Frances McKay Illustration

Insecure Caterpillars and Slightly Mad Crabs

Phew! Just finished a book for the RSPB. Over 100 full-colour gag illustrations on the subject off, well – everything actually. But a short list would include juggling woodlice, woodpecker burgers, insecure caterpillars, angry mushrooms, skateboarding slugs, grasshoppers in bandages, slightly mad crabs, woodpecker poo and unexploded seeds. (It's amazing what you don't know you can't draw until you try).

It's odd. There are some things that even after all these years I just can't draw. I've no problem with cartoon horses, or bears, or dogs, or people, or elephants. They hold no fear for me. On the other hand, I can't draw cats or birds at all. I mean, I really can't!. I once did a job for Aardman animation, and spent weeks drawing hundreds and hundreds of cats. I looked at endless reference books, but at the end of it I still hadn't produced a single illustration which I liked (or frankly looked anything like a cat). Weird.

On top of producing so many humorous (hopefully) illustrations in a very short space of time, there was the added complication of getting to grips with the new program that I mentioned in my previous post. I'm now fully up to speed on this, and it's proving to be a godsend.

Anyway, here are a couple of my favourite gags from the book. I came up with most of them but I have to give credit where it's due, the author came up with the fork in the road joke, which still makes me laugh.

All the best

John

James and the Giant Peach

As I had a look at James's great new book cover I remembered a fictional book cover I did last year. One I haven`t added to my website yet. This cover feels like a hopeful preview to what is coming up for all of us in 2010.

After last years meeting in November we (mostly John & Elena-thank you so much!) have brought this blog on it`s way and I am looking forward to the development of the other projects which will follow if we work together continuously. I am sure we, as a group of illustrators, will have a surprising and successful year coming up!

Christina Bretschneider