Change -beginning in 1984

illustration by Keith Bendiss printed on the cover of Art Direction magazine Jan 1992

change – make or become different , move from one to another , arrive at a fresh phase

I’ve kept this cover of Print magazine ,illustrated by Keith Bendiss, since the early 1990′s,because this illustration spoke to me about the changes illustrators would have to make, in the way they worked. The change began many years before when Steve Jobs introduced the first Macintosh computer. The real introduction came in the third quarter advertisement during the Super Bowl game of 1984.   Without Adobe software this change for illustrators and graphic designers may not have happened. Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company founded in 1982. The company has historically focused upon the creation of multimedia and creativity software products. In the mid 1980′s they introduced the consumer software Adobe Illustrator  for Apple Macintosh and in 1989, Adobe introduced a graphics editing program for Macintosh called Photoshop.In 1993, Adobe introduced PDF and Adobe Acrobat and Reader software.

The illustration by Keith Bendiss was created traditionally,using tools like those running away from the invading computer.

So what tools do my wife and I use today,well both digital and traditional and since my wife Carolyn is a graphic designer she uses various software ,lnDesign,Illustrator and photoshop to name a few. I create my illustrations using a combination of digital,mostly photoshop, and traditional paint, pencils,pen, ink and the technology of copy machines. Below are photos I took of our traditional tools,which are more interesting visually, to me, than my plastic Adobe imac.

Traditional art tools

America – It’s People and Values, part 2

Portrait of Irving Berlin by John Dyess

Four Portraits from America It's People and Values

Five additional portraits from “America It’s People and Values”. I created a total of 21 portraits for this book.

America – It’s People and Values

Illustration of Edward R. Murrow by John Dyess

This illustration of Edward R Murrow was one of over thirty illustrations I created for a text book titled “America It’s People and Values” published by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,Publishers, in 1984.I got this assignment through my New York City representative,  Mulvey and Associates. The samples that HBJ liked were the mountain climbers I did for Aetna Life & Casualty.

Buhl and Hillary

The illustration of Edward R. Murrow was the first illustration shown to HBJ. They approved this sample and I proceeded to create the remaining portraits.

 

 

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – peak Performance – 1980 part 2

Hermann Buhl

This is another illustration of  a mountain climber I created for Aetna  Life & Casualty  ”Peak Performance” incentive campaign in 1980 while working at Maritz. Five mountain climbers were featured. Below is a description of the campaign and a brief bio on Hermann Buhl.

Bio of Hermann Buhl

 

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – Peak performance – 1980

Portrait of Sir Edmund Hillary by John Dyess

This was one of the last campaigns I worked on at Maritz. I started my own business,John Dyess Illustration, in September of 1980. This campaign was called Peak Performance and was created for Aetna Life & Casualty. The print mailers were geared around famous mountain climbers. This portrait of Sir Edmund Hillary was on the first mailer. The trips promoted were to Germany and the Bahamas.

Detail from original illustration

This illustration of Edmund hillary was created using graphite pencil on Crescent Illustration Board, cold press surface, No. 100 heavy weight. A thin coat of gesso was painted on the surface of the illustration board before the pencil was applied. Color was added using Dr. PH Martin Radiant Concentrated Water Color ,applied with round sable brushes. I was primarily interested in drawing the shapes in Hillary face and hair and the  shapes of Mount everest. This illustration was more about shapes and color than Edmund Hillary and the mountain. I used this sample to promote My work when I began John Dyess illustrtion. This sample helped me get an assignment illustrating about 30 Americans for a text book.

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – The trip that wasn’t cancelled.

A taste of the Bahamas 1979

Maritz in 1979 was promoting two trips for GE,one was cancelled, the trip to the Moscow Olympic games and one trip wasn’t, a trip to the Bahamas. This is some of the illustrations I created for the direct mail campaign to the Bahamas. graphite pencil on mat board colored with Dr. Martin’s Dyes.

illustration by John Dyess for Bahamas mailer 1979

This is a black and white drawing used for a Bahamas mailer. Pencil on mat board. I still like this drawing.

Sights to See GE 1979

 

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – Commercial Credit Corporation

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan

This illustration  was printed on an offset printer and was used for direct mail to employees of Commercial Credit Corporation. This was one of a series of mailers with the theme of Team Power 77. Team Power was a popular theme at Maritz during the 1970s. This illustration was created long before personal computers,the internet and software like Photoshop. I think this mailer was to be printed in full color but was changed to two PMS colors. My concept was to show Helen Keller as a series of dots that would represent the Braille system of reading and writing used  by blind people. I enlarged a black and white portrait of Helen Keller  printed in a book to capture the dot pattern that was used to print this photo by Offset Printing. My  illustration of  of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan,shown below, was created in a technique I began to use about the early to mid- 1970s. I would paint over a black and white  photo or photostat with acrylic paint with the base photograph showing through the acrylic paint. Helen Keller is the seated woman on the left.

illustration of Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan by John Dyess

Detail from Illustration

The size of the illustration is 7.5″ x 9.5″. I made the colors in the illustration warm and light to represent the special relationship between these women. Again this was before digital illustrations. Much of the digital illustration process is based on traditional techniques.

Cover of mailer

inside text below illustration

The folded cover of the mailer is  9″ x 9″ and the interior of the mailer is 9″ wide by 18″ high.

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – Pratt & Lambert

Excitement '74

This art was probably created in 1973 since this announcement mailer was promoting a trip in 1974. During the early 1970′s I was experimenting a lot. I still like this image ,however, I don’t think I ever worked this way again. I wish I had done more illustrations like this. I don’t remember if the graphic designer on this project suggested I work like this. This was a promotion for a trip to Mexico.  Pratt & Lambert sold paint.

My best guess is this was acrylic on canvas painted with a black base.

Excitement '74 detail

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – Carling Crown Club II

Jamaica Carling

I was always able to experiment working with new styles of  illustration when employed at Maritz, which was just one of the reasons I stayed for eleven years. I illustrated this announcement mailer using a collage technique. I cut out images from Jamaican brochures ,glued them on illustration board and painted over the images with acrylic paint. This was either a forerunner of Photoshop or scrapbooking, neither of which were available at this time. Several years later Maritz began using a stock photo agency to lease the use of photos for their graphics. Maritz also sent employees to photograph travel destinations. My friend Herb Rose was one of these employees that traveled to many locations  taking pictures.

detail from Jamaica Carling

I don’t remember which graphic designer I worked with on this announcement mailer. Maritz in 1973, when this mailer was created, was divided into geographic locations. I was in the Mid-Atlantic region. We serviced clients within this region of the United States. Each department had several graphic designers,an illustrator,production artist and art director.

Jamaica Carling front

Jamaica Carling back

This mailer was designed as an accordion fold. On the back side was an aerial photo of Rose Hall Parish ,Montego Bay ,Jamaica. This message was also printed on the back. Here’s how Carling plans to help you get to Jamaica. Soon, an awards program for your salesmen will be announced. It will last until November 1,1973,and will be funded entirely by Carling. This program,as well as Crown Club II, is designed to build your Carling sales… substantially and permanently! 

 

MARITZ MOTIVATION COMPANY – RCA Annoucement

Cover of announcement RCA Parts and Accessories 1971

This is the cover art for an announcement mailer created for RCA Parts and Accessories dealers. This was the third year I worked for Maritz Motivation Company and my tenth year as a professional illustrator. This illustration was rendered in Magic Marker brand felt tip markers on tracing paper,which was glued to illustration board. I was interested in negative  shapes and  bright colors. This was a technique I used for about four years. It was fast and at the time I liked the look of the art. Now I think of it as a “comp” for the finished art. A representative in the New York area used this as a sample to show clients.Bob worked for Mulvey and Associates for a number of years until Randy Mulvey died. I was represented by Mulvey and Associates beginning in 1977.

Inside spread for RCA announcement.

This is the inside spread for the RCA announcement “Adventure ’71″. This is a typical montage illustration used during this time period for client mailers.