Narrative Illustration Artist research. Tove Janson

The work of Tove Janson is recognised for it's strong use of block colours, line work and distinctive characters. I find her work interesting and have been a fan of her creation “The Moomins” for a long time. She has worked on many children’s book illustrations including “The Hobbit” and “Alice in Wonderland” in a variety of mediums. 

The illustration to the right is a typical print by Janson from "The Moomins". I think this style of print works well as children’s illustrations because of their simple block'y nature. She also used a limited colour palate which helps the image to stand out and not look too crowded. This particular image has a lot of darker shaded areas which makes the image seem somewhat sinister. I also like the simplistic compositions of the price. The two trees help to break up the image and have some interesting stippling textures. The sweeping landscape has an interesting look as its kept quite flat in appearance.

The image to the left is also of a "Moomin" but this time is a more classical pen illustration. I particularly like the texture use in the sky and the smoke stack, the fact that the grass blades are all individually drawn adds a nice touch. I think Janson’s style works in this black and white depiction as well as the coloured. "The Moomins" had a set of comic strips which were presented similar to this small illustration. I don’t think colour is necessary for book illustrations but it’s an option with needs considering. 

 

Illustration number three is from the "Alice in wonderland books". This illustration shows the famous moment when Alice meets the Gryphon and Mock Turtle. This illustration still seems like the work of Janson but there is something unusual about it. I believe it is because of the mediums which are used, they seem to be coloured pencils. The colours in the piece work particularly well with the scene. The pencils also add some texture which is most prevalent on the Rocks and Mock turtles shell.

Tove Janson has a very classical children’s illustrating style. She often worked on fantasy worlds which is why I think her unusual colour chose works so well.