Larry’s Art Vault: TV Art Instruction

For some reason Molly and I have become recepients of Bob Ross gift items.

Such as the Bob Ross ’Self-Painting Mug’.

And the legendary Bob Ross vinyl figurine ...

We are, at best, on the periphery of the Bob Ross universe (Molly teaches painting; I organize art shows).  He’s become a pop culture icon for a current generation.

But long before Bob Ross there was Jon Gnagy--the grandaddy of TV art instruction.

I once wrote on this site:

"Molly got her BFA at the San Francisco Art institute.

Me—I got my art education with Jon Gnagy.”

Pretty much the truth.   Bob Ross seems to have promoted 'happy accidents'. Gnagy dealt with fundamentals. 

You could (and I did) draw with Gnagy on a weekly basis by watching his TV show-- following along in the Learn to Draw book while using the Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw art kit.

Here’s a couple of  Gnagy booklets:

Here’s a basic nuts-and-bolts art lesson from his classic book:

If Bob Ross has aided people in their understanding and enjoyment of art, good for him.

Me, I’m still holding out for the Jon Gnagy action figure.

For  more on Jon Gnagy on this blog go to:

https://larryrippeeandmollyreaart.blogspot.com/search?q=gnagy

(January 22, 2012 post)

Images copyright to respective owners

Larry's Vault: Learn to Draw with Jon Gnagy

Molly got her BFA at the San Francisco Art institute.

Me—I got my art education with Jon Gnagy.

Learn to Draw with Jon Gnagy was a televised art instruction course that ran in the 1950’s and ‘60’s.

You could tell Gnagy was a real artist because he had a goatee.

You could order the entire Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw kit—drawing board, art materials and instruction book—from Gnagy and then follow along from week to week as Gnagy walked you through each lesson.

My aunt got the course for me and I faithfully followed Mr. Gnagy’s weekly tutorials.

What Gnagy did was a sort of extension of the early 20^th century correspondence course.

I think there’s a lot to be said for the old tradition of the Landon Correspondence Course, Art Instruction, Inc.  (“Draw Me!”),  Famous Artists School (“We’re Looking for People Who Like to Draw”), Walter T. Foster art education books and other forms of simple, affordable art instruction for kids and adults who don’t have access to art academies.

The Foster books on Perspective Drawing by Ernest Norling, Cartooning Jobs for Beginning Cartoonists by Howard Boughner, How To Do Linoleum Block Printing by Mary Hicks and Animation by Preston Blair were excellent.

The deal is you could actually learn perspective or animation by committing yourself to a serious study the book (for a price of a buck ninety-nine!).

The same held true with Gnagy’s courses.

Here’s a typical Gnagy lesson.

And some handy hints