Brad Holland (artist)
Encyclopedia
Bradford Wayne Holland is an American illustrator, best known for his work for Playboy
and Penthouse
magazines.
, Ohio
, Brad Holland was the eldest of four brothers. The family moved to Arkansas. At 17, after receiving a rejection of employment application
from Walt Disney, and upon graduating from high school, Holland moved to Chicago. He enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago
, but he found the training too restrictive. He found work in a tattoo parlor and later with the John Dioszegi art studio. Holland found himself working long hours there, which left him leaving him little time for his own work. A decision in 1964 to take an eight-hour-a-day job at Hallmark Cards
in Kansas City provided time after work to develop his own portfolio. His work consisted of black & white drawing/paintings, which were not "finished art" until after sent out to a service bureau where line negatives were made and sized to produce 8 X 10 prints that would fit into a manageable sized portfolio.
At Hallmark, Holland was promoted to designer in his first year, and quickly moved to bigger projects. Most of his work at Hallmark was illustration for pop-up books and holiday & inspirational publications. He was also supervisor of a new Designer Group - Humorous Illustrative.
In 1967 Holland moved to New York City. Armed with his portfolio but with no prospects of work he met Art Paul
, art director of Playboy magazine. Though he is perhaps best known for his work at Playboy, through his career, he has worked completely as a freelance illustrator. His work has included Avant Garde
magazine (1968-1971), and "underground" publications. In 1972 he became a contributor to the New York Times Op-Ed page. In 1977 he published Human Sacandals, a social commentary using ink drawings.
Holland is co-founder of The Illustrators Partnership of America, and advocates the preservation of creative copyrights on intellectual property. He spearheaded the fight to prevent the adoption of the "Orphan Works" Bill, which would have virtually stripped copyright protection from countless creative works.
. In 2005 he was elected to the NYSI Hall of Fame.
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
and Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
magazines.
Biography
Born in FremontFremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Brad Holland was the eldest of four brothers. The family moved to Arkansas. At 17, after receiving a rejection of employment application
Application for employment
An application for employment, job application, or application form is a form or collection of forms that an individual seeking employment, called an applicant, must fill out as part of the process of informing an employer of the applicant's availability and desire to be employed, and persuading...
from Walt Disney, and upon graduating from high school, Holland moved to Chicago. He enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
, but he found the training too restrictive. He found work in a tattoo parlor and later with the John Dioszegi art studio. Holland found himself working long hours there, which left him leaving him little time for his own work. A decision in 1964 to take an eight-hour-a-day job at Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards is a privately owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce C. Hall, Hallmark is the largest manufacturer of greeting cards in the United States. In 1985, the company was awarded the National Medal of Arts....
in Kansas City provided time after work to develop his own portfolio. His work consisted of black & white drawing/paintings, which were not "finished art" until after sent out to a service bureau where line negatives were made and sized to produce 8 X 10 prints that would fit into a manageable sized portfolio.
At Hallmark, Holland was promoted to designer in his first year, and quickly moved to bigger projects. Most of his work at Hallmark was illustration for pop-up books and holiday & inspirational publications. He was also supervisor of a new Designer Group - Humorous Illustrative.
In 1967 Holland moved to New York City. Armed with his portfolio but with no prospects of work he met Art Paul
Art Paul
Art Paul is an American graphics designer, Art Director of Playboy through its first 30 years of publication, and the designer of the Playboy rabbit-head logo.-Early life and education:...
, art director of Playboy magazine. Though he is perhaps best known for his work at Playboy, through his career, he has worked completely as a freelance illustrator. His work has included Avant Garde
Avant Garde (magazine)
Avant Garde was a magazine notable for graphic and logogram design by Herb Lubalin. The magazine had 14 issues and was published from January 1968 to July 1971.The editor was Ralph Ginzburg.Avant Garde 3 published in May 1968 lists in the masthead...
magazine (1968-1971), and "underground" publications. In 1972 he became a contributor to the New York Times Op-Ed page. In 1977 he published Human Sacandals, a social commentary using ink drawings.
Holland is co-founder of The Illustrators Partnership of America, and advocates the preservation of creative copyrights on intellectual property. He spearheaded the fight to prevent the adoption of the "Orphan Works" Bill, which would have virtually stripped copyright protection from countless creative works.
Honors
Holland has won awards presented by the New York Society of IllustratorsSociety of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
. In 2005 he was elected to the NYSI Hall of Fame.