Dicken's Doodlers

Google has a lovely doodle today to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens.

Rackham

Cruikshank

And a great article albeit controversial from The Independent which questions where have all the all the book illustrators gone? Wouldn't it be amazing if adult books were illustrated like they were in the golden era. As Alice said, what is the point of books without pictures?

"Charles Dickens enjoyed close collaborative relationships with the illustrators of his novels, 

but now it's rare to find a picture outside the world of children's books. 

Is drawing a lost art, or could we be on the brink of a new golden age?"

Tenniel

When I left college I really wanted to illustrate adult books.  My final project was a series of gritty illustrations based on Mikhail Bulgakov's The Heart of a Dog. I sent off my illustrations to Harvill straight after I graduated and got my first rejection letter; a charming rejection I do remember. I still have it, must dig it up.  But it's something that I always thought i'd go back to as there is so much scope for an illustrator in an adult text.  Dickens has been illustrated by some of the greats including George Cruikshank, John Leech, and our own PJ Lynch his version of Dicken's Christmas Carol is one of my favourites and refutes The Independent article. Here is a man who clearly knows how to draw and is up there with the classic illustrators of all time.

Lynch

"Have you heard, Niamh's nearly finished our book!"

I am on the home straight, after months of painting I am finishing up my book this week. It always is pretty intense finishing a book, for me anyway. There is nothing like a looming deadline to put the pressure on. Last weekend Owen took the kids away for a couple of days and I painted all weekend. 

I have next week to wrap up and clean up the artwork get it sent off to Walker. Last night after going through everything I realised that I had forgotten one entirely. My brain told me that I had painted it already because I imagined it so clearly. But no art was to be found for the page. 

I think it's time for a little holiday...