Miroslav Sasek

You may be familiar with Miroslav Sasek's This is series of childrens books. They are now available in reprints, but I was lucky enough to be given this original edition of This is Munich from 1961. I thought I would share some images with you.

I haven't taken shots of all full pages, but the cover here shows you just how great the compostion is. Sparse, bold and a little off kilter.

Love the way city rooftops become a simple geometric pattern.

More simple graphic shapes, but so much imformation packed into so few lines and shapes. Reminds me that what I leave out of a desisgn is as important as what I put in.

There is such gentle humour in the Sasek draws people. Always makes me smile.

The tram lines are my favourite imagery in this book. Another example of how a simple line can express so much. The picture on the right is made by the composition of the spidery lines. It really holds the whole image together. I love the texture of the watercolour and ink bleeding into one another.

Had to include this one. A riot of colour and kiosks. This is my way of working- blocks of colour and skinny black lines.

 

It's just too good isn't it? I find his books such an inspiration for technique and pattern. Definitely not just for kids.