Mirage Press CLARK ASHTON SMITH ORIGINAL by Joe Wehrle! - eBay (item 310071802911 end time Aug-05-08 19:46:17 PDT)
This Clark Ashton Smith portrait original was created by Joe Wehrle, Jr. in 1973. It was used in Mirage Press books, as the cover for Planets and Dimensions and as the frontispiece for The Fantastic Art of Clark Ashton Smith. It was recently licensed for Tees from the Crypt which is good to know if you'd like a t-shirt with this portrait on it.
If Joe has done one thing that has been remembered from the 1970s until today, it's this portrait. We have received letters and emails from as far away as Germany, Italy and France about it, sometimes with requests to buy the original. We never intended to let it go, but could use some extra money now, so if anyone is willing to meet our price, it's yours. No reproduction rights are granted with this portrait.
This portrait was drawn with stipple technique, which means that all the tonal areas were built up one dot at a time, and all the tiny background circles were drawn by hand. If memory serves, it took about three weeks of rather intensive work. The bottom corners had to be re-inked at the end, because the ink was worn off during work on the face!
It's done on very heavy plate surface Strathmore illustration board in pen and India ink. The back is relatively clean. The art has been wrapped in vinyl for decades.
Wehrle is noted for work in Galaxy and IF digest science fiction magazines, covers and interior illustrations in Arkham House and other Mirage Press books, illustrations for Burroughs-oriented journals and on a lighter note, the story and drawings in the Big Little Book Cauliflower Catnip.
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