Image of the Week: Ladybug on a Fence
© D. Yael Bernhard
Illustrators have to draw the darnedest things – in this case, a ladybug crawling on a white picket fence, for a non-fiction picture book titled simply Ladybug, published by Holiday House in 1992. The book teaches all about the anatomy and life cycle of these diminutive beetles; their role in the ecosystem and agriculture; and the cultural beliefs and folklore that surround them – most notably the poem that found its way into the Mother Goose collection of nursery rhymes, first published around 1760:
Ladybird, Ladybird, fly away home!
Your house is on fire, your children all gone . . .
As with all my non-fiction children's books, I had to learn enough about the subject so that I could help young readers learn about it too. Willingness to learn is an essential trait for illustrators – and therein lies one of the fundamental differences between illustration and fine art. For many years I've taught arts-in-ed programs in schools, libraries, and synagogues, teaching kids how to illustrate. I always begin with the question: what is an illustration? How is it different from a picture on your wall? The answer that I lead my students to discover is that illustration is not an act of self-expression, but one of service. It's a tool for visual communication. Illustrators doesn't get to choose what they draw and paint, and don't do it for their own satisfaction. Being an illustrator has instilled in me a constant awareness of my viewers, how they perceive images, and how they understand concepts visually.
Yet even within these constraints there's room for creative expression. I didn't choose the subject of this illustration, or its size and shape – it had to reflect the text and fit into the layout of the book. But I did choose the picket fence and the morning glories, which I painted with the sensual flowers of Georgia O'Keeffe in mind – and in doing so, felt the same pleasure I feel in painting a still-life. I also added the little ladybug leaving dotted footprints all across this and every page of the book – much to my editor's delight. So there is wiggle room – or in this case crawling room – for creativity even within the confines of professional work.
For this book I also had to depict ladybug body parts; different types of ladybugs (some quite attractive); ladybugs in diapause (similar to hibernation); ladybug nymphs feeding on aphids (creepy!); a molting ladybug pupa shedding its skin (weird!); ladybugs mating (sure to make kids dissolve into giggles); and ladybugs laying eggs. Soon after creating the latter image, I found a cluster of ladybug eggs – which resemble tiny yellow footballs – stuck to a lettuce leaf in my garden. I brought the leaf inside to show my kids, but forgot about it and accidentally added it to our salad. Life is tough in the world of insects. My daughter was grossed out, but my son thought it was funny. I felt bad about reducing the ladybug population.
A good illustration should not only match but enhance the text it accompanies, which in this case reads: "When there is a shortage of aphids and scale insects, the ladybug travels in search of food. Ladybugs are slow and clumsy fliers. Often they crawl on their short legs instead of flying." The child viewing this image can now imagine the ladybug patiently crawling along in search of food, beyond the confines of this picture – and see from the tiny bug's point of view how it's dwarfed by the architecture of its environment and the plants that host its food. I tried to make it a safe and cheerful setting, one in which the ladybug's diligence is rewarded.
The illustration throughout this book have colored outlines – usually a darker shade of the object it defines – a technique I've used for a number of picture books, and rarely elsewhere. Looking back at this technique now, I'm tempted to try colored outlines again. It has to be the right image, of course, so I must be patient – like the ladybug.
Ladybug has long been out of print. I look back on the book with a smile.
A good week to all!
D Yael Bernhard