Every month, I profile an artist who inspires my own art,
in several segments.
I was tickled to find out that Kinuko Y. Craft also makes colored pencil drawings. They are quite different from what I usually see – so much less color-saturated and likely much less labor-intensive!
Medusa (2010)
How lovely! Any other time, Medusa is either a monster or a weird-sexy seductress – but here, braiding her famous snake hair, she looks contemplative. Being solitary seems nice for her instead of a punishment.
Siren (2011)
Sirens are supposed to lure sailors to their deaths by singing – how nice to show her playing a violin instead. I love all the implied elements in this drawing: wings, the sea, fish, scales, and music. It’s also very dynamic and fluid.
Pandora and Hope (2010)
Now that I think of it, of the four drawings I chose, three of them are of negatively-viewed Greek mythical characters. Craft makes them so pretty! And this is such an interesting, emotionally-charged, touching moment to depict. Not many artists show this moment – usually it’s when Pandora opens the box or tries to shut the box.
Rhiannon (2010)
This drawing was probably a test for a painting Craft made called Daughter of Exile (which, now that I think of it, probably also depicts Rhiannon). I just think it’s pretty.
I’m so glad I could share my favorite artist from my childhood (and also on my favorites list today)! I highly recommend any book illustrated by Craft – go out and buy one for a child in your life and one for yourself!
Other parts in the Kinuko Y. Craft artist profile series
Introduction
Twelve Dancing Princesses
Paintings
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