How Dare You – Part 3
June 24, 2025
If you missed the previous parts and want to read them first, just click on the links:
Part 1 Part 2
"If things are as you say, I will allow you to take as much rapunzel as you want. But under one condition: You must give me the child that your wife will bring to the world. It will do well, and I will take care of it like a mother."
—The Witch
—The Witch
Now why would the Witch make such an extreme demand?
That’s one of the questions I asked myself to figure out her background story, so I could understand her character.
Based on her own words, she wants to care for the child like a mother. Did she miss her window of opportunity to conceive, through lack of good suitors? Could she not bear a child? It makes her character more complex and interesting to think she wants the baby out of desperation rather than malice.
How does this inform her visual representation you ask? I’d like to think that believing that she’s not evil helped me convey a certain softness.
Witches in fairy tales are often ugly, though sometimes as beautiful as they are malevolent. I wanted the Witch to be neither ugly nor beautiful because I didn’t want her physical appearance to be a point of discussion. It’s totally irrelevant to the story whether she’s attractive or not.
She does have a very pretty dress on though! Should she be wearing a plainer frock based on her social status? Probably. Then again, she might be a single woman of means, owning a lucrative business selling potions and lotions. Or something.
I was inspired by dresses from a few sources, but the main ones where these two tapestries:
Close-ups on some tapestries I shared in Part 2
As for the Husband, I made him a merchant. Mainly so I could treat myself by drawing some more nice clothes.
In hindsight, although he wasn’t the intended inspiration, the Husband reminds me of Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride 😳
Prince Humperdinck
I purposefully made him look a bit old for a first-time father, since the tale starts with “Once upon a time there was a man and a woman who had long, but to no avail, wished for a child.”
The Husband’s pose changed slightly after I sent the first sketch to my brother, who had notes… To be fair to him, he’s an animator, so body language and ‘action lines’ are his area of expertise. He very sweetly sent me a few reference photos of himself acting as the Husband, for me to copy his pose. I created a mix of his pose and the one I’d already done.
Rough sketch, after I sent it to my brother as you can see I started figuring out how I would change the position of one of the legsThis concludes the process for my Folio Book Illustration Award entry!
I’m sorry to say I didn’t make it to the longlist. I was briefly disappointed, but this text message from a friend who also entered the competition cheered me up:
The Folio longlist came out!! They forgot to include us, weird
Judith xx
Monthly inspiration
O’Donoghue and I share some traits: she laughs and cries easily, she sometimes snorts when she laughs, and when she finds something that someone said funny, she repeats it in a higher pitched voice. And I must not hate those traits in myself, because I very much enjoy listening to her!
There’s currently a sub-theme to the podcast: Magical Garbage. It covers a lot of very good fantasy movies that shaped us as kids/teenagers, including one I mentioned above: The Princess Bride.
Some other films I very much enjoyed revisiting with O'Donoghue and her guests’ clever analysis are: Shrek, The Lord of The Rings, and Labyrinth.
I am, obviously, LOVING this series.
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How Dare You – Part 2
June 24, 2025
It’s time for a full reveal of my Folio Book Illustration Award 2025 submission:
Ta-da!
By the way I still don’t know if I’ve been longlisted or not. I’m not even sure when I’m supposed to hear back. I don’t really have high hopes if I’m honest. Which is not to say I’m not happy with what I created, I am. But last time I participated the quality level of the longlist selection was extremely high. If it’s the same this year, I don’t think I stand much of a chance. That’s okay though, it gave me the motivation to try something new and have fun with it.
If you missed last month’s post, you can read it here. This month I’m breaking down the inspiration behind the border of the illustration, which is really just an excuse to talk about my love of tapestries.
Esther approaching Ahasuerus tapestry (made 1500-1525) can be seen at the V&A Museum
I wanted a frame around the illustration because a) I like a frame and b) I wanted to use it for storytelling. Parallel to this, I had late medieval Europe/early Renaissance era (1300 to 1500 AD) in mind for what the characters would be wearing. So, when I came across images of tapestries spanning that period, I had found my inspiration!
I did a lot of research to find references for the illustration. Like, A LOT. About five hours total, to find the right clothes for the time, the right house, the right flowers and plants. Oh, and what ‘rampion (or rapunzel)’ actually is/looks like. So, the flower you see at each corner is, to the best of my googling abilities, a rapunzel flower. As are the plants on either vertical side of the frame.
The pregnant lady in the oval at the top is the Wife—let’s remember the characters are never named in the story, except Rapunzel. The Wife, as I was saying, is looking longingly at the rampions because she’s got a craving for them. A craving so bad she will let herself die if she can’t eat the damn plant. Which is why the Husband ends up trying to steal rampions from the Witch’s garden.
I still can’t believe I spent ages looking for the right image of a half-timbered frame houses, only to show next to nothing of it in my illustration.
Now I only had to find something to put inside the ovals on the left and right borders. For reasons I’ll go into in Part 3, involving part of the plot and a whole backstory I created for the Witch, I wanted to include a fertility symbol. After more research, yet again, I went for this spiral. Though I’m still not 100% sure I trust my internet sources on its authenticity.
Finally, just for fun and to break the rigidity of the frame, I let the Witch’s arm overlap with it. She is magical after all, so she probably has the power to step outside of her world.
Tune in next month, for the final part of my process. I might also know the longlist results by then!
Judith xx
Monthly inspiration
For people who don’t know much about textiles, tapestry is a type of weaving done on various types of loom.There are also different types of tapestries, but I’ll just mention wall hangings. They are bigger and more impressive. I’m in awe of the skills and patience it takes to make them!
Floor loom images by 
This photo is from the Wikipedia entry for tapestry. LOOK AT HOW MANY THREADS ARE NEEDED! It must take ages to create.
I won’t show you all the tapestries I love, because there are too many of them. Let’s just look at these three from the series The Lady and the Unicorn (French: La Dame à la licorne). They were created in the style of mille-fleurs (“thousand flowers”) and woven in Flanders from wool and silk, from designs (“cartoons”) drawn in Paris around 1500. The set is on display in the Musée de Cluny in Paris.
Five of the tapestries are commonly interpreted as depicting the five senses—taste, hearing, sight, smell, and touch. The sixth displays the words “À Mon Seul Désir”, meaning “To My Only Desire.” It alludes to courtly love, a medieval European literary conception of love that emphasised nobility and chivalry.
Below are Hearing, À mon seul désir and Touch. The details are stunning, especially in the dresses.
Hearing, À mon seul désir and Touch tapestriesWant to get this blog directly in your inbox each month? Just subscribe to my Inspired Substack.
How Dare You – Part 1
May 27, 2025
I scrambled to submit my application to the Folio Book Illustration Award 2025 before going on holiday earlier this month. I originally wanted to paint it in gouache, but ended up doing it digitally in Procreate to save time. I definitively wouldn’t have met the deadline otherwise.
The Folio Society publishes limited editions of beautifully illustrated books. The winner of the award gets, along with some money, the chance to have their work featured in an upcoming Folio book. A dream job.
I’m splitting my process into two (maybe three?) parts because I have too many inspirations to discuss!
Crop from my submission
This year, the illustration had to be based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel. Have you read the story recently? It’s surprisingly weird, like ‘wtf?’ weird. But it’s a fun one to let your imagination run wild.
The direction from Folio was to choose a specific scene. I selected the part where the husband is caught stealing the witch’s rampion—a type of plant also known as rapunzel—for his wife (the Grimms weren’t big on naming their characters). The witch is super mad and says, ‘How dare you come into my garden like a thief and steal my rampion?' A fair question, and one that gave me the title for my piece.
The witch’s head, seen above, is very much inspired by the work of Carlo Crivelli, an Italian Renaissance painter from the 15th century. I came across his work at the National Gallery in London and was mesmerised by it. The figures’ facial expressions are so cool, the details are stunning, and I love the almost deformed hands. His style is so easily recognisable: an amazing mix of illustrative and realistic elements. He’s my current fave.
It’s very clear where my inspiration comes from for the face and hair
Because Rapunzel is a fairy tale, I wanted to try something more fun than my usual style. Something that would make it appealing for kids as well as adults. So I chose to integrate the illustrative, more stylised aspects of Crivelli’s work.
When I share the rest of the illustration next month, you’ll see that I could probably have pushed this stylisation further. À suivre!
Judith xx
Monthly inspiration
Surprise, it’s Carlo Crivelli’s work!
All of these can be seen at the National Gallery in LondonWant to get this blog directly in your inbox each month? Just subscribe to my Inspired Substack.
The Making Of
April 29, 2025
At this time of year I miss my family’s sugar shack day. A day of fun for kids and adults alike, building on the family lore. Ask any aunt, uncle or cousin of mine and they’ll have a lovely story about this yearly sugary meeting.
Some of you know this already, but back in 2018 I made a small magazine about sugar shacks and maple syrup. I recently found a presentation I’d done at work about the creative process behind it, which brought back good memories (and a few chuckles).
It seemed fitting for Inspired, so here it is.
Note: Some people might have a clipped version in their email, just click ‘View entire message’ when you get to it. Don’t worry, it’s mostly images.
Why a magazine?
#papersnotdead
I just love magazines. I love learning about new people and subjects, and I’m a very visual person.
A magazine encompasses most things I like about design: layout, photography, illustrations, typography.
Also, I briefly wanted to be a writer when I was a kid so I thought it’d be nice to rekindle my love of writing (it was). I thought it would be easy enough to write a magazine (it wasn’t).
Why Sugar shack?
You can take the girl out of Québec but not Québec out of the girl
It was March, the beginning of the sugar shack period, and I was feeling nostalgic. Besides, I had a few images I’d taken in the past, it would be the perfect place to use them!
The how to
(Very) slowly, but surely1. Planning content and finding a name
What thinking bilingually looks like
The name must have been love came from trying to convey that this theme, and all potential future magazine themes, are subjects I care about. The fact that it makes me want to sing the Roxette song every time I read it is just an added bonus. Any song that prompts you to close your eyes and make a fist with emotion as you sing along is a good song.
2. Setting up a colour palette and a mood
3. Getting layout inspiration
I also looked at physical copies of my favourite magazines at home.
4. Choosing fonts
Headlines font choice is a clear 2017-2018 time stamp, but I still like it
5. Research
Actual footage of me researching on the internet
6. Writing for my magazine
What I thought it would look like…
Yes, this is Lucy M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables. I’ve professed my love for Anne before.
What it actually looked like:
1st draft was shit.
2nd draft wasn’t much better.
3rd draft was getting there, but still needed some work.
7. Editing the final draft
9. Coming up with an interesting idea for the cover
There were a lot more (bad) ideas in that notebook!
10. Planning the cover photo shoot
11. Doing the cover photo shoot
And sniffling maple syrup all afternoon
I’m still grateful to my then colleague Katie for taking the pictures and bringing me paper towels when I spat out maple syrup everywhere. And for waiting until afterwards before laughing at me.
12. Enrolling contributors
Having talented friends is the best
Left image: A friend from Québec, Jason Cantoro, had done this screen-printed artwork of his family sugar shack and very kindly offered to let me use the image!
Middle and right image: A lovely illustrator friend from London, Léonie Flower, also offered to help, so I commissioned her to draw food and the maple syrup can. She did a stellar job!
13. Deciding that a comic strip is a good idea
How hard can it be? Lolz
Maple Sugar Time documentary, 1941
I wanted a visual to go with the history of the sugar shack. At the same time I thought I was missing information as to how we actually make maple sugar. The solution came from this 1940’s documentary. I loved how it looked. I drew a few chosen scenes, which took FOREVER.
14. Making sure the flow is good
And the colour palette consistent
15. Messing up your page count
Means having to do last minute illustrations
16. Aaaaand done
I’m still very happy with this project. It was a lot of work, but equally a lot of fun. I’d love to do more of them.
You can read it online here: must have been love
Judith xx
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The Unravelling of Betty Draper
March 25, 2025
What struck me first was this low angle shot of Betty Draper. Something about the graceful line of her neck, jaw and chin made me go “oooh, I think I want to draw this.” The incredible bone structure of January Jones also probably had something to do with it.
What started as one illustration then became a short comic of sorts. Why? Good question, my memory refuses to divulge the information. I suspect either because context makes this shot even better, or because the whole final scene is just too good.
*Spoilers ahead for a show that finished airing 10 years ago. Go watch it now if you haven’t!*
Set to the soundtrack of Bobby Helms’ My Special Angel, the two scenes—Betty in her kitchen, then in her garden—give a sense of oppression followed by release. And, let’s be honest, badass-ness.
The first scene sees her bored senseless at 1pm, disillusioned again about her role as a housewife. She’d briefly tasted a sense of freedom, if not purpose, through a couple of photoshoots as a model.
After a morning of renewed optimism at doing the house chores, we find her sat at the kitchen table, cigarette in hand. She’s still in her nightgown, though her hair is perfect as always. A beautiful shot, conveying both boredom and oppression. In the background we start hearing My Special Angel, barely perceptible.
In the next scene the song is loud enough to be heard clearly. Betty’s outside, looking up at the neighbour’s pigeons flying around. Soon after she brings the shotgun into frame and starts shooting at the birds, while the neighbour shouts “Mrs Draper!” We have the release.
Final drawing
Although I’m not the biggest fan of Betty, my interpretation of this ending is sympathetic to her. Being constantly gaslit by her husband and stuck at home all day, I think she’s taking control in her life where she can. In this instance, by doing to her neighbour’s birds what said neighbour had threatened to do to her dog: shoot them. Or maybe she’s just trying to scare them away, so they can roam free without having to come back to their cage. Something she’s not allowed to do.
Can you tell I love this show?
Process
Once I’d chosen which stills from the show I wanted to draw, it was mostly a matter of sketching and rendering them through a limited colour palette.
I’ve been loving the mint green/rose combo for a long time and now was the time to use it. I stuck with my idea of mixing graphite pencils and watercolour, which I told you about in my last post. I only wish I’d used a more watercolour-friendly paper! Let this be my reminder not to use water in my sketchbook again.
Judith xx
Monthly inspiration
I’m carrying on with Mad Men because it’s a piece of art in 92 episodes.
I hadn’t rewatched Mad Men since it finished airing in 2015. I remember really liking it then, but I never had the urge to watch it again. Then towards the end of last year someone shared a few subtitled stills from the show that made me chuckle and made me want to revisit it. Now it’s one of my favourite shows ever.
There isn’t much about the show I don’t love: it’s superbly written, acted, and directed. Some shots are so beautiful as to be movie worthy. The soundtrack is excellent. The social commentary, still relevant. Oh, and it’s very funny!
It’s also no secret that the show runner, Matt Weiner, made sure all the details were thoroughly researched to be accurate to the period. The production design team understood the assignment. A show full of mid-century modern design and 1960’s fashion, what’s not to like?
I could go on and on about all the merits of Mad Men (and please write to me if you’re the same), but I’ll let some still from the show speak for me.
This is the first scene of episode 1. A strong start
A great example of beautiful set design
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This might not be the most beautiful shot, but the meaning when you watch the show is *chef’s kiss*
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One of the strongest shots of the whole show
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Those of you who follow me on Instagram will have seen this one already 😎
This might not be the most beautiful shot, but the meaning when you watch the show is *chef’s kiss*
One of the strongest shots of the whole show
Those of you who follow me on Instagram will have seen this one already 😎Want to get this blog directly in your inbox each month? Just subscribe to my Inspired Substack.
