Peacock Eyes

Rolf Armstrong — Photoplay — May, 1920

Skate Date

What a sweetheart. If I was her age in 1929, I would SO ask her out for a skate date, catch snowflakes on our tongues, drink hot chocolate together.

Honey, I SAID if I was her age, meaning I wouldn't have met you yet.

Rolf Armstrong — College Humor — December 1929

Artistic Force

The previous post demonstrated a pure homage.

This post demonstrates a pure rip-off.

The top image is by Jack Greiner from 1939, seven years after the elegant pastel by Rolf Armstrong, shown at the bottom. Greiner's image was actually also used on an earlier cover of Paris Gayety, still two years after Armstrong's.

Armstrong was an original artistic force.

Jack Greiner — Parisienne Nights — 1939

Rolf Armstrong — College Humor — May 1932

Lots of Inspiration

No matter how dated Rolf Armstrong's subjects may look, I still get lots of inspiration from his technique to bring to my pastel drawings.

Rolf Armstrong — Puck — March 27, 1915

Vibrant and Fanciful

The original early 20th century Metropolitan Magazine seemingly had many vibrant and fanciful covers, running for a number of years, and was a great venue for Pogany and Armstrong. The image on the header of this 'blog was originally one of its covers. But I've yet to see more than just a few collected here and there. Another coffee table book waiting to happen.

Willy Pogany — August 1916

Rolf Armstrong — August 1918

Rolf Armstrong — January 1919

Armstrong Favorites

Rolf Armstrong is a favorite golden age magazine artist, and my overall favorites of his work are his College Humor covers. The portraits of women are certainly vintage, but the colors, compositions and moods are timeless.

The delicate tracery of the veil in the first one here, with the delicate shadow is subtly amazing considering the pastel medium he's using.

Above and below, reworking the cover for a calendar.

La Jeune Fille

As a young man, I saw this print of a jeune fille by Rolf Armstrong, and it singlehandedly inspired me to become a portrait artist. I was most intrigued by the balance of tight rendering and loose strokes, as well as the boldness of color and gaze.

Further intrigue results from the similarity to the magazine cover that was part of my first serious image collection as a boy. Yet, you can see the decided differences and why one might inspire me more than the other.