Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Vladyslav Yerko

I don't tend to look at the work of children's book illustrators, because that is a field that I don't have much interest in and that kind of art just doesn't appeal to me. However, my little sister has a copy of Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen" that was illustrated by this Ukranian artist, and the art in this book is just amazing. This illustration, depicting the scene where Gerda finally finds Kay, is my favorite by far, and is fairly representative of Yerko's work in general: very careful rendering with lots and lots of texture and elegant details. Everything in this image contributes beautifully to telling the story. The cool color scheme of the Snow Queen's palace starkly contrasts with the warm colors used for the two children, giving the sense that they are really out of place here. The little girl's facial expression and gesture reveal the stress of the trials she has faced to find the little boy, and of course, the expression on the little boy's face reflects the indifference of his frozen heart, especially since the Snow Queen has given him everything he could possibly ask for, as indicated by the multitude of ice toys scattered all over the floor. It's a great take on this touching scene, and a successful illustration overall.

2 comments:

  1. This is a great illustration for an Andersen story, like his work it's both beautiful and kind of creepy.

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  2. This paintng is incredibly detailed. I've rarely seen childrens books that have such ornate details, and the style is very traditional. I love how the characters are in bright warm color, the contrast with the cold palace is nice.

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