Pen and Mouse: Commercial Art and Digital Illustration

Much has been said about how the computer has murdered creativity. More has been said about how everything that comes out of it, or looks like it came out of it, is great. Pen and Mouse reflects a third attitude that traditional technologies and the computer come together to produce great work. And great work is what is inside, the variety, intelligence, and beauty of which can shift the imagination of any visual artist. Alongside these works there are over 40 interviews breaking apart the titles of illustrator, designer, and artist and presenting a multifaceted answer to that age-old question of the relationship between craft and technology. The book is weighted towards work from the U.K., but the time it takes to see this is evidence that the issues raised are broader than a regional discussion, and the work inside is nothing short of amazing. --Juliette Cezzar