A solid American pin-up by Bill Madcalf (24 photos)

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Category: art and hand-drawn graphics for adults, 18+

Pin-up art hardly needs an explanation. It's one of the most recognizable movements in the visual arts, although the peak of interest in it passed more than half a century ago. Pin-up has its own canons, styles, and, of course, classics. One of them is the American Bill Medcalf.

Somehow, it turns out that the most significant marks on pin-up art are left by artists for whom it was nothing more than a hobby. This is what happened to Medcalf, who graduated from art school, a specialized institute, and landed a more than serious job. The young specialist was hired by the US Treasury as an engraver.

Bill Madcalf diligently fulfilled his very responsible job. In his free time, he drew girls, inspired by the works of pin-up luminaries such as Alberto Vargas and Earl Moran.

In 1947, Madcalf decided he had done enough good for the United States and began looking for another job. He was drawn to working as an illustrator for a smaller magazine. He believed it would give him enough time for freelance creativity.

The artist sent his best illustrations to editors and waited for a response. To his amazement, the first to respond was the most famous US publishing house of the time, Brown & Bigelow. This was a lucky chance, as the company was specifically looking for a pin-up artist.

Could there be anything better than a job that completely coincides with a hobby? Bill Madcalf worked for the publishing house for over 20 years. He created thousands of illustrations, hundreds of posters, and dozens of calendars. He was even commissioned to create a signature calendar. It's an honor that not every artist, even a renowned one, receives.

But the highest recognition of his work came when he met the pinup masters Gil Elvgren and Norman Rockwell. Madcalf approached them at an exhibition, hoping to get some practical advice. But the great masters themselves peppered Bill with questions, trying to find out how he achieved the deep, inner light in his paintings.

Madcalf once said this about his work:

"I look for things that make a girl look feminine." Whether it's her outfit or the way she fixes her hair, I paint images where the girls are sweet and just a little sexy. As if they were someone's sweet little sister."