The Ugly Duckling is a classic story written by Hans Christian Andersen. I chose two scenes to rework in my style. To create more of a contrast, I opted for a scene of conflict to juxtapose a scene of resolution. They have very different emotions being shown, shame versus acceptance, which also reflects in the colors I chose.
I was heavily inspired by Eric Carle and Leo Lionni. What drew me to their work was the use of vibrant colors and cutout shapes. All of the creatures they created had a whimsical quality to them. They also lived in beautifully painted landscapes.
Directly referencing Eric Carle's way of working, I painted several sheets of paper with acrylic paint to use as my palette. Like Carle, my brushstrokes were intuitive. It was done when it felt done. When the paint dried, I sketched out the shapes and cut them out. This was done in several layers and scanned to be digitally composited in Illustrator.