For my Thanksgiving post I will visit a book illustration project that was published some time ago. I am thankful for this imaginative opportunity that came my way. "The Free Pigs" was published by a small company in Wisconsin. I do not know if it is still available, it never had a large printing or publicity.
The fine fellow pictured here is Polonius the pig, He was the invention of the author, I did not write this book. But I gave him life, visually, borrowing from a painting of one of the Kings of France to pose him.
I used watercolor, over a fine pen line, and some pencil shading. This is just one of the techniques that I have used in illustration, I have changed mediums sometimes just to give a different feel to the project. This was a joyful, exuberant humorous project. It took me most of a year to complete with other jobs going on, and a pregnancy and new baby too.
So I had a good time with this. Here are pigs dancing for joy. I am especially fond of the lady pig in her yellow dress. Maybe she is myself.
And here are pigs eating popcorn and drinking apple cider. Good times.
And some pigs reading in the library. Lots of fun making up the book titles.
