AD5508 The Illustrator: 2016

Chris Riddell - Theory AD5508

Chris Riddell ‘Banderbear’ 1998

Chris Riddell is a well renown, British illustrator, who has recently been awarded the title of Waterstones Children’s Laureate, as well as many other prestigious awards, such as the Macallan Award for the best Labour election cartoon of 1997 [1], a Costa Children's Book Award in 2013, the Kate Greenaway Medal twice in 2001 and 2004 [2], as well as the Hay Festival Medal for Illustration in 2015 [3].

Riddell’s work has a well-recognised style, appreciated by both adults and children alike, and can be found in many platforms of work, to name a few, his political cartoons in The Guardian, his children’s illustration in The Edge Chronicles, as well as the illustrations in his own books, the Goth Girl series and the Ottoline series.

Riddell became successful at an early start with his first commission for Sainsbury’s being when he was still a student, thanks to his teacher, Raymond Briggs, introducing Riddell to his own publisher. [1]. His unique and easily recognisable style of strong caricatures and expressive, hand-painted lines have done excellently in his career as an illustrator.

His success seems to blossom from a combination of beautiful style, and a charming wit and intelligence. This combination made perfect for him to become an achieved political cartoonist and stand out from the crowd of satirists.

In a video for The Gardian, Riddell explained that “It's not the job of a satirist to be balanced. The best stuff often comes from a certain bias.” and “I think one can be more devastating by being gentler and kinder. It’s one of those ‘more in sympathy than anger’ approaches which can be something that politicians find hardest to combat.” [4] This unique attitude towards satire is what makes him such a success in the industry. Satire can be a rather taboo topic in media, and can easily be done wrong, with rather devastating outcomes. But Riddell appears to have acquired the perfect balance of comedy, wit, and dark truth within his satirical work.

Chris Riddell 15.03.2015 Illustration: Chris Riddell for the Observer

Riddell claims his biggest influences to be Ernest Shepard, John Tenniel, William Heath Robinson, and his own teacher, Raymond Briggs. [1]

It is clear to see what influence Shepard, Tenniel, and William Heath Robinson had on Riddell’s work as they all have a somewhat similar style of bold ink lines. However, to pick out the specific influences from each artist, it can be seen that Riddell has taken parts of both Shepard and Tenniel’s style of both line and character and merged the two into his own unique style today. It appears he’s adopted the detailed ink lining of Tenniel as well as his realist approach to characters, It can be seen clearly in Riddell’s work that he enjoys creating fine detail with his lines as well as his use of highlights in his illustrations.

In a video explaining his method of drawing one of his characters, Riddell explains when adding highlights with white gouache “I love doing this and sometimes get a bit carried away and add too many little bits.”. (7)

Adding this to the cartoonist style of Shepard to his work, is what creates his charming, realistic, yet exaggerated characteristic style.

Shepard illustration Winnie the Pooh 1926

Alice In Wonderland Chapter 2: The Pool of Tears, by John Tenniel (1820 – 1914). Published in 1866.

A Willian Heath Robinson illustration from The Adventures of Uncle Lubin (1902) [5]

Influence from William Heath Robinson appears to be more idea-based than style-based. He created many beautiful illustrations of futuristic yet contemporary contraptions and inventions. Riddell seems very passionate about creating very industrial, technical illustrations, particularly in his illustrations from his and Paul Stewart’s fantasy series, The Edge Chronicles. These also have a futuristic twist on contemporary and past technology.

The interior of the sky ship Galerider. ‘The Curse of the Gloamglozer’ 2001

Raymond Briggs, who is said to have had a major influence on Riddell’s work, was Riddell’s teacher at the time where his career began, as I have stated previously.

Though he is famous for his incredibly successful book, ‘The Snowman’, it seems that Briggs’ influence on Riddell has come from his smaller pieces - comic strips, satire, character doodles. etc.

Raymond Briggs ‘Father Christmas’ (1973)

Briggs tends to illustrate lots of small scenes of his characters going about their daily business. Whether it is for a client or simply for his own amusement. I have seen a lot of this in Riddell’s work, again, smaller pieces in his sketchbooks and such.

Another similarity between Briggs’ and Riddell’s work, is, to be specific, their style of drawing old men. Briggs has gained fame from his familiar and loved illustration of Father Christmas. With the trademark, big, shiny, blushing nose and cheeks under a cloud of beard.

You can see Riddell’s inspiration from this in any of his drawings of old, respectable, (and generally loveable) characters, such as these illustrations of some of The Seven Dwarfs.

Chris Riddell’s ‘Seven Dwarfs’ 2015

Even though my examples of Riddell’s work are in black and white, you can see clearly from his shading and highlighting that he is trying to really warm up the cheeks and soften the features, creating that loveable-old-man look.

On the subject of colour, Riddell started his career in mainly black and white, both due to his influences, and the fact that print and publishing in that time were not very advanced and to print colour was a lot more challenging, and the results were often underwhelming. [1]

In an interview, Riddell discussed his transition from black and white to colour. “I started to think: 'What can colour do for me?' I mean, you can editorialise with colour - you can put figures in shadow, suggest blushing politicians, do sunsets.”[1]

“suggest blushing” led me to think that it was Briggs’ blushing Father Christmas that may have encouraged Riddell to explore colour in his work.

Despite Riddell’s transition to colour, most of his work is still in plain black and white. Political cartoons, younger children’s books, and front covers will be in colour, however, most likely due to printing practicality, any illustrations within his longer books are in black and white.Riddell’s main sources of income appear to be his job as a political cartoonist, the illustration of others’ books, and the writing and illustration of his own books. [1]

He is most renowned for his children’s books illustrations, both his own, and other writers’. I don’t think there are many people out there, including adults, who wouldn’t recognise Chris Riddell’s work if it were shown to them.

Though his main audience is children through reading his children’s books, his work still attracts an adult audience of all ages. His work as a political cartoonist is what work of his reaches his adult audience most, however, even his children’s books are entertaining to the adult audience, such as his illustrations in Russell Brand’s Trickster Tale: The Pied Piper of Hamelin.

The children’s books reach a large audience of children and parents, whereas his satire illustrations reaches the maturer adult audience, so he has a vast audience.

‘Russell Brand’s Trickster Tales: The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ front book cover

Riddell’s typical clients would include children’s book writers, fellow artists/writers wanting to collaborate, and newspapers like The Guardian.

I think his main clientele would be writers of children’s books, as most people recognise his work from his children’s book illustrations, rather than his political cartoons in newspapers.

Any ethical or philosophical standpoint Riddell shows in his work is generally all in his political cartoons, which also covers whether or not his work is considered controversial.

Although Riddell’s political cartoons are strongly biased, and, at times, brutal, they don’t appear to have created much controversy.

In fact, one of Riddell’s most controversial moves was the recent release of his new book, ‘My Little Book Of Big Freedoms’. A children’s book aimed at primary schoolers, to explain to them why Britain should stay in Labour’s controversial Human Rights Act (HRA). A rather biased approach to enlightening the young and innocent, labelled by critics as “propaganda for children”. [8]

This has caused quite the uproar, with various people stating their opinions and strong beliefs. Tory MP Philip Hollobone said: “It is completely inappropriate to politicise children’s reading in this way. Everyone supports human rights but not everyone supports the Human Rights Act.”

It can be agreed that it is a rather biased and unfair way of enlightening the youths of today on the HRA, and there is certainly a distinction between human rights and the HRA. I suppose one could think of something like this as Riddell shoving his political opinions down children’s throats in the form of an innocent, colourful book.

However, Amnesty UK director Kate Allen argued: “Children have a natural instinct for determining what’s right and fair and this little book really appeals to that sense.

The Human Rights Act protects all of us, children and adults, which is why Chris’s drawings are so important.” [8]

It is true that kids and most adults know the difference between right and wrong, and a book telling us what we deserve and what is good, which is what ‘My Little Book of Big Freedoms’ is doing , doesn’t sound anywhere near as bad as “propaganda for children”.

Overall, Chris Riddell is a unique and established illustrator, who appears to have nothing but good intentions in mind when creating his work.

References

Bibliography

Banderbear image - http://middlegradestrikesback.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/mgsb-sketchbook-spotlight-on-chris.html

Satire image - http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2015/mar/15/jeremy-clarkson-and-nigel-farage-reinterpret-cs-lewis-cartoon

Galerider image - http://theedgechronicles.wikia.com/wiki/Sky_Ships

Alice in Wonderland image - http://wordyenglish.com/alice/tenniel.html

Winnie the Pooh image - http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/original-winnie-pooh-drawings.html

Air Balloon image - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson#/media/File:Robinson(WH)-(%27Uncle_Lubin%27).jpg

Santa image - http://www.planetnemoanimation.com/father-christmas/

Monday, 4 January 2016