Picture Book Report

Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

(click to enlarge)

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.

Who are YOU? said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation.

So apologies for the out of order posting–this illustration directly precedes last month’s. I’m a little behind schedule but more Alice is always a good thing!

In tackling the scene with the caterpillar, it was very hard not to fall on established imagery for the Caterpillar. (Indeed, I drew a lot of sketches of caterpillars and it took quite a while to come up with its look. The first time I tried including it in the project , which you can sort of see at the lower left here, I made it a little too close in relation to the original Tenniel illustration. Not to mention the scene– Disney of course did a delightful thing with the smoke as letters imagery, and it was tempting to revisit that idea but I decided to nix it in the end. And of course every illustration with the Caterpillar illustrates Alice on her tiptoes peeking up at it, so maybe I’m being a little less traditional here. But I always find this scene kind of interesting, as Alice tries again to make sense of her surroundings and gets very flabbergasted in the process. Even well known rhymes tumble out wrong, perhaps from Wonderland or even perhaps from the smoke. The Caterpillar is a haughty, opinionated creature, and I liked the idea of Alice trying to keep her head afloat both in the conversation and quite literally in the plumes of smoke it spins about her.

But for all its annoyed tone, I don’t really find the Caterpillar to be mean; I don’t think it really cares all that much about her as an entity. In the beginning, it is not unlike the smoke from its hookah– slow, eloquent but a bit rude all the same. But of course where there’s smoke there’s fire, and Alice eventually sets the Caterpillar off by insulting their mutual height of merely three inches.

Next month we’ll be getting back into full color (don’t worry, there will be more illustrations in this palette soon too) and experiencing the after-effects of Alice’s nibbling upon the mushroom. Three inches no longer, but she still manages to ruffle a few feathers in the process! Thanks as always for spending time in Wonderland with us and do check back throughout the week for more scenes from our lovely contributors!

Welcome to month six of the Report! Okay, today’s Alice post is a little different. Because of a freelance job that fell into my lap over the weekend, I was only able to complete one of the two illustrations I had planned today (working in the limited palette I’d used earlier in the project). I’m in the middle of drawing the second one (which is the bigger scene, introducing the Caterpillar), but it may not be ready til tomorrow or Wednesday. Still, it’ll be here soon, and below you’ll find an in progress photo of the inking….

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Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

(click to see big)

In a minute or two the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, `One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.’

`One side of what? The other side of what?’ thought Alice to herself.

`Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.

Alice remained looking thoughtfully at the mushroom for a minute, trying to make out which were the two sides of it; and as it was perfectly round, she found this a very difficult question. However, at last she stretched her arms round it as far as they would go, and broke off a bit of the edge with each hand.

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There’s something really fun in bouncing back between loud and quiet scenes and lush and pulled back colors. No matter what though, I find that Alice continually enchants me every time I draw her. Even though she’s not my character technically, she is this funny little creature who keeps pulling me into Wonderland, even the quiet moments like this one. You know she’s going to grow and shrink and do all these crazy things, so it seemed good to pull back and show her mulling over the choice– which side? In drawing this scene, I found myself really loving the drawing itself– I’m thinking about adapting it into a one or two color letterpress print.

In other news, due to schedule issues and wanting to expand the blog a bit, I’m happy to say that we’re going to start having a new feature on Picture Book Report– reader illustrations. There are a lot of talented people out there who love books like we do, and after seeking a few people on Twitter the other day, I got more than 65 responses! So, be on the lookout– when I get illustrations of favorite scenes in, we’ll be sharing them from time to time, especially on those weeks where we don’t have anything planned.

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Tomorrow will be a new post from Mister Will Bryant, and hopefully I’ll have my other scene up later this week too! Here’s a teaser in the meantime:

Posted by: Meg Hunt

Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

Hardly knowing what she did, she picked up a little bit of stick, and held it out to the puppy; whereupon the puppy jumped into the air off all its feet at once, with a yelp of delight, and rushed at the stick, and made believe to worry it; then Alice dodged behind a great thistle, to keep herself from being run over; and the moment she appeared on the other side, the puppy made another rush at the stick, and tumbled head over heels in its hurry to get hold of it; then Alice, thinking it was very like having a game of play with a cart-horse, and expecting every moment to be trampled under its feet, ran round the thistle again; then the puppy began a series of short charges at the stick, running a very little way forwards each time and a long way back, and barking hoarsely all the while, till at last it sat down a good way off, panting, with its tongue hanging out of its mouth, and its great eyes half shut.

Sticking to a lesser known scene this month, but one of my favorites (even though it was a bit of a pain as a kid playing Alice in Wonderland on my Commodore 64!)– it seems like a good spot to rest on the ridiculousness of Wonderland and a little girl having fun in a potentially dangerous situation. This giant puppy obviously means no threat, but being a giant (or Alice being so little) she could easily get crushed. Still, this is part of what Wonderland is all about– there’s threats of violence, mad people, and tangled logic about, and while often it’s perplexing to our little heroine, she takes it in great stride and always seems to have fun while exploring her topsy turvy environment.

Thanks again for your patience on the posting schedule! I do hope you’ll agree it was worth the wait!

Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

Happy May, everyone! We’re starting another month of Picture Book Report, aren’t you excited? I know I am….

(this gets a lot bigger, just so you know! I didn’t think about how little it’d look on the blog… needless to say please click it!)

The next stop in Wonderland is the abode of that White Rabbit, and Alice sure doesn’t look too thrilled to be stuck inside!

Alas! it was too late to wish that! She went on growing, and growing, and very soon had to kneel down on the floor: in another minute there was not even room for this, and she tried the effect of lying down with one elbow against the door, and the other arm curled round her head. Still she went on growing, and, as a last resource, she put one arm out of the window, and one foot up the chimney, and said to herself `Now I can do no more, whatever happens. What will become of me?’…

…She waited for some time without hearing anything more: at last came a rumbling of little cartwheels, and the sound of a good many voices all talking together: she made out the words: `Where’s the other ladder?–Why, I hadn’t to bring but one; Bill’s got the other–Bill! fetch it here, lad!–Here, put ‘em up at this corner–No, tie ‘em together first–they don’t reach half high enough yet–Oh! they’ll do well enough; don’t be particular– Here, Bill! catch hold of this rope–Will the roof bear?–Mind that loose slate–Oh, it’s coming down! Heads below!’ (a loud crash)–`Now, who did that?–It was Bill, I fancy–Who’s to go down the chimney?–Nay, I shan’t! You do it!–That I won’t, then!–Bill’s to go down–Here, Bill! the master says you’re to go down the chimney!’

I picked a moment in this before Alice basically boots the poor lizard Bill– I feel for the little guy. The White Rabbit holds power over some of these animals (whether they’re his employees or just weakwilled is unclear) and Bill winds up being the fall guy in this situation. None of them are thrilled by the concept of a giantess or beast stuck in that house though, so obviously Bill has every right to be afraid! I took some license and made him a chameleon– trying to camouflage himself to hide from the threat of Alice. Of course we all know it doesn’t work, but at least he’s trying!

The White Rabbit’s house was inspired by wooden-cladding houses and sod roofs, though I bet if the Rabbit had his way he’d plant some lettuce and carrots up there. Instead he just waits and watches the clock while Bill sees to his fate. He’s a busy fellow, after all. I’m tempted to revisit this scene as a two part image– the exterior house and then the interior cutaway. Maybe later!

Tomorrow we’ll see a new scene from Will Bryant! Stay tuned!

Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

Trying something a little different in this post, for a couple of reasons: 1) I’ve been having a really busy time working on some very complicated projects and wanted to step back and explore some of the smaller scenes, 2) there are just too many scenes I want to illustrate in this book (aka, all of them!) and kind of wanted to pay tribute to how often older books had a series of full color plates and then more limited palette or b/w illustrations.

It is also with a sad note that I must announce that we’re losing S.britt as one of our contributors– I know his work has been admired by many and it is very saddening to me that we won’t get to see his lovely pieces every month. I’m on the search for a new contributor though; in the meantime I will be posting on Mister Britt’s day with a full-color illustration of the caucus race, so please enjoy these little spots in the meantime.

(these both get bigger if you click them!)

‘O Mouse, do you know the way out of this pool? I am very tired of swimming about here, O Mouse!’

At last the Dodo said, ‘everybody has won, and all must have prizes.’

‘But who is to give the prizes?’ quite a chorus of voices asked.

‘Why, she, of course,’ said the Dodo, pointing to Alice with one finger; and the whole party at once crowded round her, calling out in a confused way, ‘Prizes! Prizes!’

Alice had no idea what to do, and in despair she put her hand in her pocket, and pulled out a box of comfits, (luckily the salt water had not got into it), and handed them round as prizes. There was exactly one a-piece all round.

Please check back tomorrow for Will Bryant’s next tour into Neverland!

Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

click to enlarge.

Just at this moment her head struck against the roof of the hall: in fact she was now rather more than nine feet high…to get through was more hopeless than ever: she sat down and began to cry again…After a time she heard a little pattering of feet in the distance, and she hastily dried her eyes to see what was coming. It was the White Rabbit returning, splendidly dressed, with a pair of white kid-gloves in one hand and a large fan in the other.

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In this scene, Alice is in a great hall of doors and just after drinking that fateful ‘Drink-Me’ bottle and shrinking, and then eating the ‘Eat-Me’ cake, she finds herself too big to use her little key to go where she wants to go. Her tears are the start of the Pool of Tears– right now harmless, but in a little bit that’ll change!

Anyhow, I wanted to be sure to introduce the White Rabbit into this second scene, as otherwise you wouldn’t see him til late into the series. He’s a little fussy, a little dapper, but mostly shocked at this giant girl! I guess I would be too.

Next month, we get outdoors and start exploring Wonderland. I’m excited, how about you? Check back tomorrow though for Will Bryant’s next scene from Peter Pan!

Posted by: Meg Hunt
Book: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (purchase on Amazon)

Kicking off the art sharing today with Alice embarking on her journey down a certain rabbit-hole. (Apologies in advance for the length! But I felt the need to start things a little over-the-top and play up the scene)

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of time as she went down to look about her, and to wonder what was going to happen next….Down, down, down. Would the fall never come to an end? “I wonder how many miles I’ve fallen by this time?” she said aloud. “I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth.”

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The somewhat tricky thing about Alice is that so much of it has all been done before. When I decided on images I would like to work on for the project, I kept thinking ‘Oh, I have to do that scene. And that one.” (there’s a couple I chose specifically because I didn’t see them so often though, so no worries!) So there is definitely a lot of iconic material in something that’s been covered so much; but I definitely am trying to put my own spin on Wonderland as this living world that is organic to the point of having its own distinct personality and body– it’s not just things look a little topsy turvy and the inhabitants are all crazy (they’re definitely not going to be creepy or certifiable in my take, as I never got that from the book), but that by falling down the well you’re almost leaping into Wonderland’s mouth and about to explore the creatures and environment within its body.

My own view of Wonderland has been informed by lots of studying of some older biology books, some for children like this wonderful Golden Deluxe book, a dash of Mary Blair (though trying my hardest not to pay too close attention to her work for the Disney movie) and Charley Harper of course, some Marimekko, over two decades of reading National Geographic, and also the illustrated plates of Ernst Haeckel. How else it will evolve will be interesting to me, but in the meantime it’s a fun mishmash.

I hope you enjoy this first little foray into Wonderland, and get ready to see lots more!

PS: do check back tomorrow for Will Bryant’s first illustration for Peter Pan & Wendy!