The moment her shadowy form met his view he…made one grasshopper spring to the door–and was gone! 1911

Arthur Rackham made this ink drawing to illustrate some story, and his marks show a real love of both the spooky and the silly. Look at how he’s used hatching and cross-hatching to create a sense of depth and texture, but in such a free and lively way. The lines dance across the page, creating both a dark, looming presence behind the figure of the ghost, and the frantic energy of the fleeing man. It’s like he’s drawing with pure feeling. See how the lines around the figures are darker and more defined, almost as if he’s outlining the emotions of fear and dread, using the darkness to give them form. Rackham reminds me of other illustrators like Aubrey Beardsley, who also used line to create fantastical worlds, but Rackham has his own distinct vision. He shows us that art doesn’t have to be serious or perfect, it can be playful and weird, and still be incredibly powerful.