Creating something inspired by Eric Carle

Instagram recently served me up a video by an elementary art teacher where she was sharing step-by-step a project she does with her 2nd graders. It was inspired by the illustrations of Eric Carle. First, they watch an interview with the artist, then make animals using his technique.

I’m a little embarrassed that despite my love of Carle’s books and my deep love for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I had no sense of the process behind the illustrations. In typical Instagram fashion, I am now seeing endless Carle-inspired content and I’m not sad about it.

I tracked down this interview with him, which was incredibly enlightening.

• He makes several prototypes for each of his books, each increasing in fidelity

• His background was in advertising so a lot of how he works is influenced by how he did things in that job

• His “style” can be seen as far back as a book he made when he was 7, but his process and supplies have evolved over time

Trying it myself

It inspired me to create something inspired by Carle’s process.

Using a mix of my son’s crayons and markers, I first colored huge patches of greens, pinks, reds, and greens. I mixed hues, I added textures, and layered mediums. Then I cut out pieces and glued them back together into stylized flowers. Before my florals were even complete, I found myself planning the next mix of techniques I wanted to use to make my colored backgrounds.