OUGD505 Brief 1 - Beatrix Potter Illustration

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/b/beatrix-potter/

Beatrix Potter, author and illustrator of childrens book's is one of my all time favourite, her books added imagination and creativity into my life from a small child. One of my favourite books has to be peter rabbit, potters illustration is really defined and detailed her drawings give life to the characters in her books.

In her later years she began to study the anatomy of wildlife in particular insects, the drawing below are some of the directions of an insect, the attention to detail is immaculate.

"All this painstaking work paid off: Potter developed the eye of an expert investigative scientist, able to draw living creatures with great conviction - throughout her life her work was guided by the principle of portraying nature as accurately as possible. She used a fine, dry brush to define meticulously and minutely the anatomy of even the most delicate specimens. Fascination with scientific accuracy underpins Potter's artistic technique, a bee, beetle, butterfly, ladybird and spider enjoy supporting roles in The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse. Potter observed them, and her 'most terribly tidy particular little mouse' with astonishing attention to detail."

"Botanical illustrations

Flower painting was a conventional subject for a girl of Beatrix’s class.  From a young age she drew inspiration from books such as John E. Sowerby’s British Wild Flowers, a lavish present from her grandmother, and Vere Foster’s popular drawing manuals.  Mostly, however, Beatrix shared the Pre-Raphaelites’ passion for the ‘meticulous copying of flowers & plants’ from life.  These drawings blend characteristics of botanical illustration, concerned with the accurate depiction and identification of plants, with those of flower painting, a genteel art celebrating the beauty of nature.  Whether drawing for serious study or for enjoyment Beatrix combines scientific detachment with a keen sense of wonder and an expert appreciation of composition and design.  

Beatrix later remarked that the ‘careful botanical studies of my youth’ informed the ‘reality’ of her fantasy drawings.  Precisely drawn flowers people her prettiest and best known books: geraniums in The Tale of Peter Rabbit; carnations and fuchsias in The Tale of Benjamin Bunny; water lilies in The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher; foxgloves in The Tale of Jemima Puddle-duck, and an abundance of lilies, pansies, roses and snapdragons in The Tale of Tom Kitten."

 I feel this style of illustration would be both a celebratory of both her life and british animals.