Editor's note: Mr. Mizuse, who is loved by children, what is his wedding like? How did a writer come up with the idea of creating such a story? Let's follow Li Xingming to understand the story behind his creation!
"The Wedding of Mr. Otter" is a game picture book that I give to my children to "live in the house". When I was a child, I loved to play "Over home", so when I drew this picture book, I had a lot of fun drawing, and I hope that the children can have fun in The world of Mr. Otter!
This book inherits the characters and blank design from the previous game "Mr. Otter's New Neighbor", but what is different from the previous work is that this book meticulously shows the home of otters and neighbors, providing richer scenes and character settings for the subsequent development of the story.
"Mr. Otter's New Neighbor" Inner page © Lee Sing Ming
Mr. Otter's New Neighbor
Text/Photo: Li Xingming
Suitable for parents and children over 4 years old
How can a "homeless" game not have a home? I believe that children who like to play this game also love "Doll House"!
I drew the home of each animal at the beginning of the story. The home reflects the professional characteristics, life interests and personality characteristics of each character: Mr. Beaver, who guards the dam, has a blue tone, he likes to do carpentry work, and there is a workbench in the house, and there are wood chips all over the floor.
Mr. Beaver's home
From the inner page © of "Mr. Otter's Wedding" Li Xingming
The home of the medical worker and the literary young inuyasha couple is pink, with a dreamy glass flower room, and if you look closely, you can find an ambulance box.
The Sheep family is the owner of the lake area's wealthy cotton garden, and their home is red in tones and has huge tree houses. I also deliberately designed a small loft and slide for the little sheep.
The sheep family's red tree house
From the inner page © of "Mr. Otter's Wedding" Li Xingming
Mr. Bear is a big grinning forester, and his home is brownish. In the cave, you can see various tools for planting trees, as well as honey jars that he has eaten up.
Mother Goose is a teacher and her family is full of books. They live in reeds and their homes are green tones. Baby geese can either play in a small basket on a kite or slide down the roof to the door.
In Mr. Otter's New Neighbor, I depict Mr. Otter's cabin on Lake Island. And in this picture book, you'll see two basements of the cabin: one filled with love letters from Mr. Otter to Miss Otter; the other is where they store their food. There is also a treasure chest where the treasures will be revealed later!
01 Lake with light
The lake is not only a landscape, but also a stage for picture book stories. From the time the animals rushed to the dock together until the shipwreck, the blank space of the picture gradually decreased. Different forms of waves, as well as different angles of light, are difficult points in painting.
In order to draw the picture I wanted, I also consulted a teacher who was good at drawing "light". After repeated practice, I finally drew a satisfactory "light" effect. On the page of the picture book "Shipwreck", I use a downward-looking painting angle to let the reader's eyes sink to the bottom of the lake with the animals.
"Mr. Otter's Wedding" Inner page © Li Xingming
02 Shipwreck
The setting of the wedding at the bottom of the lake makes the lake surface change from the plane of the previous work to the current three-dimensional. The animals appeared on the bottom of the water, swimming together in the water, and from the bottom of the lake, it looked like they were "flying", and the neighbors became more intimate.
1. Sketch line drawing
2. The line draft is extended on watercolor paper
3. Simulate the color matching on the computer before officially coloring
4. Finish the manuscript after coloring
03 Bride at the wedding
The scene where the bride appears in the story is the climax of the whole book, using a small pull-out design pattern that allows the reader to participate. After reading the text, you can "please" the otter bride by turning the page. This is the unique charm of this picture book!
Bring the otter bride "please" out
During the painting process, I changed the veil that I used to wear on the bride's head to the goose babies to drape it over the bride from the side. This inspiration comes from Botticelli's Birth of Venus. I was revisiting the history of art, and I was just in the mood to see renaissance art. This change also enhances the sacredness of the wedding.
Botticelli's Birth of Venus
"Mr. Otter's Wedding"
Text/Photo: Li Xingming
Suitable for parents and children over 4 years old