Best of Arthur Rackham - 50 fab images to use for anything you like!

This zip download file contains 50 of the best pictures by Arthur Rackham, all of which are out of copyright and are therefore you can use them for absolutely anything you like!

Arthur Rackham was born in Lewisham, London as one of twelve children in 1867. At the age of 18 he worked in the Westminster Fire Office as a clerk and began studying part-time at the Lambeth School of Art.

In 1892, at the age of 25, he left his job and went to work for The Westminster Budget as a reporter and illustrator. His first book illustrations were published in 1893.

Rackham went on to become one of the leading illustrators from what is known as the 'Golden Age' of British book illustration which encompassed the years from around 1900 until the outbreak of World War I. During that time there was a strong market for beautifully illustrated books that were often given as Christmas gifts.

Rackham invented his own unique technique where he would first sketch an outline of his drawing, then lightly block in shapes and details. Afterwards he would add lines in pen and India ink, removing the pencil traces after it had dried. With colour pictures, he would then add multiple washes of colour until translucent tints were created.

His style is often macabre and a little scary because of the amount of black outline in his pictures, perfect for the often perilous nature of the fairy tales and stories he illustrated. He died in 1939.