Shout Out to Charley Harper: One With the Birds

I was drawing birds a couple weekends ago and thought I'd give a shout out to American illustrator Charley Harper (1922-2007). Harper is best known for his highly stylized nature drawings, full of elegant geometry and bold portions of color that capture the remarkable personalities of so many feathered friends. When asked to describe his visual style, Charley responded:

When I look at a wildlife or nature subject, I don't see the feathers in the wings, I just count the wings. I see exciting shapes, color combinations, patterns, textures, fascinating behavior and endless possibilities for making interesting pictures.

The above images are from a series created for Ford Times between 1954 and 1956. You can see more here. And if you're in Cincinnati you can see the Ford Times covers in person until September 5, 2010!