|
|
|
Illustrations 1
|
Children's book Illustration
Since as far back as I can recall, I have been enchanted by the fantasy worlds contained in books. I remember at an early age just loving the beautiful pictures that were in some of the books we had. The Water Babies, The Little Mermaid (the really sad version!), Babette, The Borrowers, to name but a tiny few. I still devour a large smorgasboard of fantasy books, George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobbs, Ian Irvine, Terry Goodkind and all the others.
I hadn't really considered actually illustrating children's books until I met up with Shirley-Anne Carver in the early '80's. An ex-primary teacher, she wanted to write early childhood reading programmes and was looking for an illustrator.
My first few attempts had a raw charm and that is all I can really say about them!! However I did improve quickly. We had 11 books published in 5 countries.
This page features mainly hand painted pictures. All produced on stretched paper using Gouache and small brushes! I like this medium, it produces lovely soft imagery with a very individual style. Most of these paintings are approximately 34cm square (13.5inches) and took around a week each to paint.
I did launch into air brushing for a short period but gave it up because all the masking was such a chore. These days, my paintbrush of choice is the computer.
My favourite pass time of all is making illustrations. Either for specific texts or just for fun.
Creating little creatures and giving them personalities and making landscapes or other worlds is my idea of heaven and completely absorbing. Most of my work has an illustrative element to it. I really work best making pictures whatever the need, set design, glass design or graphics.
Please click on the images for a larger view
|
|
|
Six little mice sat down to spin;
Pussy passed by and she peeped in;
“What are you doing, my little men?”
“Weaving coats for gentlemen.”
“Shall I come in and cut off your threads?”
“No, no, Mistress Pussy, you’d bite off our heads.”
|
|
“Oh, no, I’ll not; I’ll help you to spin.”
“That may be so, but you don’t come in!”
|
|
I had great fun with all the personalities in this picture and their
relationships. This illustration was the cover for Rhymes to Remember,
published by Price Millburn
|
|
Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?
"I see a blue bird burbling to me."
This comes from a series of Illustrations teaching colours.
The work is a mixture of air brushing an gouache.
|
|
Blue Bird, Blue Bird what do you see?
"I see a white worm wailing at me."
The second in this colour series.
|
|
An eccentric old queen called Eileen,
was obsessed with the colour lime green;
She painted her crown,
the palace and town,
Other colours were just not her scene!
|
|
Eileen was painted in gouache and created for a book of children's limericks
|
|
There once was a cheeky pink dragon,
who drank orange juice from a wagon.
His Father said "STOP!"
He said "You'll go pop,
If you drink much more juice from that wagon!"
|
|
Three little kittens they lost their mittens, and they began to cry,
"Oh mother dear, we sadly fear that we have lost our mittens."
|
|
"What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie."
"Meeow, meeow, meeow, now we shall have no pie."
|
|
The three little kittens they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,
"Oh mother dear, see here, see here
For we have found our mittens."
|
|
"Put on your mittens, you silly kittens
And you shall have some pie"
"Meeow, meeow, meeow,
Now let us have some pie."
|
|
The three little kittens put on their mittens
And soon ate up the pie,
"Oh mother dear, we greatly fear
That we have soiled our mittens."
"What! soiled you mittens, you naughty kittens!"
Then they began to cry, "Meeow, meeow, meeow"
Then they began to sigh.
|
|
The three little kittens they washed their mittens
And hung them out to dry,
"Oh mother dear, do you not hear
That we have washed our mittens."
"What! washed your mittens, you are good kittens."
But I smell a rat close by,
"Meeow, meeow, meeow" we smell a rat close by...
|
|
Little Miss Muffet went back to the tuffet,
and frightened the spiders away.
The last illustration in that famous nursery rhyme but with a little modern twist!
Published by Price Millburn
|
|
A little pink dragon called Zed,
liked painting her finger nails red.
She painted her lips,
then wiggled her hips,
"I look like a model". She said.
|
|
Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross,
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
|
|
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes,
she shall have music wherever she goes.
Both these illustrations were painted with gouache.
|
|
A naughty young lizzard called Ned,
put food colouring into the bread.
His Ma got a fright;
what a terrible sight,
When the toast turned out to be red!
|
|
Dear old Unkerley Trunkerley the proprietor of Unkerley Trunkerley's Curios
shop. Gouache 1992.
|
 | |
|
|
Ads here
|
|
