Tuttle MFA Thesis

Limited Residency MFA in Illustration
Thesis Defense and Exhibition
ILS 970
Edward Tuttle
UHA ID: 16366907
There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly
Summer 2010
Defense Date
Defense Committee
Thesis Advisor: Bill Thomson
Committee Chair
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
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Limited Residency MFA in Illustration
Final Presentation
Edward Tuttle
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the degree requirements for the
Limited Residency Master of Fine Arts in Illustration
Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford
Approved
Name
Date
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There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly
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Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................1
Inspiration.................................................................................................................................................2
Process..........................................................................................................................................................5
The Work................................................................................................................................................. 12
Marketing................................................................................................................................................ 19
Program.................................................................................................................................................... 20
Conclusion............................................................................................................................................. 25
Biography................................................................................................................................................. 26
Notes........................................................................................................................................................... 28

1
hat was once a source of pride
became, over time, an obstacle.
For almost 30 years, I found great satisfaction
in letting others know that I had no “formal”
training in the arts—that is, no college education
that led to a degree. Hands-on experience along
with that matriarch of invention, necessity,
seemed to be all that I would need to maintain and
advance my career as an artist. The right
doors always opened. Until I set my
sights on teaching.
The self-sufficiency that
I once viewed as a triumph
now became a handicap.
Everywhere I turned, I was
faced with the fact that I needed
a Master of Fine Arts degree to
enter a new season to which I felt
compelled, even called. I could hear the
voice of my father, a staunchly independent
engineer, trying to persuade me to “beat the
system.” Fortunately, reason, encouragement and
good counsel opened my eyes to the opportunities
available in an academic degree program.
The rewards of following such
wise advice have been many. I’ve
formed a partnership with peers that has
simultaneously humbled and empowered
me. I’ve made helpful connections to
noteworthy illustrators whose diverse presentations
about their lives and work, their failures and
successes, encouraged me to exchange my rose-
colored glasses for a clear view of the challenges
ahead. I’ve blown the dust off of my
pencils and brushes to explore fresh,
innovative expressions with old,
familiar tools. I’ve discovered value
and enjoyment in an artistic style
that I had, at one time, considered
trivial and aimless. Perhaps most
unexpected, I’ve gained recognition
and respect from colleagues, business
associates and academic circles.
I take great pleasure in recounting the events,
the inspiration, the guidance, and the processes
that have all culminated in the creation of a
picture book illustrating the popular children’s
verse, “There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a
Fly,” henceforth referred to as The Old Lady.
The self-sufficiency
that I once viewed
as a triumph
became a handicap
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Introduction
Airs of importance are
the credentials of impotence.1
—Johann Kaspar Lavater (1741-1801)

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od is the only one who can create
something from nothing. For the rest
of us mere mortals, using our imagination to
transform what has been into what can be satisfies
our yearning and drive for creativity. The Old Lady
is rich with its own history.
I cannot recount
those who have
influenced this
work without first
recognizing the
foundational impact
of my parents. My
mother, greatly
lacking confidence
in spite of her
talent, saw through a little boy’s scribblings on a
newly painted bedroom wall. She saw the pride
and joy he found in his creativity (Fig. 1). She was
always my biggest fan. My father passed on to me
a love for precision, the tools for problem solving,
and a strong work ethic (Fig. 2). Their combined
influence allowed me to
embrace graphic design,
typography, illustration
and the advent of digital
technology with the
attention and exactitude of
an engineer and the heart
and vision of an artist.
Innumerable
others have either
purposefully or
unintentionally left a
mark on my life as an
artist. However, for
the purpose of this
treatise, I shall focus
on those individuals
whose lives and work
have impacted this
assignment.
In 1980, while specing type and laying out
ads for the San Diego Reader, I saw a number of
promotions containing the line drawings of Rick
Geary (b.1946). I was immediately attracted to his
beautifully thoughtful line work and his characters
that were delightful but never cute (Fig. 3). I
emulated him every chance I could, incorporating
elements of his style in contract work I was doing
for training manuals while living in Pacific Beach
from 1979 to 1981.
I then returned to Connecticut and
was richly blessed to become employed at
Tom Fowler, Inc. (presently TFI Envision)
in Stamford. I entered as a young man with
an armful of drawings and left as a graphic
designer and illustrator. While there, I met a
young freelance illustrator who introduced me
to this new book entitled Jumanji, written and
illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg (b.1949).
Inspiration
One of the great joys of life is creativity. Information goes in,
gets shuffled about, and comes out in new and interesting ways.2
—Peter McWilliams (1949-2000)
Fig. 1 Edward Tuttle, Dumbo, 1960,
ballpoint pen
Fig. 2 Edward Tuttle, Dad in his
shop, 2008, watercolor
Fig. 3 Rick Geary, Lion, 1987, pen and
ink, Flaubert’s Dictionary, Prime Cuts
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I was fascinated by the simplicity of the drawings,
the unique and diverse perspective of each
illustration, and
the dream-like use
of Conté dust and
Conté pencils
(Fig. 4).
Van Allsburg’s
work energized me
to create a series of
68 small graphite
illustrations with
watercolor washes for the guests at our upcoming
wedding (Fig. 5). Searching for inspiration in the
volumes of the Golden Book Encyclopedia, books
that I would pore through for hours as a child, the
project became a huge undertaking. It taught me
to maintain consistent quality in my work and to
meet an immovable deadline at the same time.
Van Allsburg’s
work also fueled
a life-long love for
graphite on paper.
While I left behind
my watercolors
with the advent of
the computer as
a design tool, not
returning to them
for almost twenty-
five years, I never
mothballed my pencils. Even though The Old
Lady as a final product does not contain any pencil
beyond the line work of the characters, the use of
graphite is evident in the early stages of creative
experimentation.
There also were influences that I had to
overcome in order to fully embrace this project.
From 1985 to 2001, I was employed as the
Senior Designer at Union Carbide Corporation.
I was often asked to create characters for
announcements, newsletters and invitations
(Fig. 6). I continually played with a host of styles,
finding personal satisfaction in the work, even
though the majority of my clients viewed the
drawings as fun but unimportant. To keep my
skills fresh and to stay awake during long meetings,
I sketched caricatures of the speaker or the creative
staff. But because of client feedback, I never saw
them as something to be taken seriously.
Fast forward to July 2008 at the University of
Hartford and an extremely challenging and gratifying
week under the direction of Ted Lewin (b.1935) and
Betsy Lewin (b.1937). Their energetic, demanding,
but always encouraging instruction opened my
eyes to the complexity of undertaking the creation
of a truly good children’s book (Fig. 7-8).
Fig. 4 Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji,
1982, Conté dust and Conté pencil
Fig. 7 Ted Lewin, Peppe the
Lamplighter, 1993, watercolor
Fig. 8 Betsy Lewin,
Click, Clack, Moo, 2008,
watercolor and ink
Fig. 5 Edward Tuttle, Sparrow, 1982,
graphite and watercolor
Fig. 6 Edward Tuttle, Union Carbide Safety Award, 1986, ink

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Twelve months later, Chris F. Payne (b.1954),
in a similar week of information, direction and
enlightenment, dared me to apply the work I had
been doing on my blog (edtuttle.blogspot.com) to
a caricature. I accepted the challenge, and in the
process, refined the style of line work I would later
use on The Old Lady. For many years, I admired
Payne’s ability
to exaggerate
a person’s
features
without being
demeaning
(Fig 9). To
have someone
whose work I
held in such
high regard become genuinely excited about the
progress I made was priceless.
While experimenting with various techniques
for adding color to my drawings, Dennis Nolan
(b.1945), Associate Professor of Illustration at
the Hartford Art School (Fig. 10), reminded me
of the work of David Lance Goines (b.1945).
Nolan rightly suggested that the line work of
my characters was being overshadowed by the
unnecessary detail
I was putting into
the watercolor
and colored pencil
additions to the
illustrations. He
suggested that
Goines’ style might
inspire a new
outlook (Fig. 11). I
had long been a fan
of Goines’ posters,
and the imitation of
his simple, graphic
use of color, shadow
and line became the
perfect complement to my drawings.
My thesis advisor, Bill Thomson (b.1963),
Associate Professor of Illustration at the Hartford
Art School (Fig. 12), made a very important change
to the project. He noted that the old woman was
absent from a number of pages in the middle of
the book. His experience in creating children’s
books taught him it is important to keep the
main character visible throughout the book. This
direction
made a
significant
improvement
in the telling
of the story.
Fig. 9 Chris F. Payne, Tori Amos, 2007, mixed media, RAINN calendar
Fig. 11 David Lance Goines, Twelve,
1983, mixed media, Birthday poster for
Chez Panisse Café and Restaurant
Fig. 12 Bill Thomson, Chalk, 2010, mixed media
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Fig. 10 Dennis Nolan, The Skywriter, 2008, mixed
media

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aybe it was an overblown sense of self-
importance, or the result of being a
corporate designer for too long, or simply the need
to lighten up.
Whatever the reason, it wasn’t until we
completed our summer session in 2009 that I
settled on The Old Lady
for my thesis project.
To create a series of
portraits would have been
a safe bet, especially with
the positive feedback I
was receiving from the
images posted on my blog
(Fig. 13). But being safe
wasn’t going to stretch me
creatively. The challenges
awaiting me in The Old
Lady were many, but
once I embraced them, I found an excitement that
grew as the book progressed.
I knew immediately who I wanted
to pose for photo reference of the
woman. Not only has long time friend,
Susan Vaichus (b.1951), been a great
source of encouragement, but the warped
banter that she and I have engaged in over
the years
assured me
that she
would
be perfect for the
part (Fig. 14). Her
enthusiasm during
the photography
sessions made me
even more anxious to
put pencil to paper.
My original
sketch of the woman created in July 2008
presented me with my first test. While the front
view of her face seemed to work well, I quickly
discovered that translating her features into a
profile view was
not as appealing
(Fig. 15). After
viewing dozens
of humorous
photos of old
women through
image searches
on the internet,
and playing with
various features from each one, I settled on a
face that could be devious and sometimes
maniacal, but not evil (Fig. 16).
While instructing us in the summer of
2008, the Lewins stressed the importance
of maintaining the consistency of a character
throughout a children’s book. In order to help
with that, I attempted to sculpt a clay model of the
woman’s head, but I found it beyond my present
Process
Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes.
Art is knowing which ones to keep.3
—Scott Adams (b.1957)
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Fig. 13 Edward Tuttle, Liyah,
2009, mixed media
Fig. 14 Edward Tuttle,
2009, photograph, reference
for The Old Lady
Fig. 15 Edward Tuttle, 2009, graphite,
Original sketch for The Old Lady
Revised sketch for The Old Lady

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skill set. Rather
than add more
to my plate
than necessary,
I opted to build
a basic reference
model in Strata
3D CX that I
would rotate
and illumine to match the angle and lighting of
any of my reference photos (Fig. 17).
This proved to be an outstanding aid. While
exploring portrait techniques in the spring of
2009, I became convinced that I could merge
both traditional and digital media without being
forced to choose between one or the other. This
was another confirmation that the blending of
the two would not only be possible, but also be
an asset.
Since the spread depicting the woman
wriggling and jiggling after swallowing the spider
would be the most complicated in terms of
character consistency, I decided to tackle it first.
Silhouetting a number of images of Ms. Vaichus
in Photoshop, I began arranging them on the page
so the reader’s eye would dance from left to right,
enticing the viewer to turn to the next spread
(Fig. 18). I also added renderings of the woman’s
head to match the photos.
Once I
completed the
drawings of the
woman, refining
a style of line
work influenced
by Mr. Geary
(Fig. 19), I printed
the line drawing
onto illustration board to test different techniques
for color and shading (Fig. 20).
I rejected the idea of a separate graphite shading
layer because of the difficulty in registering a scan of
the shading to the scanned images of the outlines.
It would make the process far too complex and
technical, which I knew would all too soon take away
any enjoyment in the work.
In discussing my experimentation
of color with Mr. Nolan, I emailed a
sample of the watercolor and colored
pencil version to him. As mentioned
in the Inspiration chapter of this
thesis, Nolan quickly suggested I look
to David Lance Goines’ style for an
elegant simplicity of outline and solid
color that would not compete with
the line work.
Fig. 17 Edward Tuttle, 2009, digital rendering,
various head positions for The Old Lady
Final drawing for The Old Lady
Fig. 20 Edward Tuttle, 2009, graphite/watercolor and colored pencil,
Comparison of color and shading tests for The Old Lady
Fig. 18 Edward Tuttle, 2009, photography and digital, Reference for the “wriggling” spread of
The Old Lady

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After a bit of trial and error, I settled on the
process illustrated in figure 21. Starting with a
photo, I then rendered a model of the woman’s
head in the same position and lighting. On tracing
paper I created a number of sketches, translating
Ms. Vaichus’ expression onto the woman’s features.
Once the final outline was drawn, the image was
scanned and cleaned up in Photoshop. The line
work was placed in Illustrator and converted to
vector using Live Trace. A three-point orange line
was added to the image and then placed as a layer in
Photoshop. Finally, color and shading were painted
in on several layers.
Once the
drawing process
and style were
established, I set my
sights on creating
the backgrounds.
Considering Mr.
Nolan’s direction to
avoid anything that
would compete with the line work of the figures, I
opted to create wallpaper patterns that were ghosted
back between 75 to 85 percent, depending on the
color and contrast of the pattern.
In keeping with the character of the old woman,
I searched the internet (Fig. 22), googling phrases such
as “ugly wallpaper 1960s.” It was quite an excursion
down memory lane. Friends who visited to view the
progress of the book laughed, rolled their eyes, and
invariably recognized a pattern once seen in the house
of a grandparent or an elderly aunt, or a pattern that
graced the walls of a long forgotten apartment.
Each wallpaper design was redrawn as a seamless
tile in Illustrator
or Photoshop,
depending upon the
nature of the graphics
(Fig. 23). The tile was
then used to define a
pattern in Photoshop
and a base layer was
created and filled
with the pattern. The
opacity of the layer was scaled back and a graduated
fill was multiplied over that layer.
Lastly, I focused my attention on refining the
images of the animals (Figs. 24-25). Using multiple
reference images of each critter, I refined my
original sketches in order to be more accurate with
their anatomy.Fig. 22 Monica Roddey, 2008, photo-
graph, Wallpaper, accessed March 23,
2010 from http://www.flickr.com
Fig. 23 Edward Tuttle, 2009, digital,
Detail of wallpaper pattern
Fig. 21 Edward Tuttle, 2009, various media, Progression of images in The Old Lady
Final drawing of dog for
The Old Lady
Fig. 25 Edward Tuttle, 2010,
graphite, Original drawing of
dog for The Old Lady

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The following are the original sketches created for the book in July 2008.
There was an old lady...
I dunno why she swallowed that fly,
Perhaps she’ll die.
...who swallowed a fly.
Fig. 26 Edward Tuttle, There Was an Old Lady
who Swallowed a Fly, 2008, graphite and digital
Fig. 30 Edward Tuttle, There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, 2008, graphite
Fig. 27 Edward Tuttle, There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, 2008, graphite and digital

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She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
But I dunno why she swallowed that fly -
Thatwr
iggled
and jiggled
andw
iggledinsideh
er.
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
That wriggled and jiggled and wiggled inside her.
But I dunno why she swallowed that fly -
Perhaps she’ll die
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird
How absurd,to swallow a bird!
There was an old lady
who swallowed a cat.
Imagine that,
she swallowed a cat.

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She swallowed the goat to catch the dog...
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird...
But I dunno why she swallowed that fly
who swallowed a goat.
Just opened her throat and
swallowed a goat!
There was an old lady who swallowed a dog.
What a hog! To swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat...
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse -
who swallowed a cow.
I don’t know how
she swallowed a cow!
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat... She swallowed the goat to catch the dog...
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat...
Perhaps she’ll die

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She’s dead,of course.
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Fig. 42 Edward Tuttle, There Was an Old Lady who Swal-
lowed a Fly, 2008, graphite

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he following verse, There Was an Old Lady, is
the text for The Old Lady. The illustrations are
presented in sequential order.
The Work
I don’t know why she swallowed the fly.
Perhaps she’ll die.4
—Rose Bonne (dates unknown)
Fig. 43 Edward Tuttle, 2009, digital, Rendering of
3D model used for the spider in The Old Lady
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There was an old lady (Fig. 46) who swallowed a fly (Fig. 47).
I don’t know why she swallowed the fly.
Perhaps she’ll die (Fig. 48).
There was an old lady who swallowed a spider (Fig. 49)
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her (Fig. 50).
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
But I don’t know why she swallowed the fly.
There was an old lady who swallowed a bird (Fig. 51).
How absurd to swallow a bird (Fig. 52).
That wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cat (Fig. 53).
Imagine that. She swallowed a cat (Fig. 54).
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird.
But I don’t know why she swallowed that fly.
There was an old lady who swallowed a dog (Fig. 55).
What a hog to swallow a dog!
There was an old lady who swallowed a goat (Fig. 56).
Opened her throat and down went the goat!
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog.
There was an old lady who swallowed a cow (Fig. 57).
I don’t know how she swallowed the cow.
She swallowed the cow to catch the goat.
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog.
There was an old lady who swallowed a horse (Fig. 58).
She’s dead, of course!5
(Fig. 59)

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Fig. 45 Edward Tuttle, There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, 2010, mixed media

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lthough the focus of this thesis is The Old Lady, the fact is that two distinctly new illustration styles
emerged from this program—a whimsical character form and a portrait technique incorporating
graphite, watercolor and Photoshop layering. As a result, I will be marketing the book as well as these new styles.
The Book
u Contact publishers and authors with whom I
currently have a working relationship.
u Send or visit them with finished, bound copies
of the book for their consideration.
u Use publications such as 2010 Children’s
Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market to select
appropriate publishers.
u Send queries accompanied by press kits.
u Set up appointments with schools to give
presentations to students on what is involved in
creating a children’s book.
u Create and post online a video that narrates and
animates the book.
u Direct traffic to the video via web links, blogs
and social networking sites.
The Art
u Update my current web site (www.eklektos.com)
to include these new illustration styles.
u Send promotions via ADBASE’s emailer to
creative buyers in North America.
u Mail traditional postcard campaigns.
u Create a portfolio of new characters based on
the style produced for the book.
u Create a new web site around each new style,
promoting each separately—one to focus on
character development and the other on
portraiture for corporate and individual clients.
Marketing
Advertising isn’t a science. It’s persuasion.
And persuasion is an art.6
—William Bernbach (1911-1982)
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’m sorry, sir, but you must have a masters degree
in order to teach at this university.”
After hearing those words more times than
I can remember, I was finally convinced that my
experience alone was not enough to qualify me to
teach anything more than a few evening courses.
Thus, I started my search for an MFA program
that would allow me to maintain my business,
respect me as professional, and challenge and inspire
me to explore places I was afraid to go to on my own.
I found all of that in the Limited Residency MFA
Program at the University of Hartford.
Rather than engage in ethereal exercises in
theory, the program connects students to a host of
seasoned professionals who share practical advice
based on years of real-world experience.
Being treated like an adult was greatly
appreciated. This program has been designed to give
a student everything he needs to
succeed without any hand holding.
It is not a course of study for anyone
who lacks self-motivation.
The camaraderie among the
students was a pleasant surprise.
The intensity of the first two weeks
in the summer knit many of us
together. Rather than an unhealthy
spirit of competition, there was a
genuine desire to spur one other on
to succeed.
I recall plotting to drive home on Thursday
morning of the first week of classes and inquire
how to get my money back. It had been a long time
since being pushed to the perceived limits of my
creativity, and I wondered if I made a mistake. Now,
two short years later, I am excited about the years
ahead. I have not been given these skills for myself.
“Much is required from the person to whom much
is given; much more is required from the person to
whom much more is given.”8
Travel and Summer Projects
The illustration assignments given each time we
met as a group were an integral part of the program.
Summer assignments were based on the History of
Illustration presentations. Travel projects needed to
reflect our experience at or impression of the locations
we visited. In addition, we produced two illustrations
during our second summer session under the
direction of established professional illustrators.
In July 2008, Vin DiFate
(b.1945) gave a presentation on
several genres of illustration,
including science fiction, movie
posters and pulp fiction book covers.
Guided by DiFate, we were directed
to create a poster in our own style for
one of our favorite movies.
I created a poster for the 1962
classic, The Miracle Worker (Fig. 61).
Program
Experience: that most brutal of teachers.
But you learn, my God do you learn.7
—C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
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Fig. 61 Edward Tuttle, The Miracle Worker, 2008,
mixed media

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After studying a number of screen shots of the
film, I created a 3D model of Anne Bancroft (1931-
2005). Ms. Bancroft played the role of Annie
Sullivan (1866-1936), instructor and companion
of Helen Keller (1880-1968). I photographed my
daughter, Emma Tuttle (b.1999), to represent
Patty Duke (b.1946), who played the part of young
Ms. Keller. Bancroft’s large scale represents the
enormous influence she had on Keller. The field in
the foreground was created with several Photoshop
brushes made from
grass stalks drawn
in Illustrator.
In November
2008, we visited
New York City.
On a visit to
the Illustration
House, we met
the founder, Walt
Reed (b.1917). Mr.
Reed’s pleasant
features were
intriguing, so I
decided to create a portrait of him for my New
York travel project (Fig. 62). I challenged myself
to dig out my watercolors for the first time in
25 years. Woven into the two images of Reed are
illustrations that were on display during our visit.
During the critique of our work I was advised
that my composition needed to be more fluid and
dynamic, and I agreed, though I believe the return
to watercolors represented a real achievement.
Our trip to San Francisco in March 2009 was
a turning point for me. One of the illustrators
who presented his work was Kazu Sano (b.1952).
I was particularly drawn to Essence (Fig. 63), and
the way that Mr. Sano masterfully blended tight
and loose elements together. The piece reminded
me of my love
for portraiture,
reinforced the
need to return
to my pencils
and watercolors,
and ultimately
inspired me to
explore new possibilities by mixing these media.
His lecture also challenged me. He spoke of
the important discipline of painting every day. I
came home with a personal mandate to start a blog
and regularly post my own experiments in mixing
graphite and watercolor.
This became an important and enjoyable
exercise. Playing with scans of tight graphite
drawings and loose watercolor splashes, I began to
explore various layering and filtering techniques in
Photoshop (Fig. 64). Ken Wilder (b.1945), friend
and photographer, granted me permission to use a
number of his photographs as reference.
Fig. 62 Edward Tuttle, Walt Reed, 2009,
watercolor
Fig. 63 Kazu Sano, Essence, 1996, mixed
media
Fig. 64 Edward Tuttle, Thai Farmer, 2009, mixed media

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The project for San Francisco, entitled
Finding My Voice, is an illustration of the personal
and professional transformation I experienced
as a result of the program (Fig. 65). The left half
of the image is entirely digital. The model of my
head is technically accurate but devoid of life and
expression. The computer, represented by the
rusty bird cage, was at one time liberating, but
unknowingly became confining. The color from
Sano’s Essence running down the middle of the
image indicates the turning point. The imagery on
the right half—my smiling face looking upward,
the burst of color, and the chain morphing into
butterflies—represent the creative freedom I found
in pursuing this new direction.
In July 2009, we reconvened in Hartford
for two weeks of instruction by four gifted
illustrators—C. F. Payne, Gary Kelley (b.1945),
Nancy Stahl (b.1949) and Jean Tuttle (b.1957).
During the first week, under the tutelage of Payne
and Kelley, I created a portrait of a gentleman I
photographed at a maple sugar demonstration.
Payne continually challenged me to take the portrait
a step further and create a caricature. Using the
layering technique I developed since our visit to San
Francisco, I created Maple Man (Fig. 66). Figure 67
illustrates the four layers used to
create the final image. It is important
to note that the graphite outline style
I developed while working on this
project was used for the line work in
The Old Lady. Maple Man received an
Illustration Award from Applied Arts
Magazine in March 2010.
The following week we worked
in the computer lab which was
very familiar territory for me. Our
Fig. 65 Edward Tuttle, Finding My Voice, 2009, mixed media
a b c d
Fig. 66 Edward Tuttle, Maple Man, 2009, mixed media
Fig. 67 Edward Tuttle, 2009, graphite and watercolor, Representation of
the four layers used in creating Maple Man: a. graphite outline on tracing
paper, b. graphite shading on tracing paper, c. watercolor on paper, d. water-
color spatter on illustration board.

23
assignment was to create a portrait of a famous
Connecticut resident using only digital media.
Knowing that Ms. Stahl was very proficient in Corel
Painter, I decided to challenge myself and create
the assignment in Painter rather than use programs
with which I was already acquainted.
Robert Mitchum (1917-1997), born in
Bridgeport,Connecticut, was the subject for my digital
painting. Mitchum
played the part of
Reverend Harry
Powell in the 1955
thriller, The Night of
the Hunter. In the film,
Rev. Powell murdered
Willa Harper, played
by Shelley Winters
(1920-2006), and
disposed of her
body in a nearby
river. Integrating the
watercolor, pastel and
charcoal tools, I created a movie poster, portraying
Mitchum as a dark, ominous figure whose snarling
visage is looking down at his victim (Fig. 68).
For our summer assignment we were told to
choose an illustrator, a popular magazine cover, and
a famous person that were all from the same time
period between the
years 1900 and 1950.
We then had to recreate
the cover with a portrait
in the style of that artist.
I have long admired
C. Coles Phillips (1880-
1927), particularly his
“fade-away lady” style
(Fig. 69). I painted
a portrait of Gertrude
Ederle (1905-2003),
who, in 1926, became
the first woman
to swim across the
English Channel. The
painting was scanned
into the computer
and the image run through the Color Halftone
filter in Photoshop in order to simulate the coarse
printing screen from the 1920s. The image was then
multiplied onto a photograph of worn paper (Figs.
70-71). The type and masthead that were created in
Illustrator were set in place, and, as a final touch, an
image of a period mailing label was added.
We travelled to Pasadena, California, in
November 2009, enjoying the presentations of some
very excellent illustrators, as well as visits to the
Disney Archives, DreamWorks Studios, and the
J. Paul Getty Museum. The instructions we received
for our Pasadena project were succinct—create
something that “reeks” of Southern California.
Fig. 68 Edward Tuttle, The Night of the
Hunter, 2009, digital
Fig. 69 C. Coles Phillips, The
Saturday Evening Post, 1923, mixed
media, Cover
Fig. 70 Edward Tuttle, Ladies’
Home Journal cover featuring
Gertrude Ederle, 2009, water-
color and digital
Fig. 71 Edward Tuttle, 2009, water-
color and digital, Detail illustrating the
application of a 4-color process screen

24
As I searched the internet
for Southern California icons,
I found many photographs
of movie theaters in the Art
Deco style of the 1930s. One
theater I found intriguing was
the Regency Lido in Newport
Beach, California (Fig. 72).
I searched through multiple
sources and found a number of
excellent reference photos.
Originally, the intention
was to build a 3D digital model
of the Lido, change the name
to Hartford MFA, and create a
Doug Johnson (b.1940) style
illustration (Fig. 73). However,
once I created the model, I
began to experiment with
lighting and chose to use the digital rendering as my
final image, rendering the model at four different times
of day—dawn, midday, dusk and evening (Fig. 74).
The finished illustrations reminded me of album
cover art I wanted to emulate when I was a teenager.
That reminiscence prompted me to take the project one
step further and
create an album
cover, complete
with record
labels (Fig. 75)
and album
sleeves.
Our final trip was to Fort Worth, Texas. The
assignment was similar to other travel projects: create
an illustration that reflected the flavor of the location.
In the months following this visit, I spent a great deal
of time completing the images for The Old Lady,
continually refining the style of the art. I opted to use
the style used in the thesis project to
create this last assignment.
The bandana
pattern in the
background,
normally
found as
a border
around
a square
scarf, was
redrawn in
Illustrator to
wrap it around a
circle. I employed the
“fade-away lady” technique
once again, letting the young lady’s shirt blend in with
the red of the bandana (Fig. 76).
Reviewing the work that I created over these past
two years, I am both surprised and impressed with the
scope of what I have accomplished in such a short time.
I pray that the lessons learned, the connections made
and the skills acquired will stay fresh and continually
provoke and inspire me.
Fig. 72 Jordan Shaw,
Regency Lido Theater, 2009,
photograph, accessed April
29, 2010 from http://www.
flickr.com
Fig. 73 Doug Johnson, Ain’t
Misbehavin’, 1978, mixed
media, Record album cover
Fig. 74 Edward Tuttle,
Hartford MFA – Pasadena
in November, 2010,
digital
RFig. 75 Edward Tuttle,
Hartford MFA – Pasadena
in November, 2010,
digital, Record label
Fig. 76 Edward Tuttle, Rodeo
Queen, 2010, mixed media

25
ny success I enjoy from this program
is due to the many people whose
contributions, large or small, worked together
to make this possible.
In particular, I would first like to thank
Murray and Carol Tinkelman for their vision
and selfless dedication to the program and, more
importantly, to the students. To say that working
alongside them has been a privilege would be an
understatement.
Thank you to Dennis Nolan, whose nurturing
example as a teacher drew me out and reminded
me of why I want to teach.
Thank you to Bill Thomson, whose keen eye
and unsettling aversion to mediocrity kindled a
fire in me to settle for nothing but excellence.
Thanks to my classmates who offered a rich
diversity of perspective, encouragement and
friendship. They helped me see things in myself
that I previously would not or could not.
Finally, I am forever grateful to my wife,
Donna (Fig. 77), for her tireless and faithful
encouragement. While reluctantly settled on
applying to Savannah College of Art and Design for
my MFA, her inspired
proposal that I search
just one more time
for another program
led to the discovery
of, and subsequent
admission to Hartford
Art School’s Master of
Fine Arts program.
Conclusion
…No matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of.
…No part is important on its own.9
The Message
—Paul of Tarsus (dates unknown)
Fig. 77 Edward Tuttle, Donna, 2009,
mixed media
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26
ith almost 30 years of experience in
the field of illustration and graphic
design, Ed Tuttle (Fig. 78) offers his clients a wealth
of practical experience, as well as a broad range
of creative services. Working for 16 years as the
Senior Designer for Union Carbide Corporation,
Ed created annual reports, capabilities brochures,
trade show displays, invitations, and magazines.
He worked closely with everyone from senior
management to sales people and scientists to
plant managers. He understands the need to stay
within or below budget, yet produce work that is
of the highest quality. Ed offers a sensitivity and
professionalism to each project. He is very familiar
with the deadlines and politics of corporate work.
Ed started eklektos in 2001 while continuing
to freelance for UCC’s new owner, Dow Chemical.
His skills expanded into non-profit and religious
organizations, publishing, music, retail, and
health care.
Ed’s passion is deeply rooted in the
conviction that he must first be a
father and then an artist. This, in
part, fuels his desire to expand his
teaching/training efforts by
mentoring students to integrate
life, art, and business.
Teaching Experience
2009 — Faith and Creativity – 13-week course,
Berlin, CT
2008 — Computer Illustration – Spring semester,
Paier College, Hamden, CT
2006 — Masking and Compositing with Photography
and 3D Models – Guest Instructor, University
of the Nations, Kona, HI. View sample tutorial
at http://www.eklektos.com/PDF/Masking%20
lessons.pdf
2004 — Life Drawing – Instructor, West Haven, CT
1989-2001 — Mentor – Directed corporate design
staff in both one-on-one and group situations.
Took responsibility to keep department current
with industry standards in hardware, software
and printing methods. – Union Carbide
Corporation, Danbury, CT
1984 — Workshops in Graphic Design and Marker
Rendering – Instructor, Waterbury, CT
Professional Experience
February 2001 to present — Principal/Owner of
eklektos, Waterbury, CT – Provide electronic and
print design and illustration to a wide array of
clients, from start up businesses to large non-
profits to corporations.
April 1985 to February 2001 — Senior Designer
for Union Carbide Corporation, Danbury, CT –
Created and directed design, illustration, layout,
and production, as well as directed photography,
for in-house marketing team.
Biography
Biographies are but the clothes and buttons of a man
– the biography of the man himself cannot be written.10
—Mark Twain (1835-1910)
R
Fig. 78 Edward Tuttle, Self portrait, 2009,
graphite and digital

27
January 1984 to March 1985 — Creative Director,
Ads & Images, Waterbury, CT – Served as hands-
on art director, supervising a small staff of artists
and a typesetter.
January 1982 to July 1983 — Designer/Illustrator,
Tom Fowler, Inc., Stamford, CT – Managed
projects from the conceptual and pencil stage to
color comps, type specing, and mechanicals.
August 1979 to August 1981 — Illustrator,
Telemedia, Inc., San Diego, CA – Executed a
full range of illustration techniques ranging
from realism to technical to cartooning for
international training manuals.
Awards
2010 — Illustration Award – Applied Arts Magazine
2002 — American Graphic Design Awards
– Poster for non-profit event
– Dow Chemical Company sales event invitation
– Self promotion
1999 — Special Recognition Award – Union
Carbide Corporation
1990 — Special Recognition Award – Union
Carbide Corporation
Featured Artist
2009 — Featured Case Study on www.Strata.
com for a series of Barnes & Noble book covers
(http://www.strata.com/showcase/case_studies/
tuttle_barnesnoble/)
2005 — Featured Artist - www.Strata.com
2005 — Featured Artist in 3D Idea Book included
in Strata 3D software
Judging
2009 — Graphic Design graduating class at Paier
College
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28
1. “Johann Kaspar Lavater Quotes.” Find the Famous
Quotes You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web.
28 Apr. 2010. <http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/
airs_of_importance_are_the_credentials_
of/151529.html>.
2. “Peter McWilliams Quotes.” Find the Famous Quotes
You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 28 Apr.
2010. <http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/one_of_
the_great_joys_of_life_is_creativity/330373.html>.
3. “Scott Adams Quotes.” Find the Famous Quotes
You Need, ThinkExist.com Quotations. Web. 28
Apr. 2010. <http://en.thinkexist.com/quotation/
creativity_is_allowing_yourself_to_make_
mistakes/14700.html>.
4. Bonne, Rose. Lyrics. “I Know an Old Lady.” ©1952
Peer International (Canada) Ltd. Web. 28 Apr.
2010. < http://www.peterpaulandmary.com/
music/17-07.htm>
5. Ibid.
6. “William Bernbach Quotes.” Find the Famous Quotes
advertising_isn-t_a_science-it-s_persuasion-
and/155271.html>.
7. “C. S. Lewis Quotes.” Find the Famous Quotes
experience-that_most_brutal_of_teachers-but_
you/201060.html>.
8. Luke 12:48. Good News Bible: the Bible in Today’s
English Version. New York: American Bible Society,
1976. Print.
9. 1 Corinthians 12:19,20. The Message: the Bible
in Contemporary Language. Colorado Springs:
NavPress, 2002. Print.
10. “Mark Twain Quotes.” Find the Famous Quotes
biographies_are_but_the_clothes_and_buttons_
of_a/191836.html>.
Notes
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