It is really funny to me that some of the darkest and scariest stuff for children was done a over a hundred years ago. I guess the world was a more dangerous place and these folktales were used to keep the kids in their place. One of my next projects is to do a few illustration from the Brothers Grim. I love their work and it just blows me away how twisted their minds were. Even though most of the tales are pretty short there is a lot to be told between the words.

As an inspiration I have been looking at a lot of the illustration that goes along with these stories. My favorite illustrator of creepyness? Arthur Rackham. Although he was born over 100 years before me, it is amazing  how much I feel connected to him and his art. Arthur is a huge inspiration in my life. I'm hoping that I too can get to the dark world that he comes from.

If you don't know him, here are a few examples of his work:

from Old Woman in the Wood

from Adventures in Wonderland

from Sleeping Beauty

Lovely aren't they...and those colors(or lack of)are incredible...