23 May 2008
by mashadutoit
in books, Colour, Illustration, Inspiration
Tags: children's books, children's illustration, cinderella, Errol le cain, Illustration
Here is a magical book for you to have a look at: Cinderella by Errol Le Cain. This process of sharing my favorite illustrators has helped me realise how profoundly they have influenced me . When I am asked what my influences are, I tend to think about serious fine artists. Audrey Beardsley maybe? But in all honesty, it is people like Errol Le Cain who have shaped the way I look at things.
I wish I could draw like Errol Le Cain! Here is Cinderella doing her embroidery under the watchful eye of her stepmother and stepsisters. More
19 May 2008
by mashadutoit
in Art, books, Illustration
Tags: Add new tag, charles keeping, children's books, gothic, Illustration, poetry, the highwayman
Illustrator Charles Keeping had a dark side, always just beneath the surface of his work. Compare the work he did in “Joseph’s Yard” with “The Highwayman”, the famous poem by Alfred Noyes. The Highwayman is a satisfyingly Gothic love story of a highwayman and “Bess the landlords red lipped daughter”. You can read (or listen to) the poem here. The poem has a urgent rhythm that drives it along – its the kind of poem you feel compelled to read out loud:
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
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16 May 2008
by mashadutoit
in Art, books, Colour, Illustration, Inspiration
Tags: charles keeping, children's books, children's illustration, Illustration, josef se plant, joseph's yard, writer_artist
Charles Keeping was a powerful force in my childhood. I was scared and fascinated by his books . The drawings burn on the page, and the stories cut into your heart. I was deeply influenced by his drawing style – that muscular scrawl with ink and wash. In this post I want to share one particular book: “Joseph’s Yard” which I grew up knowing as “Josef se plant”, in its Afrikaans version.
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26 Apr 2008
by mashadutoit
in books, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews
Tags: children's books, fantasy books
I recently came across this quote in an interview with fantasy author Garth Nix – speaking about the importance of a moral message in children’s books:
“I subscribe to the belief that if you want to send a message, use Western Union.”
This reminded me of the famous Tolkien quote, from his introduction to The Lord of the Rings:
” I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence.”
And yet when stories deal with the issues we have to face in our lives, we feel the rightness of it. More
19 Mar 2008
by mashadutoit
in books, Illustration, Inspiration, Opinions & reviews
Tags: children's books
Last night I went to illustrator/writer Niki Daly’s talk at the Observatory library : “How to travel lightly with 60 years of baggage”. I am so glad I went. Niki Daly told us about his journey through life, from working class child growing up in apartheid South Africa to an established illustrator – and how this journey has brought him to do the work he does.
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17 Mar 2008
by mashadutoit
in books, Illustration
Tags: children's books, writer_artist
Cornelia Funke is another favourite author / illustrator. I’ve enjoyed many of her books – most of them for children, like “Dragonrider” and “The Thief Lord”. But I want to write about are her not-quite-children’s books, the “Inkheart” series.
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15 Mar 2008
by mashadutoit
in books, Illustration
Tags: children's books
I’ve just used my birthday gift voucher from Vega to buy the latest in Steve Augarde’s “The Various” series. He is an illustrator – writer. Here is a link to his site.This is the third book in the series, called “Winter Wood”
It follows on from “The Various” and “Celandine”. These books have overcome my severe (trance scene induced) prejudice against anything to do with fairies, little folk, pixies and so on. More
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