Ever since I spotted a copy of Tam Lin in our local library the illustrations of Charles Mikolaycak have been a favourite of mine. Judith Johnson has neatly said why in Commentary on the Art of Charles Mikolaycak . There are some key elements in visual design that people use to discuss a piece. Judith Johnson discusses a number of key illustrations reflecting on these elements.
Elements such as content, in the sense of what is seen and felt and what we respond to is clearly discussed. How colour is used, how the medium is controlled and the excellent craftsmanship is also covered. In each piece discussed she talks about how our eye moves through the piece with the use of compositional elements, the use of negative space and the play between foreground and background. This is a long article but boy is it worth reading over your morning coffee. This article comes with a five star recomendation well worth reading and engaging with.
Thanks for introducing me to the work of this man. I had never heard of him before. I shall now be on the lookout for more of it and I have that website bookmarked too.