How good are the illustrations? Analysis of the illustrations of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

When measuring "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House based on Matsui Nao's standards for illustrations, we can find that The book's illustrations illustrate the fairy tale in both color and detail.

Next, I will analyze how the illustrations of this version of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" are integrated with the story from the perspective of the color and details of the illustrations.

If you were asked to choose a color to represent a witch, what color would you choose?

Purple, blue, black?

Generally speaking, we It is customary to use dark colors to represent evil and weirdness.

"The Daughter of the Sea" uses dark tones to outline the image of the underwater witch.

This picture describes the little mermaid who wants to become a human and goes to find the witch under the sea. In the entire illustration, except for the little mermaid, which is pink, the surrounding background colors are almost all dark: black, dark blue, purple, grass green. Even if there is red, it is only used as lines to outline the outline of the witch.

This dark background + red embellishment will give people a weird and mysterious feeling.

Similar dark tones + red color designs can also be seen in many tomb robbing films in my country. But these pictures are so scary that I won’t post them.

Perhaps this color scheme symbolizes weirdness, danger and death. Therefore, the illustrator also used dark tones + red outlines to depict the image of death appearing in "The Nightingale".

In "The Nightingale", the God of Death, who wants to take away the life of the Chinese king, wears a black robe with red patterns and a black hat with a red pendant on his head. He stretches out his red hand to grab the king. If we look closely, we can also find that the lower eyeliner of the Grim Reaper is also red.

In addition, do you feel that the image of the God of Death in the illustration is very similar to the emperor of ancient my country?

That is indeed the case. The creation of the image of the God of Death in this illustration indeed draws on the clothing characteristics of ancient Chinese emperors.

Why is it necessary to draw on the characteristics of the costumes of our country’s emperors when creating the image of the God of Death that is often mentioned in Western culture?

Because the fairy tale "The Nightingale" tells a story that happened in China.

Therefore, when the illustrator depicts the God of Death, he does not depict the God of Death according to the Western image, but combines it with the image of the God of Death in our culture - King of Hell.

The original article describes the plot in the illustrations as follows:

The details of these illustrations can tell at a glance that the story "The Nightingale" takes place in China.

The illustration of "The Nightingale" was taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

It is not only the Grim Reaper that makes people shudder, but also the "Snow Queen".

This queen who brings bone-chilling coldness is both beautiful and cold. The illustrator also uses dark tones to express the scene where she appears.

The seemingly bottomless dark forest creates a dark and mysterious feeling. In contrast, the Snow Queen seems to be shining with white light.

In order to highlight that the Snow Queen’s hat and coat are made of ice and snow, the illustrator specially drew cross-shaped flashes on the bottom of the hat and clothes.

Against the dark forest, the Snow Queen looks even more crystal clear, but without any warmth.

Illustrations of "The Snow Queen", taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

In addition to darkness and evil, fairy tales also contain hope.

If you could choose a color to represent hope, what would you choose?

In "The Last Leaf", O. Henry used a dark green but faint color painted on the wall. Leaves with yellow edges symbolize the hope of living.

The illustrator of this edition of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House also used green and yellow to color the hope in the fairy tale.

The illustrator used yellow-green leaves as the background to draw the ugly duckling when it was just born. The ugly duckling is with a group of ducklings, learning to swim behind the mother duck.

Because the ugly duckling is the last egg hatched by the mother duck, it ranks last in the group of ducklings.

But have you noticed?

The mother duck and the other ducklings look very comfortable and relaxed, and their feathers are all goose yellow.

The ugly duckling at the end seems to be a different kind, completely different from them.

Not only were the feathers gray, but also the head was hung low, lifeless and embarrassed.

But why did the illustrator choose bright yellow-green as the background of the illustration instead of using bleak colors to illustrate the unpopular gray mood of the inferior ugly duckling when he was just born?

I guess the illustrator used this bright yellow-green color scheme for two reasons:

Not only the ugly duckling has changed, but also the little boy living under the control of the Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen planted ice in his heart, erasing his old memories and trapping him in the cold castle.

It wasn’t until his childhood friend found him and melted the ice in his heart that he finally woke up from a dream.

When he walked home with his companions, because the Snow Queen's magic disappeared, the ice and snow melted, and the land once ruled by the Snow Queen gradually recovered and became full of spring.

The illustrator also used yellow-green as the keynote to draw the feeling of spring returning to the earth.

Illustrations of "The Snow Queen", taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

The illustrator also used similar colors.

The illustration below depicts the process of the little mermaid turning into an elf after jumping into the sea because she couldn't bear to stab the prince.

Under the illumination of the rising sun in the morning, the figure of the little mermaid shows a color similar to the morning light.

This light yellow figure gives people a warm feeling.

This color seems to indicate that the little mermaid will not turn into foam on the sea and die as the witch predicted, but will turn into an elf if she does not get the love of the prince.

Illustrations of "The Daughter of the Sea", taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

The illustrator wants to draw illustrations that allow children to understand the plot only by illustrations. Be loyal to the story when creating, and don't trust the reins.

Many of the illustrations in this edition of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House illustrate the details of the story.

1. The expressions of the characters reflect people’s feelings

How do you feel when you see the prince in this illustration? Do you feel that this prince has no life at all? Lifeless?

Illustration of "The Daughter of the Sea", taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

This is indeed the case, because the "prince" in this picture is not a prince , but a white marble statue.

This illustration is taken from "The Daughter of the Sea". It depicts the little mermaid falling in love at first sight after seeing the prince, but she has nowhere to express her deep love. She can only hold a pair of big mermaids she picked up that look like the prince. The white marble statue relieves lovesickness.

That’s why the “prince” in this picture gives people a sense of lifelessness and loneliness, because he is not a real person in the first place, but a stone.

Despite this, the illustrator still painted a gentle and caring face on the little mermaid, which further showed her tenderness towards the prince.

We can infer from the little mermaid’s expression that she is in love with the prince. Then can you infer the mood of everyone in the picture below?

Who is secretly happy and who is secretly proud? Are you worried again?

The illustration of "Wild Swan" was taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

This illustration is taken from "Wild Swan" and shows the stepmother's inability to The scene where the stepchildren are given food and teacups filled with sand are given as food. We can infer the situation of these characters from their expressions.

The queen looked half-smiling, as if she was happy to see the children she abused; while the 11 princes and 1 princess all had sad faces. However, if we look closely, we can find that although everyone has a sad face, the expression on each person's face is different. I admire the illustrator’s skill here.

2. The content of the painting presents the details of the story

The illustrations of this edition of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House also hide many details in the story.

Let’s test our eyesight first. Please look for it. How many people are there in the illustration?

The illustration of "Little Claus and Big Claus", Taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

Did you notice?

There are three people in the illustration.

In addition to the two people sitting at the table, there is another person peeking out from the box under the table.

Why is this person in the box? You can find out the answer in the fairy tale "Little Claus and Big Claus".

Let’s test our eyesight again. Please count, how many dogs are in this illustration?

The illustration of "Tinderbox" was taken from "Andersen" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House Fairy Tale"

There are three dogs in this painting, because the fairy tale "Tinderbox" corresponding to this illustration has three dogs with big eyes.

Have you noticed that the white dog’s eyes are unusually large?

Another illustration also depicts three objects that appear in the story - three Wood pear.

This illustration corresponds to "A pin can also bring good luck".

In this story, the craftsman made the pear tree into three types of wooden pears: large, medium and small.

The illustration of "A Pin Can Bring Good Luck" was taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

In addition to three dogs, three kinds of wooden pears, there are also clovers.

This fairy tale "Don't say it, but remember it in your heart" tells three stories.

Andersen said that these three stories are like three leaves growing on the same stem.

So, the entire fairy tale text is embedded in clovers, and there are also three-leaf clovers drawn next to the fairy tale title.

Illustration of "Don't say it, but remember it in your heart", taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

Next to the title of this edition of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House Illustrations not only allow us to see the details of the story, but also give us a glimpse of the story as a whole.

The title of "The Old Man Never Goes Wrong" is surrounded by a circle composed of horses, cows, sheep, geese, chickens, apples, and gold coins.

Because this fairy tale is connected together by these contents.

Introduction to the Illustrator

These dreamlike and touching illustrations are from a young female illustrator Kuri.

Kuri graduated from Beijing Film Academy and graduated from Syracuse University in the United States with a graduate degree in illustration. He has emerged in many design competitions and has cooperated with many publishing houses and game companies.

Perhaps it is precisely because of a woman’s delicate perspective and psychology that she can paint the pain and joy of being in love with the Little Mermaid;

Little Ada’s flower dance skirt The excitement and joy on the display;

Karen’s deep regret when thinking of the red shoes that kept dancing.

Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House's "Andersen's Fairy Tales" not only illustrates the story, but also provides illustrations for the title page (here is the page with the title of the book) and the lining page (the page with the title of the book). The previous page of the title page), table of contents and other contents are all illustrated.

Can you guess why there is a soldier with only one leg under the words "Andersen's Fairy Tales" on the title page?

The title page, taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House Fairy Tales"

If you look carefully at the lining page, you will find that the images here appear in the illustrations of fairy tales.

Look around, what images have you seen in the stories?

The lining page was taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

Specially worth mentioning is the design of the catalog.

First, there are pictures, which are very beautiful;

Second, the distance between each story title in the catalog is large enough, so it does not look oppressive.

Table of contents, taken from "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House

Compared with the compact and oppressive table of contents of other versions of "Andersen's Fairy Tales", you may feel this sense of distance What a sense of relief it would bring.

I borrowed 15 Andersen fairy tales from the library that were published from the 1980s to the present.

It turned out that it might be because we didn’t borrow the right book.

Because among the 15 books I borrowed, there are not many editions with enough illustrations, beautiful enough, and enough to illustrate the plot of the story.

15 Andersen’s Fairy Tales

The illustrations in these versions of fairy tales are either extremely childish and ridiculous and have no sense of beauty;

Or the illustrations are black and white and beautiful enough But the effect of presenting the atmosphere of the story is limited;

Illustrations of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" by a publishing house; Left: "The Daughter of the Sea", friend: "Wild Swan"

Either it is black and white Yes, the printing is not clear;

Either it is painted by famous artists, but some of the painting styles are not beautiful enough or a bit strange (I personally think it is not beautiful enough and a bit strange).

Because for children who are still in the stage of image thinking, they often regard what they see as real.

So the somewhat weird style of painting will affect their understanding of real things.

"Andersen's Fairy Tales" by People's Literature Publishing House

The only color illustration, "Andersen's Fairy Tales" that is beautiful, realistic and can explain the plot of the story is published by Children's Publishing House "Andersen's Fairy Tales".

Unfortunately, there are too few illustrations. There are only 8 illustrations among the 20 fairy tales in the book.

I had this version of the fairy tale at home when I was in elementary school. I still remember this book because the illustrations are so beautiful.

But I remember more that every time I picked up this book, I would look at the illustrations for a long time and then put it down. I didn’t want to read the story at all.

Because there are not enough illustrations, many pages are often densely packed with words. For me, who was still in primary school at the time, the reading experience was not very pleasant.

When I buy books now, I am used to first checking whether the font is large enough and whether the word spacing and line spacing are sparse. A densely packed book, no matter how good the content is, can hardly make me interested in reading.

It is also worth mentioning that Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House's "Andersen's Fairy Tales" has 147 notes at the end of the text to further explain the content of the text and help readers understand the content of the story.

For example, at the end of "The Daughter of the Sea" it is written:

Maybe we didn't think there was anything special when we read this, but after reading the prompts, we will find that mermaids are mentioned in the article There are no tears. The tears of the little mermaid show that she has created a miracle.

Of the 15 books I borrowed, only 5 have annotations.

Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House's "Andersen's Fairy Tales" also includes a brief biography of Andersen on the last page.

Readers can understand the simple life and literary status of this great fairy tale writer.

Maybe you are also concerned about translation issues.

Because some of Andersen's fairy tales on the market are not only translated, but also compiled for young children, and the terminology is younger.

However, the language of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" published by Yunnan Fine Arts Publishing House is not deliberately younger.

For example, the following paragraph is taken from the fairy tale "Don't say it with your mouth, but remember it in your heart", which uses idioms such as "conquering the public with virtue and enduring hardships."

Andersen's fairy tales are treasures in the history of literature. However, no matter how good the fairy tales are, they can only work if the readers are willing to read them and understand them.

There are many versions of Andersen's fairy tales on the market. I hope you can find a copy of "Andersen's Fairy Tales" that you are willing to read and will always treasure it. How to write the content of the handwritten newspaper of Andersen's fairy tales

How to draw the handwritten newspaper:

1. The format of the handwritten newspaper The handwritten newspaper uses an octavo page, folded in half to form a , two or two editions. It is required to have a title, a masthead and a tail. The layout is reasonable and the layout design is well-proportioned. The handwriting should be standard and beautiful, and should always be written with a ball pen or fountain pen. 2. The content of the handwritten newspaper The content of the handwritten newspaper is rich and diverse. It can be content in the classroom or extracurricular content; it can be Chinese knowledge or other subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, and English. Content: It can be mainly about knowledge accumulation, but it can also involve discussion of methods and finding solutions to difficult problems; it can be used to review old knowledge or preview new content. Specific requirements: Generally, the content of the tabloid is formulated in accordance with the teaching content and progress. One issue is every two weeks. Each issue is required to have a clear title and determine the key content. The priorities are clear and the layout is fresh and lively. 3. Specific steps 1. Explain the meaning clearly and stimulate interest. The significance of writing a handwritten newspaper is to cultivate practical language skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking, and to realize the development of students' subjectivity in Chinese learning. By guiding students to use their hands and brains, we promote Chinese learning, cultivate students' interest in learning Chinese, and improve students' ability to use Chinese. Enhance students' independence, initiative and creativity. And let students realize that Chinese is a basic tool. Regarding the importance of learning Chinese, the syllabus clearly states: "Chinese is the basic tool for study and work.

The Chinese subject is the basis for learning other subjects. Learning Chinese well is not only necessary for learning other subjects well, but also for It will have a profound impact on future work and study. "This is the clear positioning of the syllabus for the Chinese subject. From these two words "tool" and "basic" we can understand the importance of learning Chinese well. However, in real life, how many situations in which study and work are affected by failure in Chinese language? Some students are very good in science, but only because they are poor in liberal arts, they fail. Some people love mathematics, but are unable to solve complex application problems. Some people have done very well at work, and when asked to summarize their experience, they can't say one, two, or three. From high school and college entrance examinations to continuing learning at work; from work and study summaries to the transmission and exchange of large amounts of information in social work, they are all inseparable from the tool of Chinese and all rely on this foundation. So how can we seriously lay this foundation and master this tool from now on? Relying on one Chinese class a day? Easier said than done. In current studies, we are not allowed to spend too much time learning Chinese. So, is there a way to combine in-class and extra-curricular activities and a way to promote each other between Chinese learning and other subjects? At this time, the students were very active, some were thinking with their eyes flashing; others were Looking forward to the teacher's answer with expectant eyes. At this time, I did not tell the answer, but took advantage of the situation to ask: "Do you want to be an editor or a reporter?" At this time, the students all said: "Yes"! At this time, I told him (her) the idea of ??running a newspaper We: "By running a handwritten newspaper, you can not only try to be an editor or a reporter, but you can also be the editor-in-chief and do your own layout and design. This is a very challenging activity. I believe that as long as you can persist in running a handwritten newspaper, you will be able to Not only can the level of Chinese language learning be improved, but the comprehensive abilities such as typesetting and design will also be exercised and improved." At this time, the students were eager to try, and questions seemed to flash in their expectant eyes. What is a handwritten newspaper? ?2. The enthusiasm of typical guides has been mobilized. The next task is to provide specific guidance on how to prepare a handwritten newspaper. My approach is: (1) Let students first independently run a handwritten newspaper, draft their own topics, and select their own materials. , self-designed, self-copied. You can refer to "Study News" and "Beijing Daily", or you can use your own imagination. Time to complete within two weeks. (2) Select a few good manuscripts from the collected manuscripts, give them careful guidance, and let them revise them repeatedly. After repeated revisions, the handwritten newspaper basically met the requirements. I showed the advantages of each newspaper to the students in the form of comments. During the review process, I explained the basic format of the handwritten newspaper to everyone in more detail. Go back Practice again. After such repeated practice, the students have basically mastered the reporting method. (3) Specific requirements and standardized handwritten reports. After most students mastered the basic format of the handwritten newspaper, in order to improve the quality of the handwritten newspaper, I made further demands. A. The handwritten newspaper should have a clear theme, concentrated content, and novel titles. Create a catchy title based on the central content. For example: "Mainly reviewing old knowledge, it can be drafted as a "Review Guidance Newspaper". If the content is about Chinese knowledge, it can be drafted as a "Chinese Learning Newspaper", and strive to be novel. B. Reasonable layout. Reasonable layout mainly refers to layout arrangement The layout should be well-proportioned, with clear primary and secondary sections, and reasonable placement of illustrations. C. Writing must be done with a pen or ballpoint pen, and the strokes must be in a regular and sized format. It should be appropriate (it is appropriate to be able to see it clearly from about three meters away). 3. Exhibition evaluation stimulates interest and improves the quality. In order to continuously improve the quality of the handwritten newspaper, and to further stimulate the enthusiasm of the students, I insist on reading every issue carefully. Review, select the best for the exhibition. The principle of review: mainly praise the merits. The content of review: from the form to the content, from the overall layout to the arrangement and design of each section, from material selection to writing.

Writing a handwritten newspaper reflects a student's comprehensive ability, which cannot be improved through one or two periods of practice. There is a step-by-step process. During this process, the teacher’s patient guidance and enthusiastic encouragement were the motivation to overcome difficulties and persevere. Therefore, in the review, I do not hesitate to praise the students for every bit of progress and every exquisite pen. There is really nothing to praise. As long as they are handed in on time, I will praise them. In this way, students can listen to the teacher's comments with a peaceful and happy attitude, learn from the strengths of others, appreciate their own progress, and figure out how to improve their newspapers. display. The principle of exhibition: select the best from the best, taking into account different levels. After two or three issues of comments and careful practice by students who learned from each other's strengths, in the future handwritten newspapers, there will be no shortage of good works with beautiful form and substantial content in each issue. For these works, in addition to carefully commenting and praising them, I also display them in the class for everyone to observe and learn. There are also students who, although their works are not very good, do their best. We also give appropriate opportunities to exhibit these works. The exhibition range is generally 1/2 or 1/3. Without a guide, how are you going to watch the International Hans Christian Andersen Award World Illustration Exhibition

On October 4, the artistic mother thought that she had perfectly missed the National Day travel peak period, so she suggested going to the Sea World Culture and Art Center to watch the International Hans Christian Andersen Award. Award Illustration Exhibition.

However, no one responded.

The elder sister looked at the younger brother: "This exhibition of picture books and illustrations is too boring for primary school students. Let me go and see it!"

The younger brother looked at his mother with a confused look on his face: "Well, well~ What exhibition?"

My mother was well prepared and pulled out the promotional poster for the illustration exhibition "The Ugly Duckling":

The siblings were immediately moved: "Ugly Duckling, I'm going, I'm going !”

So, my mother took the siblings to the illustration exhibition happily.

Actually, my mother came prepared this time. Since hearing about this exhibition from a friend, my mother has done a lot of homework in advance. Not only has she memorized the exhibition guide by Mima, a local art education institution, but she has also read through the book written by Denise, a famous American early childhood educator. Edited "Picture Book Collection".

I fantasized about my mother talking to the two children about the classic works of various illustration masters in the exhibition hall. The old mother couldn't help but feel satisfied.

Walking into the exhibition hall, my illusions were shattered. But I saw old mothers who worked hard on literature and art, crowding in front of the paintings and calling anxiously to their children: "Come and see, come and see, isn't this your favorite picture book illustration?" But the naughty children turned a deaf ear and gathered in several interactive areas. , Rolling up and down, you push me and push me, it's a joy.

My baby, of course - is no exception.

Mom just told the siblings not to get separated, and the younger brother slipped into the interactive area. The mother had no choice but to leave her sister behind. After successfully chasing and intercepting her, she led her younger brother to find "The Ugly Duckling".

While my brother was fascinated by paintings, my mother quickly opened the book: the author Robert Yingpan is a master of realistic illustrations in the southern continent, and is good at telling stories in a delicate and realistic painting style

The book is still there. Before I finished reading, my brother was tired of watching the ugly duckling and started an interactive game with the work.

Interact with the works of Russian folk art alchemist Tatjana Marina:

Interact with the works of the elegant Austrian picture book queen Lisbeth Zweig:

Electronic screen graffiti:

From this point of view, it is of great benefit to take children to visit exhibitions frequently. The younger brother who used to run around the place without knowing where to go has now progressed to the stage of natural integration of posing and scenes.

When my younger brother was exhausted from the interaction, my older sister, who was watching the exhibition alone, found us: "Mom, let's go, I have read all the works."

Is that the end? No, my mother smiled awkwardly but kindly, it was time to use the book: "How about, which masters does my sister like the most? Can you take us to see them?"

My sister nodded and took us to "Mr. Rabbit and the Wonderful Gift" first. This is the work of Maurice Sendak, a famous children's picture book writer and illustrator, with a beautiful and delicate painting style. He has won the Caldecott Medal, the highest honor for American picture books, five times, and is also the first American to win the International Hans Christian Andersen Illustration Award.

Sendak, who was frail and sick in his childhood, reflected in his picture book creations various anxieties, fears, frustrations and other complex emotions as children grew up, which was a subversive revolution at the time. "Beast Country", "Kitchen Night Rhapsody", and "Somewhere Far Far Away", these three masterpieces in Sendak's own eyes initially received mixed reviews.

"Beast Country" was once a banned book in libraries, but was later adapted into animations and musicals, becoming a highly regarded classic and known as "a strange and unprecedented picture book". Some psychological researchers specifically combine the archetypes of ego, shadow, persona, and anima in Jung's personality theory to interpret the image of Max in "Beast Country".

The image of the beast in the illustration was quite scary when I saw it, like a nightmare I had when I was a child, while the protagonist Max was at ease:

I learned that Maurice Sendak once owned Horrible Childhood seems to be able to further understand the meaning of the work: a child gradually learns to overcome his fear during the adventure.

“What really shapes us is the child that few of us have the courage to face—the child who is impatient and demanding long before enlightenment reaches your heart, the child who wants to Love and power are never enough, and the child is always angry and crying. "This sentence by Maurice Sendak may be his original intention to create a series of classic works.

My sister’s second favorite guru is the surreal child psychology spokesperson Anthony Brown.

Anthony Brown, who is classified as a British surrealist painter, has become a double winner of the "International Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustrator" and the British "Kate Greenaway Award" for his picture book achievements. His works have neat compositions, bright colors, and are good at using contrast to create dramatic scenes, with a surreal element.

The coolest orangutan "Willy" is Anthony Brown's most popular character. "Willy" has various expressions familiar to children such as anger, sadness, joy, etc., and is like a spokesperson for children's emotional psychology. Another promotional poster for this illustration exhibition is taken from his famous picture book "Gorilla and Little Star" in 2008.

Anthony Brown said: "For me, designing a picture book is like making a movie. The structure of the book is a combination of close-ups and long shots. And my work is talent. "It's a combination of (risk saying) and thinking, it's hard to separate the two." Seeing that the two children were fascinated, the mother continued: "Every illustration is a work of art, an illustration." A master cannot create a successful work by relying only on his painting skills. He must also have a deep understanding of the children's spiritual world.

Moreover, a classic illustration will transcend national boundaries and times.

Next, let’s take a look at Mom’s favorite master!”

Mom’s first favorite master is the Scandinavian naturalist Svan Otter .

Svan Otter’s paintings have a fresh atmosphere. The layers created with transparent watercolors are subtle and rich, just like the cold air of the Nordic countries. Just like facing the fog or warm sunshine in the forest, clean light shines through, and the realistic scenes also exude ethereal artistry.

Svan Otedo has drawn illustrations for Andersen's classic fairy tales, such as "Thumbelina" and "The Ugly Duckling". He is particularly good at capturing melancholy, sad or humorous scenes in fairy tales and depicting them with fresh brushes.

My mother’s second favorite master is the elegant Austrian picture book queen Lisbeth Zweig.

In 1990, Lisbeth Zweig was only 36 years old when she won the "International Andersen Award". Beauty, fantasy, grotesqueness, and joyful sentimentality, mixed with movement, dance, nature, and fantasy, all add up to Zweig's art. There is a kind of dream quality in her paintings, which is very magical, but also very subtle and elegant.

When my mother was a child, picture books had not yet started in China. Most of her peers had never been exposed to the concept of picture books, and they basically jumped directly from reading books for children to reading text books. The most profound impression in my childhood memory is the illustrations in Andersen's fairy tales and Grimm's fairy tales. Those beautiful princesses, dreamy scenery, and touching stories gave us great courage to pursue the beauty that cannot be seen in the real world.

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