"Marching Fairy Folk"

 While we are offering many lovely pieces by John R. Neill, most are not fantasy images. This charming penicl drawing has a very Ozzy feel to it!

 

"Marching Fairy Folk" pencil drawing by John R. Neill. $750.00

 "Marching Fairy Folk" 

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Pencil on heavy illustration board. Unsigned

Image size: 9.75" x 9.5"

Paper size: 14.75" x 20"

$750.00

Click here to see this drawing on our website

This whimsical pencil drawing by Oz illustrator John R. Neill is for an uncompleted fantasy illustration showing two very Ozzy characters marching with fife and drum!  The older gentleman is wearing a tights and pumpkin hose, and bells on one of his ankles and around his neck; the boy, beating the large drum has a chain of bells trailing down his back. Both cheery fellows have hats with sprigs of holly at the top. Might this have been drawn by Neill for possible use as a Christmas card? In any case it is a charming and somewhat Ozzy fantasy drawing!

"Marching Fairy Folk" by John R. Neill (full image of board). $750.00

The drawing is rendered in pencil or heavy illustration board. There is some staining and discoloration at the edges of the boards but it is not affecting the image area. 

Please visit our on-line store featuring many wonderful original paintings, pen-and-inks, and other wonderful drawings by John R. Neill!

Come check it all out at

www.johnrneill.com 

Designing Handy Mandy!

Here we have another design sketch by John R. Neill for Handy Mandy in Oz (1937) by Ruth Plumly Thompson. 

HANDY MANDY IN OZ  sketch by John R. Neill $500.

"Handy Mandy in Oz - sketch 3" (1937)

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Pencil on paper, unsigned

Image size: Multiple images on sheet

Paper size: 11" x 8.5"

$500 SOLD 

Click here to see this drawing on our sales page 

There are very few of these preliminary drawings that survive, showing Neill's process illustrating the famous Oz books. This sheet shows two very early (and rather different!) ideas for Handy Mandy herself. In the main image she appears younger than she does in the final book illustrations, with Heidi-like braids hanging down her back. The second drawing at lower right shows her in the Dutch cap Neill finally decided upon and the semi-circle behind her shows Neill's pondering the chapter heading design.

HANDY MANDY design sketch showing Chapter Heading design.

Two more "chapter heading" shapes appear along the mid-right hand side of the sheet. Above them, to the right of the standing Mandy, is a rough for the final illustration of Mandy on the flying rock from page 22 on the published book.
 

HANDY MANDY design sketch & final illustration of Mandy on flying rock.

We have many other fine original drawings by John R. Neill on the website!

Come check it all out at

www.johnrneill.com 

Boy on a Budget!

In addition to the lovely high-end John R. Neill drawings we are offering we have a few that are priced for the budget-minded folk that would really like to own a Neill original such as this sketch of a young boy.

 

"Sketch of a Boy" original drawing by John R. Neill $50.00

"Sketch of a Boy"

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Pencil on paper, unsigned

Image size: 7.25" x 5.5"

Paper size: 12.5" x 8"

$50.00 

CLICK HERE to see this painting on our sales page

This is a handsome little pencil sketch of a young boy in knickers and a jacket. There is no indication what this sketch was being prepared for - but it might be fun to think of him as Button-Bright or Peter Brown though that's probably wishful thinking! 

Still, its a cute sketch and an inexpensive drawing for someone who would like a John R, Neill drawing but is on a budget!

The drawing is unsigned. But with all of our unsigned artwork we are including a cancelled check bearing Neill's signature.

Sample of the sort of cancelled check you will receive with this purchase.

This could be used to add a signature panel in the matte when framing if so desired. Note that Neill's business signature is a little different than his various "artwork" signatures. 

We have many other fine original drawings by John R. Neill on the website!

Come check it all out at

www.johnrneill.com

"Handy Mandy in Oz #1"

This wonderful collection contains some very special Oz material - roughs and design sketches showing John R. Neill's process in illustrating the Oz books - such as the following page of roughs for the 1937 Oz title Handy Mandy in Oz by Ruth Plumly Thompson.

"Handy Mandy in Oz - sketch 1" (1937)  SOLD

"Handy Mandy in Oz - sketch 1" (1937)

John R. Neill (American) 1877-1943

Pencil on paper, unsigned

Image size: Multiple images on sheet

Paper size: 11" x 8.5"

$700.00 SOLD 

CLICK HERE to see this drawing on our sales page

There are very few of these roughs that survive, showing Neill's process illustrating the famous Oz books. This sheet shows five images of Handy Mandy. Neill is trying out different poses, working out how best to show a girl with seven hands to best advantage!

The bottom sketch of Mandy holding a tray of food in each of her seven hands was utilized in the final pictorial endpaper design of the book.

Comparison of sketch and printed illustration.

Interestingly the pose is reversed in the final illustration. The loose sketch of Mandy drawing back multiple fists was also incorporated into the endpaper design.

Comparison of sketch and printed illustration.

The sketch of Mandy pointing her finger was used for the drawing on page 114 of the published book.

Comparison of sketch and printed illustration.

It's curious that Neill chose to use mirror images of Handy Mandy holding the trays of food and Handy Mandy pointing. He may have used a transfer technique (such as rubbing the back of the image face-down on the illustration board) or perhaps he just changed the pose. The nearly identical flip-flop of the assorted foods makes it seem the reversal was simply part of Neill's method.

We have many other fine original drawings by John R. Neill on the website!

Come check it all out at

www.johnrneill.com