Thursday 23 December 2010

Featured Artist: Thore Hansen

This week's feature is a Norwegian artist, illustrator and author with more than forty years behind him. I think most Norwegians my age, and I'm sure, some of you foreigners as well, know Hansen from his illustration of the books about Ruffen, den lille sjøormen som ikke kunne svømme (Ruffen, the sea serpent who couldn't swim). I came across him again recently in the Norwegian RPG Itras By, richly illustrated by Hansen. I'll come back to the game later, but let me just say that those of you who don't read Norwegian are missing out.

The first set is composed of various images from the artist's career, starting  with Ruffen.


Click to humongify.





The next set is from the Norwegian RPG Itras By.






4 comments:

  1. I always wanted a Ruffen tattoo.

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  2. wow! love the creep factor.

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  3. It seems somehow right that Norwegian children should read about sea serpents! I think the fjord has become a key for those of us who know little else, and the style even suggests the cold of the water and the gribbliness of seaweed.

    The effect is almost cartoony in places, but there's always a sense of depth, a gloomy Germanic feel run through with the exotic. The nudity is less of a caricature too, and the sexiness is matter-of-fact and lived in rather than garish.

    I'm glad I got to see it - thank you!

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  4. @Eirik:
    Hmm, yeah, that'd work. Go for it, man.

    @Loq:
    Aye, there sure is a creep factor involved. I intend on writing a review of Itras by, hopefully before we run out of year, and I'll post a few more of Hansen's illustrations to that post.

    @Porky:
    I'll see you over at your place.

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