Norman Rockwell: My Adventures as an Illustrator

by Norman Rockwell

minor wear on corners

Genres: Art, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, History, Autobiography

201 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States, where Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over more than four decades. Among the best-known of Rockwell's works are the Willie Gillis series, Rosie the Riveter (although his Rosie was reproduced less than others of the day), Saying Grace (1951), and the Four Freedoms series.

Reviews

[Fred Forbes · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother was an illustrator, primarily advertising for Boston Globe back in the 50's. I'm a serious photographer. As such, I tend to admire Rockwell's work - the realism, the precision, to say nothing of the heartfelt topics he portrayed.

I cut my reading target way back this year once I realized I had a lot of "door stoppers" in my to be read stack - lots of biographies, long novels. and challenging non-fiction. This book is one of them, 500+ pages, 3.5 pounds. While he can get a bit carried away in his work descriptions (especially the "Famiy Tree" painting for a Post cover) it was great to get insight to his working thoughts.

The book has a great, "sitting there talking to you quality", primarily because it was spoken into a dictaphone and transcribed by his son.

Definitely a great read for his fans. Quality of the book with the heavy paper and great illustrations makes it one to treasure.

[Tami Traylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best, most amazing stories of someone's life I've ever read. I was riveted from the beginning to the end. Rockwell was always someone who I admired, but the tale he weaves lends incredible insight into the golden age of illustration. He highlights his triumphs and tragedies along with the sordid story of the Leyendecker brothers and the series of unfortunate events that led to their demise. It's the stuff movies are made of.

[Olivia Huss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about his thought/artistic process and his memories from years of painting. Definitely different reading it in his own words, in a positive way. I would've liked to read more about his relationship with his wives, kids, or home life but seeing as the main focus is on him as an illustrator, it was still good. Lots of detail so I was skimming a lot.

[EL Core · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read, not just for Rockwell fans, but for any fans of biography or autobiography. Rockwell reveals himself as a humble man without pretensions in down-to-earth anecdotes and straight-forward narrative. The most surprising aspect is a good-natured sense of humor that shows forth on every page. (Well, it surprised me.) Rockwell told these stories of his life to his son Thomas, who then wrote the text from his notes, his father making corrections and additions afterwards.

This edition is illustrated on heavy paper, and the color reproduction seems to be very good. (The original 1960 edition was not illustrated.)

One chapter deserves a special mention for Rockwell fans: Chapter 19 ("I paint another Post cover") is a diary-like description of Rockwell's process of producing a painting, from original conception to finished work. The painting is "Family Tree", published on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post, October 24, 1959.

This edition concludes with an afterword by Thomas, a brief sketch of his father's life and work after 1960.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a wonderful read! You really get a sense of who he was and how that shaped the artwork that he was making. The book gives some insight into his working process in the later chapters as well. It’s nice to read first-hand what he was concerned with as he worked. A good read for artists and fans alike!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page of this book. I wish I owned a copy.

[Tim Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this at least twice

[LuAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and amusing recounting of his illustrating life with enough personal life to provide context. Rockwell (and his son Tom who ghost wrote the book) have a good sense of humor and Rockwell is obviously humble, even insecure in spite of his fame and longevity. My mother bought this book when it was published in 1961; I’m glad I kept it and have finally read it. When I was a kid, I enjoyed looking at the photos and illustrations.

Since he did so many magazine covers, they figure significantly, thus providing a good history of cover illustration in its childhood/adolescence and some of the illustrators of the era. I’d never thought before of his explanation that illustrations need to clearly tell a story unlike other art forms. The explanation of working with models before and after using photography and his diary of painting “A Family Tree” gave insight into his process. His stories of a few odd his early models are funny and touching. His sessions and dinner with General, then President Eisenhower confirm my impression of him from reading “Ike: Am American Hero” by Michael Korda.

Some of his most striking and meaningful art came after he wrote this, such as “The Problem We All Live With” depicting Ruby Bridges walking to school with for federal marshals and “Murder in Mississippi” the slaying of civil rights activists. Given his believe “that everybody has a responsibility to everybody else” and “that everybody should try to leave the world or one corner of it or one corner of one room a little better than when he was born” (444), I would guess these are some works he’s most proud of.

[Lynn Buschhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for three reasons: my book group chose it, I love to draw, I grew up with Rockwell's Saturday evening post cover. I would say that if your reasons fit even two of these , you may find this book very satisfying.
Rockwell was part of a dying breed even as he was becoming famous for his work. Illustration and photography are, two sides of the same coin. They both can tell stories, photography trying to capture reality, illustration is more about life as we would like it to be or as we would like to remember it. Rockwell didn't,for the most part portray heroism, or glamour. He illustrated ordinary people, though sometimes with a twist that people could relate to. Picture of a little boy, obviously trying to run away, sitting at a soda fountain with a big burly cop who found him showed a version of the world Americans wanted to believe in. He was discounted as being old fashioned and appealing to the masses, at at time when Many Americans were becoming more class conscious than ever.
But he was so good ! He lead an interesting life, and was not the fuddy duddy many may have thought him. He suffered from a lot of self doubt about his art and his place in the art world.He did not want to be considered old fashioned but he understood that he couldn,t recreate himself to fit others' defintion of art. I would recommend this book to any creative person who is struggling with their own tug of war with themselves and what others are saying.

[Lisa Tangen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book and gave it 4 stars not because it was particularly well written, but I think he did a good job of covering a lot of information that really gave insight into his world and the making of his masterpieces. maybe it's because I am not a talented artist like he is that I don't understand why he was not considered a true artist. At least according to him and some of the comments he made throughout the book. I found it very interesting to learn more about his contemporaries or his mentors or teachers in the field of art or illustrations. I also learned so much about the process and some of the process is very frustrating. I didn't understand until I read the book that all of his subjects were based on models including their costumes and expressions and every ends detail. I guess I always thought he created pictures somewhat from his own mind but I couldn't have been more wrong.

[Jileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating autobiography! I loved his humor, his perseverance, his creativity, and his artwork of showing the good in humanity.

I don’t know exactly when I came to recognize Norman Rockwell and his paintings, but it was when I was younger. I’ve loved his illustrations for a long time. His life story is just as charming as many of his paintings. It’s so interesting that he continually doubted himself in making his ideas come forth on his easel.

His son said, “He was seen as not just an American illustrator but an American institution”. I would agree wholeheartedly with that statement.

[Unigami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by the thickness of this book (534 pages) when I picked it up at the library, and after struggling with the somewhat boring and excessively long biography on Calder I was worried that this would turn out the same way. Happily, I was wrong! This turned out to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable memoirs by an artist that I've read. Highly recommended if you are a fan of Rockwell, even mildly.

[Ann Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The autobiography of the beloved illustrator of hundreds of covers for the “Saturday Evening Post.” The original story ended in 1959 with Rockwell still hard at work, but this edition is continued by Tom Rockwell, covering the last 20 years of his father‘s life. Rockwell painted his first.”Post” cover before World War I and illustrated the first manned landing on the moon for.”Look” magazine 50 years later. Nostalgic. A wonderful book with 138 illustrations with 50 in full color.

[Katie Risor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A surprisingly funny, entertaining, and heartfelt auto biography. I think all illustrators and artists should read this. It’s filled with humorous anecdotes, like chasing would be dog models down the streets and self consciously buying male corsets, but it’s also a look into the professional world of the illustrator in the 20th century.

[Langfordlibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took months to read this book! Every time I could spend even just a few pages with it, I would come away happy and thinking about his plethora of experiences. What a fabulous peek into the decades of his productive life. He writes like he draws- with interest and clarity.

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! Normal Rockwell is a talented artist but also a great writer with a very interesting life. Would highly recommend!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best book I've read in a long while, and I logged into Goodreads especially so that I could recommend it.

[Susan Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about his life as an illustrator. Artists and Rockwell fans would enjoy this book. I'm both.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up Norman Rockwell’s 1960 memoir My Adventures as an Illustrator at the yearly book sale we have near our house early this year, thinking it might be interesting. Having just finished it, I can say it was quite enjoyable. Rockwell is surprisingly engaging and self-deprecating as a writer. With someone like Rockwell, it’s often difficult to separate the man from the iconic imagery he’s known for. From Rockwell’s perspective, he was merely a working artist who filled a need for magazine editors and clients hungry for that sentimental, apple pie Americana. The only regret that he seems to have is that he entered the field a little later than the true Golden Age of Illustration in the early 1900s, when the men he admired were in full bloom. His own body of work was nothing to sneeze at, of course. When he wrote this book, at the age of about 66, he was still thinking he had some refinements to do with his painting technique. Incredible! And this was a few years before he did some of his more stunning works, such as the one of the little black girl walking to school.

Interestingly, I always hated Rockwell’s stuff as a kid. My mom used to have the Rockwell placemats, coffee mugs, plates, etc. all around the house and it made me want to gag. She also gave me a book with large-scale reproductions of his work, when I was in high school and into much cooler artists like Warhol and Lichtenstein. I read that one, however, and begrudgingly came to admire the guy and his incredible technique. When a Rockwell retrospective came to the local art museum a few years back, we went and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was truly a window on another era.

My Adventures as an Illustrator is a little too rambling and inconsistent to totally recommend, but it does have a few absorbing chapters – and I enjoyed the looser, cuter art he did for the chapter headings. One highlight comes where he recalls his friendship with the great illustrator J. C. Leyendecker, and the sad decline of his career due to changing tastes and the stranglehold that his lover/business partner Charles Beach had on him. Another interesting chapter takes the form of a daily diary chronicling the making of what was then his newest Saturday Evening Post cover (and a personal favorite), The Family Tree. - Scrubbles.net review, September 30, 2012

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always like Norman Rockwell's paintings and renewed my interest after visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA, last fall. Now that I've read his autobiography, I feel that I would have loved the man had I known him. His writing is endearing, humorous, and cheering. Anyone having a difficult day would be encouraged by simply reading 1 page of his book. I have read the library's copy but feel I'd like to purchase a personal copy so I can re-read and re-smile whenever I want a pick-me-up. Charming and delightful life and attitude. Highly recommended.

[Tami Traylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is possibly one of the most intriguing, witty and endearing autobiographies I've ever read. I recommend it to any student of illustration as it encompasses not only Rockwell's prolific career and life but tells the story of the golden age of illustration in America. I grew up on a steady diet of Rockwell's images and already had a great deal of respect for the man, but this book shed new light on the amazing personality behind his work.

[Jana Bouc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book about a life in art, from starting out to becoming famous and also the best book about Norman Rockwell and the art and illustration world in the mid to late 20th century. I loved his tales of New York City and the world. Rockwell is a genius and one of my top 10 favorite artists.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. Rockwell had such an interesting life and he did a fabulous job incorporating his paintings into his story, he described them all so well and the events that took place as he brought them to life. If you are an artist or an art lover i highly recommend this book.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I pick up over and over through the years to read, sometimes just a page at night.
It's hilarious, moving and I can relate to MOST of the Art School stuff (afterall he was a little older than me).
In his own words, he's as good a raconteur as he is a painter.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is easy to read and love. It details many stories that aren't well known, such as his problems with live models. his participation in "high society' and his trials in art school. All told with a sense of humor.

[Charles]

Because it looks like a tabletop book, I think my mindset is to treat it like one. This is a book that I will pick up for leisurely reading so I will probably be a long time in completing it. What I have read so far has been fun.

[Charley Duschen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never realized how much blood sweat and pondering he spent on his work. I just assumed that with his talent he just whipped the illustrations out as needed. A very interesting book that I am passing on to another Norman Rockwell fan.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant.

[Lori Rasberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

NR is a very interesting person, thorough with his work. He posed models wearing period clothing for his work.

[Leila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful book illuminates the down-to-earth character of this illustrator. I loved it!