Cavalier magazine, story illustration 

This story illustration for Cavalier magazine was made by Robert McGinnis, using paint on illustration board. The image, with its smooth rendering, might seem a world away from ‘craft’ as it is commonly understood. Yet McGinnis, like all illustrators, was deeply invested in the techniques and materials of his trade. Consider the surface of this painting. It is incredibly smooth, made with thin layers of paint carefully applied. These effects were achieved through an understanding of his materials – paint, thinner, and brush. The fast-drying nature of paint meant that an image like this had to be realized quickly, which influenced the artist's process. The illustration’s original context is critical here. Magazines like Cavalier provided a massive market for illustration, and the images needed to grab attention on the newsstand. Appreciating this artwork means understanding its value and the labor embedded in its production. Rather than being viewed as separate from high art, illustrations can be seen as crucial to a broader understanding of visual culture.