Early this morning, I was sitting in the ocean waiting on a wave. To kill the time, I began to think about my post this morning. I don't know if it was the water, the cold temperatures, or my numb toes but something made me think about the beginning... <BR><BR>To read the rest of this blog entry from The Jalopy Journal, click here.
Quite a body of work, always wished I could do that. Wouldn't the originals make a great show for a museum?
Ahh this is a Christmas gift in itself. As I said in Chrisman entry, I love these Cut-a-way illustrations/technical masterpieces. Thank you for posting them all in one place.
JeffreyJames was it you that suggested that the rodders journal should start comissioning these for their features? Regardless one of the magazines has to start doing this again, I love cut-aways/technical drawings they are becoming a lost artform
Thanks for putting those up. I wasn't familiar with his work, but have always dug tech.illustrations, and now those are some of my favorites. I'm with Ynotta, mags should definately start that back up.
Cool man, thanks! BTW, where are you if your sitting in water waiting on a wave at Christmas? Someplace I would rather be I can tell you!
Ryan, if you sold those as large, framable prints, I'd buy at least one. Something to think about. Also, I'm curious, where exactly were you waiting on a wave?
Ryan, If you keep this up, I may have to buy a flatty. My less than traditional side is clinging to more modern engineering, but you keep taking a bite out of my argument. Thanks!
Thanks Ryan. As a young man with small pockets, I do not have a complete reference of Hot Rod Magazine. I always appreciate postings from the magazine and more specifically Rex Burnett goodies. Thanks, Pax
Great subject Ryan. Burnett drawings have always been bitchen to take in. Nice to see a ton of them in one spot in a digital way. Where you might be surfing seems to be the question of the post, but I will ask the real five dollar question. Where are all of the Burnett originals, and will they ever be available for purchase ala auction etc.? My guess is they are long gone or locked up in the Petersen archive. Anyone?? D.
thanks ryan, I'm always studying those drawings..... i was just last night thinking about another car project and decided that this evening i will dig out the hot rod magazines with the cutaways to look at a few certain details saved me the effort and i can look from at work! Zach
Love em'!!! His signature is down right beautiful!!! Ken Note: the last one is illustrated by Robert Thatcher. Is there a link to the two?
"Early this morning, I was sitting in the ocean waiting on a wave." Now that is just torture, I am here at work freezing my ya-ya's off, torture I tell ya. but the drawings are great.
Thanks Ryan for posting those! That's a nice Christmas present! Wonder if Burnett had Rapidographs back then,or just ruling pens and brushes? Merry Christmas to you and yours!
This man was always a gifted artist & perfect illustrater! I can remember all the great drawings he made for HRM since he started (1949 I think), for him to get in all the details was truly a work of art!--------Along with Tom Medley (Stroker McGurk), I hold these 2 way up there on a pedestal!!!------------Don
Great post Ryan, Rex's son is no slouch either. He owned the Deucari, and I believe that Rex did a cut away of that as well. Very good inspiration. Where are you siiting in the ocean, Texas?
I used to spend more time looking at those than any other part of the mags an I remember wondering where you could learn to draw like that...Now I believe that it's more of a tallent thing, I don't think anyone could "teach" how to produce such art! I would also buy nice prints if they were ever made available.
There have been other technical illustrators who've taken the automotive cutaway to higher levels of complexity -- David Kimble, James Allington and Yoshihiro Inomoto come to mind -- but Burnett's stuff is remarkable for the simplicity and elegance of his style, using only black line and fill with no shading (not to mention that he really drew hot rods well). I would guess that Burnett might have been inspired by Allington, who used a similar style on illustrations of European racing cars. I know nothing about Rex Burnett, but I'd bet that he was a pro technical illustrator who worked in the aircraft industry and moonlighted on cars; his skill and facility was too great to just be an ordinary illustrator with a technical bent. I think it's unlikely that any of today's magazines would have the budget to commission work of comparable quality in today's environment. For anyone interested in reading a LOT more about this specialty, go to http://forums.autosport.com/showthread.php?threadid=84751&highlight=cutaway
Rex Burnett cutaway drawing of a model "B" engine. Hot Rod magazine may 1951. original Miller/Schofield/Gragar rocker arm head. Think he did some stuff for Harley Davidson..........not too sure............checking that out.
I see what you mean about his drawings kind of validating the design of a rod or race car. He's a big influence on my ink style, (and my signature! Heh.) I can never draw every tread detail in a tire and don't want to, but he did and made it look good! Didn't Mark Morton have a bunch of those? There were some in his gallery for sale at one of the Hop Up runs one time, maybe on consignment, but I bet he knows. Couldn't afford them then, sure can't right now! One of the greats!
Dang, another day with nothing accomplished other than sitting here drooling over the Rex Burnette drawings. What a Chrismas gift! I am in utter amazement at the quality and simplicity of his drawings. They make me squirm as I spent quite a bit of my life as a patent draftsman, which meant I did all my drawings, many of which were perspectives and cutaways, in pen and ink. Sadly, I could never come any where near the artistic mastery exhibited by Mr. Burnette. However, to be able to see his works makes me smile and, with all that is happening in the world right now, that is a very good thing. Thank you Ryan, and Merry Christmas to you and Marcie and the little Cochrans. In fact, Merry Christmas to all the HAMBers out there wherever you are!
i was sitting in the ocean waiting for a wave last weekend here in Norcal, and all else being equal, I will be surfing socal for the rest of the week. So Ryan where were you?
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