The importance of illustrations in a children's book can hardly be overestimated: they develop imagination, a sense of beauty, improve the mood of young and old. The first acquaintance with the world of literature takes place on the day when the child first opens the children's book and begins to plunge into the world of fantasy and fairy tales. This is a very important point, which can determine in the future whether the baby will be interested in literature or not. Children's attention immediately finds pictures in the book, and therefore they should be the personification of goodness, beauty and happiness.
Today we are talking about such a talented artist who creates magic on the pages of books, Rebecca Dautremer, one of the most famous contemporary illustrators in France.
The beginning of the way
Rebecca was born in 1971, in the small town of Gap on the slope of the French Alps. Not to say that the artist from childhood showed interest in brushes and paints. By her own admission, Rebecca began to engage in fine art for children's books almost by accident.
In her dreams of becoming a schedule, the Frenchwoman enters the Higher State School of Decorative Arts. As a simple student, Rebecca Dotremer in search of a side job gets a job at the Gautier-Languereau publishing house, where at that time they needed specialists for creative coloring books, decals and stickers. There was nothing to do: students also want to eat. Only after years, the artist realized that this was her vocation.
The heyday of a career. Technics
The start, which began so suddenly, made it possible for Rebecca's talent to flourish in lush color, both on the pages of books and in life. The artist herself says that she was just lucky with the publishers, but the truth is that the Frenchwoman is not unique. Rebecca Dotremer works with gouache on watercolor paper in order to achieve blurry smooth lines. Light delicate strokes create the illusion of 3D, and bright saturated colors immerse deep into the image. The illustrator works very carefully and with all his soul on each of his paintings, seeking inspiration from his own family, photographs, art and music.
The artist attaches great importance to the philosophical original plot, avoiding Disney patterns and frames. Her art touches even the most sophisticated critic to the core. On her account 30 years of creative successful career. At the moment, the artist is not only an illustrator of children's books, she writes books, creates graphic masterpieces for advertising (for example, for the perfumed Kenzo series) and continues to improve her talents.
Princesses
Biography of Rebecca Dotremer as a real artist begins in 2003, when she receives an order to illustrate the book “Princesses Unknown and Forgotten”. In fairness, it is worth noting that the artist agreed without much pleasure. However, barely getting started, the French woman immediately began to actively collaborate with the author of the book, creating a wonderful creative tandem.
On each page of the book is a touching story of the princess, her experiences, the formation of a life path, habits and, of course, a portrait. All paintings are made in the same style and convey the character’s mood very subtly. The message of the book itself is bewitching, original, different from everything that Western civilization is now creating. The responses were excellent: within a week after the release of the circulation, all the books from the stores were sold out!
Alice in Wonderland
Rebecca Dotremer began her work on Alice in Wonderland in 2010. From this moment, a new stage in the work of the artist began. Before the start of the work, according to the artist, she was not lucky to read Lewis Carroll , and the Disney cartoon about the adventures of a curious and mischievous girl spoiled the impression of the work. The illustrator wondered for a long time how the main character of her fairy tale should look, and only after a while, finding the right image, she began to create. But from that moment on, work went smoothly.
Black-haired cut Alice hit the public. Many decided that Rebecca portrayed a self-portrait, conveying to the character her feelings and feelings. One way or another, gentlemen may prefer blondes, but the talented artist saw the classic story in her own way and did not lose: the book turned out to be truly magical!
Cyrano
The artist worked not only on the immortal monuments of literature. The tandem with her husband, the contemporary writer Tay Marc Le Tan, has borne fruit. The family chose the play “Cyrano de Bergerac” for their creative project. The husband adapted the text, and the wife completed her main task - she illustrated the book.
It should be noted that the text of the work itself turned out to be sarcastic and funny, but the illustrations by Rebecca Dotremer retained their philosophical implication and even a certain gloom. Such an artistic technique gave the book its uniqueness: the old story began to sparkle with new colors from the palette of French talent.
Cartoon
In 2011, the artist acted as the art director of a cartoon called Kerity - la maison des Contes (“Kerity, the home of fairy tales”). The cartoon turned out to be very elegant and kind. Delicate colors and cute characters will not leave indifferent neither young nor adult. At the moment, the family creative union is working on a new cartoon, which cannot but please the fans. This direction is still new for the artist, but the talented Rebecca will soon give the children a lot of new interesting stories.
Le petit théâtre de rébecca
Having attempted to go beyond the role of illustrator of children's books (and, it must be said, successful) in 2011, the artist releases her Little Rebecca Theater. The work became the quintessence of French creativity and brought her overwhelming success.
The book is a small representation: the characters are cut out from the smallest details that can be superimposed on each other, creating your own fairy tale. Rebecca drew all the characters herself, they are collected in one book. Alice, Little Boy, Cyrano, Baba Yaga - the whole company in the collection. Each page is a scene and a home for a certain character with his own story, thoughts, feelings and charm.
Anyone who opens the book will become the director of a theatrical performance (this someone should be at least five years old) - the fairy tale begins to come to life in front of the reader.
Such a creative approach develops imagination, abstract thinking and instills a love of the book from a young age. This is great entertainment for a good family evening. And what could be more beautiful in our turbulent times?
Children's pictures or art?
Many accuse Rebecca of excessive gloom and eccentricity. Others say that her occupation cannot be called high art. Perhaps the artist’s illustrations in the Louvre do not yet hang, but they will forever settle in the soul of a small reader. Opening a book with pictures of the artist, you find yourself in an unknown, magical, sincere, filled with light and feelings world. The world that the little discoverers deserve!
Parents, looking at her work, understand one thing: in the world of advertising and falsehood, the artist’s paintings are like a breath of fresh air. Her works are full of genuine sincerity and beauty. They are filled with deep philosophical meaning, sometimes bright sorrow, but always with a great pure and tender love for the world around us, for life itself. Rebecca was able to gain the trust of many children and adults, becoming one of the most famous French artists of our time.