Profiles: William Andrew Loomis

During the early nineties when I was trying to start a career in animation, my research basically narrowed down the list of essential reading: Frank and Ollie's Illusion of Life, Eadweard Muybridge's The Human Figure/Animals in Motion, Steven Katz's Film Directing: Shot by Shot, Preston Blair's Film Cartoons/Cartoon Animation (as part of the "How to" series by Walter Foster)

Capping that list are excerpted passages from the works of one ANDREW LOOMIS (1892-1959) called Figures in Motion and Heads (also by Walter Foster).

Before that time I had never heard of Loomis, but his talent, career and technique captured my imagination. And my fascination for his work continues today.

I recently bought a back issue of Illustration Magazine in which, A new article written by Jack Harris chronicles Loomis' life and career titled William Andrew Loomis: A Legacy in Words and Pictures. The lengthy and informative article follows Loomis from his days as a promising student in New York's Art Student's League through his successful five-decade career in commercial and advertising art. It is worth every penny and features some never before seen paintings photographed specifically from the Loomis family collection.

A contemporary of Norman Rockwell, Loomis was a consummate technician and eternal student of art. Unlike his fellow classmates like Rockwell, Loomis was encouraged to quit and return home by his instructors who felt he did not have the chops. Instead of discouragement, Loomis became inspired to prove them wrong. With great effort he worked to improve his skills and centered his work on commercial art studying at the Chicago Art Institute.

Drama. Elegance. Cinema. These words describe the essence of Andrew Loomis' work. The subtle realism in his depictions made him a sought after commercial artist for ads like Maxwell House, Palmolive and Kellogg's. He painted movie posters and magazine covers. A true working professional artist.

But aside from being an accomplished painter, Andrew Loomis is also known as a prolific author and teacher. During this era, sources for art instruction from books where minuscule. In 1942 he wrote and illustrated the now out of print FIGURE DRAWING FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, a book which blended intuition and science and helped the artist form easily applicable concepts in sketching the human figure. This book become one of the first to break down technique into simple terms. Consequently, the success of FIGURE DRAWING encouraged Loomis to write more books. He became known as a nurturing teacher especially of young talent.

What I really admire about Loomis is his tenacity and his unending quest for knowledge. He is an unconventional artist as well as a risk-taker. At the height of his success he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles where advertising work was virtually non-existent. But he knew his clients from Madison Avenue wouldn't abandon him. He was infatuated with the intrinsic beauty of the west coast of the United States and didn't let the geographical limitations of his profession get in the way.

He approached art and artistry as a life-long endeavor:

"..One's skill is never complete. One's knowledge is forever lacking.
One's taste is invariably altered. One's opinion ever subject
to controversy. There is a complete and constant urge
towards improvement...."

Sadly, the body of Loomis' work is unknown to the public, especially compared to Norman Rockwell. Loomis' family did not make a concerted effort to keep his legacy intact. No formal exhibitions of his work have been conducted to date. No books chronicle his work. The few Loomis originals are in the hands of some family and for those of you in the Los Angeles area, some originals can be viewed at the legendary art supply store CARTER SEXTON in North Hollywood.

On one of the last visits I made to the store before Mr. Sexton passed away, he told me of how he salvaged paintings from Loomis' garage when they where neighbors. Loomis told Sexton that he intended to toss them or paint over them to recycle the canvas. Sexton asked for the paintings outright and Loomis agreed. Thanks to Carter Sexton, some of the only known originals of Andrew Loomis' work are preserved and hang unceremoniously inside the store.

The current owners of Carter Sexton forbid any form of photography and have shun many an offer for the Loomis originals. As mandated in Sexton's will, the paintings are never to be sold and are to remain in family hands.

Perhaps it will be possible one day for a proper retrospective of Andrew Loomis' art and career in the form of an exhibit. Hopefully Loomis' family relents to organizing and loaning the remaining originals and recognizes the importance and lasting impact of Andrew's work and it's effect on the current generation of artists who have adapted his techniques, and shared his eternal passion for art.

Click HERE for Illustration Magazine's site and info on issue 20
Click HERE for Carter Sexton Art Supplies site
Click HERE for William Andrew Loomis on Wikipedia