane with ink in 1912, and what I love about ink drawings is that you can see every decision the artist made, right there on the page. There's so much life in the marks themselves. Look at the wolf's fur, it's all these quick, scratchy lines that give it a real sense of texture and movement, and the way Rackham uses line weight to create depth and shadow makes it seem so solid and present. The crane's feathers, made with long lines and curves, are a study in contrast. Rackham reminds me of Edward Gorey, who uses those meticulous details to bring the world to life, and also makes you wonder, what is the world really like? The process of looking at it this closely makes you ask questions about what you see.