Illustrations for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill" 1956

This illustration for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill" by Hryhorii Havrylenko uses ink to bring a children’s story to life. There’s a real sense of process here – a kind of spontaneous outpouring of marks that build up the image. I love the way the scratchy, almost frantic lines create texture. Look at how the dark, dense foliage in the background contrasts with the delicate, lighter strokes defining the little girl’s dress. The way the lines cluster and diverge, creating light and shadow, reminds me of how we piece together memories. The thatched roof of the little house in the background, rendered with such care, adds to the whimsical, dreamlike quality. Each stroke feels deliberate, yet together they create this wonderfully chaotic surface. This piece reminds me of Quentin Blake, particularly the way he captures movement and emotion with just a few, carefully placed lines. Both artists understand that art is a conversation, a back-and-forth between the artist and the medium. Ultimately, this image is an invitation to embrace ambiguity, to find our own stories within the lines, and to appreciate the magic that happens when imagination takes over.