Zdzislaw Witwicki Polish Children’s Book Illustrator.
Zdzislaw Witwicki is a Painter and Illustrator. Born in 1921, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
After the war he became editor of a graphic arts and publishing company whilst still illustrating.
One of the originators of the Polish School of Illustration. He has created about 70 books. One of the most recognizable figures drawn is Hałabała – lovable dwarf hero, written by Lucina Krzemieniecki, and Elemelek – a small sparrow with author Hanna Łochockiej.
He certainly has a fair few design styles to his work.
Lovely marks in this illustration and in the nature inspired ones below. They have a slight Charley Harper feel to them.
Zdzislaw Witwicki has had more than 250 exhibitions of his works in his country and abroad (Bologna, London, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest). His works are stored in BWA – Gallery Zamoyska in Zamosc, in the National Museum in Warsaw, as well as in private collections (especially in Japan, Germany and Italy).
This railway station illustration has such a lovely perspective and images of Ivor the Engine spring to mind.
Another style.
Something earlier and more simplistic.
Major awards:
- 1961 prize in the competition PTWK Most Beautiful Book of the Year 1961
- 1978 Prize at the International Art Exhibition of Editorial IBA in Leipzig for illustration.
- 1983 Prime Minister’s Award for Lifetime Achievement
- 2000 award in the competition Contemporary Polish Book Art in Warsaw for the images to accompany text
- 2001 Medal of the Polish Section of IBBY for lifetime achievement for children and young people
- 2010 Medal Gloria Artis
Love this red house above, superb ! Many thanks to the sites To DLA Pamieci and Garaż ilustracji książkowych for their images.
fishinkblog.com 
Another beautiful post!!! He was ahead of his time with those cute little hedgehogs, which we see everywhere right now.
Thank you. Yes great point about being ahead of his time. We take these style of images for granted nowadays because they are all around us but some of these illustrators were the originators.
Thanks for introducing me to a fabulous illustrator. Magic stuff! 🙂
My pleasure, thanks for your comment and so pleased you enjoyed the post.
Gosh, they are all just so magical, colorful and pretty.
Marvelous – marvelous, an invitation to a different world!
And thank you for accepting the illustrative invite : )
I found his illustrated Apolejka i jej osiolek story yesterday. Only book of his in Finnish. I begame very fond of his illustrations right away. I would very much like to have more his illustrated books in Finnish. Can you help me?
So sorry Merja, I only write about the illustrators, try some of the usual sources Abebooks, Alibris, Amazon, Betterworldbooks, Etsy and Ebay for somewhere to begin. Happy Hunting : )