John Grenier Book Art

[Mike Jackson]

Here's a note I received in my email this morning:

Dear Mike,
Thank you and the others for the responses to my questions about photoshop. I thought some might like to see the result and how it ties in to Handlettering. The job was book cover art for a story titled "The Legacy" the name of an antique wooden boat that is in the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel, MI. The tale is about a robbery of two local banks and stealing the money from the boat show. The book jacket has the local map for the reader to follow along on the getaway. The painting of the boat "Quite Please" is by Diana Grenier. I used photoshop to change the name and create the book jacket. I did handletter the actual boat "Quiet Please" and the painting was done from photo references. In the story the signwriter from Up North Studio is given credit for naming the boat. In real life Diana and I own Up North Studio and I letter many antique wood boats. Last year of all the winners chosen I lettered the top three as well as 17 others that finished at the top of their catgories. We have made the art for the poster four times. The poster attached is all hand lettered.

Sincerely,
John Grenier

[John Yarnell]

Beautiful poster John great color, layout lettering and pictorial, How big was the original artwork and what kind of paints were you working with?

Thanks John

[John Grenier]

These pieces are painted using Golden acrylics on watercolor paper. The illustrations are painted in a watercolor technique and then gradually more opaque somewhat like using gouche in a an illustrative technique. Probably nearer egg tempora technique builing glazes over glazes. This make for a very luminescent quality to the illustratioins. The lettering is opaque acrylic but lettered in traditional manner.
The sizes are about 28 inches wide.

John