Artistic Process
My painted papers are like my palette.Eric Carle
Eric Carle in his studio. Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
To create his signature collages, Carle painted acrylic on white tissue paper to achieve vibrant colors and patterns. Each piece was an abstract work of art that he could cut and use in a collage.
Prior to the mid-1980s, Carle used commercially available, pre-dyed papers, the colors of which quickly faded. Later he employed acid-free paper and methyl cellulose adhesive, rather than rubber cement, to ensure the longevity of his art.
Carle kept his painted tissue papers in flat file drawers, arranged by color.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Carle’s two versions of the purple cat from Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? demonstrate how his illustrative style evolved over time. His 1992 cat, constructed with vivid hand-painted tissue papers, has richer color variations and a more active pose.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? illustrated by Eric Carle and written by Bill Martin Jr. Illustrations © 1967, 1992 Penguin Random House LLC and text © 1967, 2007 Estate of Bill Martin Jr.
Purple cat illustration from 1967 edition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Purple cat illustration from 1967 edition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? illustrated by Eric Carle and written by Bill Martin Jr. Illustrations © 1967, 1992 Penguin Random House LLC and text © 1967, 2007 Estate of Bill Martin Jr.
Purple cat illustration from 1992 edition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Purple cat illustration from 1992 edition of Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Carle painted his tissue papers in bright acrylic colors. In the sequence below, he first made bold red strokes on a sheet of white tissue paper. Once dry, he added blue wavy brushstrokes, then yellow dots. In the final step, he applied black paint to a piece of carpet and printed patterns on the design.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
The images below demonstrate how Carle made a caterpillar collage. He used tracing paper, a utility blade, adhesive, and his painted tissue papers. With a crayon, he added the final touches.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.
“There are many different media to work in. I just happen to like collage. I enjoy the process of gluing the pieces down in a picture,” said Carle. “I am very interested in details, brushstrokes in a painting, and textures. So the process of painting my tissue papers is very satisfying to me.”
Eric Carle in his studio. Image courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.