I completed a second 'rough' attempt at a page from a possible Cock Robin book. The text was done fairly lazily just to work through one way of incorporating it, but I'm discarding this layout as too unwieldy, particularly for the context of a small 'pocket size' book.
The image was painted with my usual watercolour, ink and gouache.
Above is my initial attempt at a Cock Robin design, started a couple of months ago and never finished. I became very dissatisfied with the image, I think the composition is too static and overcrowded, the Robin and Sparrow become a bit lost, and had I painted them in, that would only be exacerbated. I think I also put too much work into the leaf border and the thorns.
Now this is the starting sketch for a new version of the same image, much more compositionally dynamic and not bogged down in the same focus on 'design' work, which I think only weighed the previous attempt down. These images are fairly small, and in a book I would like them to practically be miniatures, so I think this more focused and yet more open approach will better serve the simple drama of the song. I'm intending this to be a painting without the same kind of line work I would have used in the first piece. I'm starting to get a real taste for using a more painterly style, as I did in 'Spring Tide'.
"Who killed Cock Robin?" "I," said the Sparrow, "With my bow and arrow, I killed Cock Robin."
"Who saw him die?" "I," said the Fly, "With my little eye, I saw him die."
"Who caught his blood?" "I," said the Fish, "With my little dish, I caught his blood."
"Who'll make the shroud?" "I," said the Beetle, "With my thread and needle, I'll make the shroud."
"Who'll dig his grave?" "I," said the Owl, "With my pick and shovel, I'll dig his grave."
"Who'll be the parson?" "I," said the Rook, "With my little book, I'll be the parson."
"Who'll be the clerk?" "I," said the Lark, "If it's not in the dark, I'll be the clerk."
"Who'll carry the link?" "I," said the Linnet, "I'll fetch it in a minute, I'll carry the link."
"Who'll be chief mourner?" "I," said the Dove, "I mourn for my love, I'll be chief mourner."
"Who'll carry the coffin?" "I," said the Kite, "If it's not through the night, I'll carry the coffin."
"Who'll bear the pall? "We," said the Wren, "Both the cock and the hen, we'll bear the pall."
"Who'll sing a psalm?" "I," said the Thrush, "As she sat on a bush, I'll sing a psalm."
"Who'll toll the bell?" "I," said the bull, "Because I can pull, I'll toll the bell."
All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing, When they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin.
This old song is the subject of my current concepts for an illustrated book, to be exhibited in the first MA show in September. Still early stages, a few in progress images to follow.
(This version of the rhyme was first printed c. 1770. If you know the name of the illustrator of the above image, do let me know!)
Who Killed Cock Robin?John Anster Fitzgerald (1823-1906)
