John Silver
Until recently justifiably praised far and wide for his stunning traditional canine compositions, the celebrated illustrative artist, John Silver has now turned his visual attentions to an altogether different – and how can we put this, more risqué – genre. Although dog art tended to be Silver’s default setting, he has been known to originate both equestrian and landscape pieces, yet his new-found artistic direction definitely marks a graphical sea-change for Silver, as he focusses on often erotically-posed, semi-nude female figurative work. Or is it really that much of a perceived departure for Silver, as he did after all illustrate a host of computer magazines and games covers at the vanguard of that particular highly illustrative (and decidedly fantasy-orientated) movement in the 1980s.
Born in Macclesfield in Cheshire in 1959, Silver is completely self-schooled when it comes to the illustrative process and traditional, fine art side of things, as his creative background/higher education lay in graphic design. Or commercial art/illustration as it was more typically known in the 1980s. Silver recalls wanting to be an artist from the age of 5, whilst now he can look back over a professional artistic career which has to date spanned some three decades and rising. And Silver remains totally committed to his artistic cause when he freely admits that; “For me, this is not a job, it is my lifestyle.... I love every minute of every day that I am painting. This is what I was born to do and my whole life has been dedicated to it”.
On the subject of dedication, Silver has afforded much of his spare time (before turning professional and whilst otherwise spending his 9 – 5 employed as a freelance illustrator and photographic retoucher) to studying the applied techniques and visual methodology patented and frequented by the universally accepted, ‘Old Masters’. The revered likes of Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Titian, Caravaggio and Vermeer amongst others have perpetually provided Silver with direction far beyond the simple graphical presentation remit, as he’s sought to recreate the actual materials the iconic aforementioned used back in the historical day. Indeed, most of Silver’s compositions muster 500 year old techniques, many of which paint a "Grisaille", or monochromatic under painting and then glazing the colours over the top. To Silver’s mind this remains to this day the most effective and rapid manner in which to administer traditional oils to the canvas. Although Silver suggests that he also loves to work All Prima (in one go) on certain occasions as both the mood and subject matter dictates, subjecting the surface to oils direct from the tube and which itself is a quick-fire way in which to work.
It’s evident that Silver’s professional art career is something that he’s extremely proud of, and he fervently believes that if his compositions in whatever genre they appear afford someone, somewhere a little joy and visual satisfaction, then his life’s work has not been in vain. Today, and Silver’s cross-section of work – from his long-standing and ever-popular canine pieces through to his new, alternative artistic adventures in more erotic figurative fields of illustration – belongs to varying degrees in private collections across the globe, and amongst his seasoned collectors he can count members of the British royal family and celebrities. With limited edition prints of his individual pieces and hitherto collections having been manifested with reproduced with accumulative successes by working in tandem with fine art publishers down the years, Silver’s art has caught the eye and imagination of not just the buying public but awarding industry bodies as well. So it’s no surprise to learn that Silver has, in his time thus far, bagged a collection of silverware including the Fine Art Trade Guild’s ‘Best Upcoming Artist’ in 1994 and ‘Best Selling Artist’ in 1998, alongside of the more recent, ‘Best Artist Award’ as presented by the Guild of Erotic Artists in 2012; of which he’s a member of these days.
Born in Macclesfield in Cheshire in 1959, Silver is completely self-schooled when it comes to the illustrative process and traditional, fine art side of things, as his creative background/higher education lay in graphic design. Or commercial art/illustration as it was more typically known in the 1980s. Silver recalls wanting to be an artist from the age of 5, whilst now he can look back over a professional artistic career which has to date spanned some three decades and rising. And Silver remains totally committed to his artistic cause when he freely admits that; “For me, this is not a job, it is my lifestyle.... I love every minute of every day that I am painting. This is what I was born to do and my whole life has been dedicated to it”.
On the subject of dedication, Silver has afforded much of his spare time (before turning professional and whilst otherwise spending his 9 – 5 employed as a freelance illustrator and photographic retoucher) to studying the applied techniques and visual methodology patented and frequented by the universally accepted, ‘Old Masters’. The revered likes of Rembrandt, Da Vinci, Titian, Caravaggio and Vermeer amongst others have perpetually provided Silver with direction far beyond the simple graphical presentation remit, as he’s sought to recreate the actual materials the iconic aforementioned used back in the historical day. Indeed, most of Silver’s compositions muster 500 year old techniques, many of which paint a "Grisaille", or monochromatic under painting and then glazing the colours over the top. To Silver’s mind this remains to this day the most effective and rapid manner in which to administer traditional oils to the canvas. Although Silver suggests that he also loves to work All Prima (in one go) on certain occasions as both the mood and subject matter dictates, subjecting the surface to oils direct from the tube and which itself is a quick-fire way in which to work.
It’s evident that Silver’s professional art career is something that he’s extremely proud of, and he fervently believes that if his compositions in whatever genre they appear afford someone, somewhere a little joy and visual satisfaction, then his life’s work has not been in vain. Today, and Silver’s cross-section of work – from his long-standing and ever-popular canine pieces through to his new, alternative artistic adventures in more erotic figurative fields of illustration – belongs to varying degrees in private collections across the globe, and amongst his seasoned collectors he can count members of the British royal family and celebrities. With limited edition prints of his individual pieces and hitherto collections having been manifested with reproduced with accumulative successes by working in tandem with fine art publishers down the years, Silver’s art has caught the eye and imagination of not just the buying public but awarding industry bodies as well. So it’s no surprise to learn that Silver has, in his time thus far, bagged a collection of silverware including the Fine Art Trade Guild’s ‘Best Upcoming Artist’ in 1994 and ‘Best Selling Artist’ in 1998, alongside of the more recent, ‘Best Artist Award’ as presented by the Guild of Erotic Artists in 2012; of which he’s a member of these days.