I place comics artist Hal Foster, creator, author and artist of the early to mid 20th century Prince Valiant newspaper comic strip, among the greatest pen and ink artists of the last two centuries
The Prince Valiant strip in its heyday was given a full comics section page. Here, in a single panel from a multi-panel page, we have a dramatic example of his skill, not only in draftsmanship and rendering, but in economy of notation.
At bottom we see an indication of how this panel would have appeared printed in a color Sunday comics section, with stark complimentary colors adding to its eerie appearance.
In the detail image, note the way he has indicated a few areas of texture on the edges of the topmost ring of stones, giving your eye the impression that texture can be assumed all the way down.
As your eye descends into the well, the actual indication of detail, even in the delineation between individual stones, diminishes, to the point of being mere strokes of the pen suggesting individual stones in the more severe foreshortening of the wall nearest our view.
Look at how he has brilliantly indicated the top limit of the water with a reversal of the balance of light to dark, stark contrast, and a few arcs making wavelets around the tentacle that extends above the surface
The creature itself is a marvel of chiaroscuro with the arrangement of the suction cups indicating the rotation of the tentacles as they menacingly twist and turn.
Fantastic.
