Twain Stamp Illustrator Says "Designing a Stamp Can Be Tricky"

"Never in Greg Manchess’ wildest dreams did he think he would one day be chosen as the artist for a stamp honoring one of his all-time favorite subjects: Mark Twain," writes Suet Lee on the Missourian website.

Lee goes on to say, "As a child, Manchess always enjoyed Twain’s books. His fascination with Twain grew in art school, where he painted portraits and did a sculpted head study of Twain."

With 34 years of experience as a professional artist and illustrator, Manchess’s distinct style of thick brush strokes with oil paint earned him national recognition. His has collaborated with Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures and Disney to create movie posters and conceptual work for "The Chronicles of Narnia" series.

Manchess (shown above)  is quoted as saying designing a stamp can be tricky.

According to the article, "The real challenge was to get four key elements in the finished product: Twain’s head, a riverboat, foliage and the typography. The original painting of the stamp is only 6 inches across, and it was inspired by a 1907 photograph of Twain. Jordan went through many photographs and pictures of the writer and picked those that were most recognizable and that would exude a classic sense of American illustration. Manchess got the last say on which photograph to use."

To read the entire article, click here.