5 Great Draftsmen: Gustav Klimt

(part 1 in a series of 3)

The ability to evoke a narrative with great draftsmanship and a 
’lively’ line is something most artists strive for – we’ll look 
at five illustrators that have it in abundance.

Gustav Klimt, Franklin Booth, Chris Van Allsburg, Bill Sienkiewicz and 
James Jean – all have been recognized as gifted artists with 
countless awards bestowed upon them. While they all have distinctive 
styles they share many qualities as artists. A strong narrative 
displayed throughout books or graphic novels is one commonality 
between these stellar artists. Another would be the strong sense of 
anatomy necessary when the work is reliant on the human figure. A 
sense of drama and mastery of composition and brilliant handling of 
color (even with the black and white work of Booth!) are evident in 
all of these artists.

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt spent years of study developing his distinctive style in 
his youth. His formal training gave him the confidence to explore his 
vision. The skillful juxtopose of volumetric form and decorative 
elements in many of his paintings create a dynamic whole and it’s not 
difficult to see a his influence in Bill Sienkiewicz’s (among others) 
work. Female figures with a charged eroticism inhabited his work and 
he was no stranger to controversy (in 1900 Klimt unveiled 
’Philosophy’). As we look through his paintings we’re in a world where 
magical things happen and we readily believe it because his undeniable 
command of form works perfectly in combination with (and against) the 
more gestural and fanciful mark making.

• Gustav Klimt: His Life and Work (iklimt.com)
• Gustav Klimt (wikipedia.org)