Old King Cole Was a Merry Old Toad—I mean Soul

I finished this illustration, slated for my portfolio, yesterday. I had to wait for areas in the fiddles and crickets/grasshopper to dry some in order to add some detail.

So, to remind you of what's going on here, I tried to interpret this with animals, and for some reason, a toad came to mind. Also, when doing some research into the history of the nursery rhyme (at Wikipedia, nothing too in-depth), they suggested that in the era that this may have been written, pipe could have meant a recorder or flute as much as a smoking pipe. And, since he had called for his fiddlers three, it could have very well meant that OKC was making music too.

And, if I've chosen a toad for the main character, then what other creatures would fit? His servants, the fiddlers naturally seemed fitting as crickets and grasshoppers. Those insects make music in the real world, don't they? And, is this a friendly arrangement, or are they pressed into service....?

See the frog-in-waiting in the background? He's providing a selection of pipes here. And the bowl is brought in to the king, balanced on a snail's shell. This is a fairy tale world, mind you.

I'm going to send this out to some children's magazines.

As far as technique, this is a charcoal drawing (see the below post), with oil tinting over the top. Not sure if I'll continue in this vein. I returned to it after several years, but had the same trouble now as I did then: keeping things from looking muddy. I'll probably just go to straight oils. See the upcoming illustration: Alone in the Topiary Garden—under drawing coming in the next day or so.

Illustration Underdrawing of Old King Cole at Final Charcoal Stage

When last we left OKC, he was just line work. I think after today, I'll say the black and white work is done.

   Next, I'll apply oil tints. The grasshopper and 2 crickets are not very visible at this point, but I'll bring them back out in opaque color. The background colonnade will drop way back after it gets it oil washes.

   Now, for some candlelight.

Step 2 in OKC Illustration

Old King Cole is lined-out and ready for charcoal fill to develop the shadows and highlights. Then, I plan on a method I haven't used in about 6 years and hope I can pull it off: oil tints. First, the charcoal drawing will be sealed and then thin tints of oil paint will be applied; I'll lift out the areas of light with a kneaded eraser, building up, up, up. Hopefully, OKC will emerge very dimensional from a deep, warm, dark backdrop.

Illustrating Old King Cole

Old King Cole was not only a merry old soul, but he was also a toad…

   …in my world, at least. 

   His fiddlers? crickets and a grasshopper. A snail balances his bowl and a frog-in-waiting has brought a selection of his pipes--oh, and these aren't specifically p.c., non-smoking pipes. I found on Wikipedia, an interpretation that since OCK was so merry, that it stood to reason that "pipe" could have meant a recorder or flute, which he played along with his fiddlers three.

   These are the initial thumbnails.