Fred Banbury

When I was a kid I happened to spot a copy of Alfred Hitchcock's Haunted Houseful in a downtown news stand. I was struck by the creepy, gloomy haunted house on the cover with Alfred Hitchcok's likeness on it. Eventually I checked the book out from the library and was 
mesmerized by the moody, scary, suspenseful illustrations throughout the book. The artist was Fred Banbury. Mr. Banbury seems to be most known for his artwork in the Paddington Bear children's books but I was forever influenced by his spooky subjects done in watercolor washes and pen & ink with heavy, black pencil textures and stark highlights in chalk or white pencil.