Charles Tunnicliffe was born in Langley, near Macclesfield, Cheshire. He studied at Macclesfield School of Art, Manchester School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London where he graduated with a diploma in painting. His engravings date from the earlier part of his life but influenced much of his illustrational approach. In all he produced some sixty etchings, mixed with aquatint, between 1926 and 1935. His early works were mainly advertisements for veterinary products and animal feeds, but his wood cuts in 1932 for Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson established his reputation. As a painter he became one of the most popular and expert naturalist artist-illustrators of his day, contributing works for the Ladybird series, Alison Uttley and H E Bates, as well as periodicals such as Country Life and the Radio Times. He was given the Gold Medal of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 1975.

Further reading:
Wild Lives The Art of Charles F Tunnicliffe RA 1901-1979, Welsh Arts Council/Mostyn Art Gallery 1980

www.thecharlestunnicliffesociety.co.uk

 

Glossary

  • Aquatint

    An intaglio printmaking process and a method of achieving tone by etching a plate covered with resin dust. The acid corrodes the unprotected metal leaving only the surface protected by a speck of dust. When inked the plate will print a tone of black through to very pale grey depending on the length of time it was immersed in the acid. Its name derives from the finished print resembling a watercolour, and is a tonal rather than a linear work.

  • Painting

    Work of art made with paint on a surface. Often the surface, also called a support, is a tightly stretched piece of canvas, paper or a wooden panel. Painting involves a wide range of techniques and materials, along with the artist's intellectual concerns effecting the content of a work.