Edward Ardizzone's Illustrations

Little Mermaid longing to be human (p. 36).

The illustrations in the Hans' the "Little Mermaid" played a significant role in breathing life into the tale. Edward Ardizzone, British writer, artist and illustrator of Ardizzone Hans Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" lived between 1900-1979. He has successfully illustrated over 180 children's books during his lifetime. As a child, Ardizzone was particularly gifted in two ways. As surrounding events and incidents had lasting impressions on him, Edward Ardizzone had a keen visual awareness for small and delicate details of all kinds. Perhaps this is why Ardizzone's strength lies in his drawing from memory. In "The Little Mermaid", Ardizzone has incorporated different illustrations of cross-hatching and water-colour, illustrations known to be tinted drawings in which he would start with pencil, then pen, and a wash of neutral tint, such as cold sepia and gray. The water paintings found in "The Little Mermaid" reflect this technique. In his other illustrations, great delicacy and details, and a growing use of grays can be seen. Fine delicacy is achieved through close pen-work and cross-hatching. The growing use of gray tones had taken over the strong contrast of black and white. His cross-hatching drawings reflect his preferences for greater reliance on the setting, as a result, viewers are captivated by the lovely, detailed sceneries. By using denser cross-hatching, Ardizzone brings out great depth in his drawings found in "The Little Mermaid".