"Solitude" from Now we are Six by A.A.Milne

Before there were hand or computer animated fish, dogs or bears, childrens' imaginations were stimulated by simple pen and ink drawings illustrating their favorite books. Even now, many families have on their shelves the original Winnie the Pooh books by A.A. Milne that are lovingly illustrated with the expressive drawings of Ernest H. Shepard. Those small sketches of Pooh and Piglet and their friends are familiar two dimensional friends of childhood for many of us who did not meet Micky Mouse or Bugs Bunny until later.

Ernest Shepard was born in Sussex, England in 1879 only a short distance from Milne's birthplace. Although he lived much of his life in London (he died in 1976), he had an understanding and affection for nature and was encouraged to draw by his grandfather, a professional artist.

Although he did paint, Ernest Shepard is best known for his witty cartoons for Punch magazine and the pen and ink sketches that illustrate more than 50 books including the childrens classics 'Winnie the Pooh by Milne and Wind in the Willows by Grahame.

To look again at the drawings in the books we loved as children is guaranteed to bring a smile. If we look closely at the tiny sketches we can see the techniques the artist used to express light and texture, form and movement with the simple lines of pen and ink.

In his note on illustrating the 1953 edition of Wind in the Willows, Shepard says that he met the author (then elderly and frail) who talked about the river and meadows near his home and, speaking of his book's characters said "I love these little people, be kind to them".

Rat and Mole on the River from Wind in the Willows

Following his directions, Shepard spent an afternoon in the area, walking along the river bank and sketching. He said "It was easy to imagine it all, sitting by the river bank or following the wake of little bubbles that told me that Rat was not far away. Toad, I imagined would be snoring in ease in his arm-chair away down stream at Toad Hall. I listened to the river noises, the little plops and ripples that mean so much to the small people, I could almost fancy I could see a tiny boat pulled up among the reeds."

A small boy and his bear spy a charcoal burner in the forest.
(from Now we are Six by Milne)

The contrasting scale of large heavy tree and small boy with his smaller bear are suggested simply with contrast of detail and texture. The tree his heavily shadowed with the rounded shape of the trunk indicated with curving lines on the shadow side. The boy is just a few plain lines, expressively done quickly and with affection.

Distant trees are less detailed and the charcoal burner's pile is a basic triangle, leaving the viewer to fill out the story. The sunlit grass is plain paper and shadowed grasses are barely indicated.

Finding a beetle from Now we are Six