Another little bear!

Development work: You Are My Sunshine (2021) | © 2020 by Tim Warnes

“You to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh, baby, oh, baby.”

— The Real Thing

 I have illustrated a whole bunch of bears over the years.

They include:

Little Honey Bear, with his liking for moon juice (Little Honey Bear and the Smiley Moon, Little Tiger Press 2006).

A folksy family of bears (Jesus Loves Me, Simon & Schuster 2006).

Benny, an adventurous little German bear (Benny Bärentatze und die Kleine Weltreise, Loewe 2013).

And of course, that other hairy, not-so-scary grizzly bear, Boris! (Boris Starts School et al., Oxford University Press.)

Perhaps the most beautiful of my bear books is the series I illustrated for Little Tiger Press. The first, I Love You as Big as the World (2008), was followed by Silent Night (2010). This was repackaged and repaginated with a new text to become I Love You to the Moon and Back (2015). Each features the same two bears as they explore the idyllic world around them. (The bears are usually interpreted as mama and baby - but to me, they are papa and baby.)

 

From Silent Night by Juliet Groom, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2010) | Illustration © 2010 by Tim Warnes

 

I’m so proud of these illustrations, which were created traditionally using mixed media on paper (predominantly watercolour and water-soluble crayons). Sometimes I’m tempted to try my hand in the digital realm. But honestly, I would really miss the hands-on element:

The swish of brushes in jars of water.

Mixing my colours on white plates.

Loading up a fat brush and letting it glide over the paper.

Allowing colours to bleed into another. (Enjoying the happy accident when it wasn’t intended…)

It’s really quite therapeutic!

When I was a student, I experimented with wax resist (inspired by the artist, John Piper). Simply put, you draw with a wax crayon (or candle!), which resists any water-based mediums, e.g. ink and watercolour. I used this technique to create more texture in the illustrations for these bear books (for example, to the mountain tops, rivers and moon). The final art is much smaller (about 20%) than the final printed illustrations. This was intentional, as I wanted to emphasise those gorgeous textures when the art was scaled up.

Anyway, here’s the good news: Last week, I began work on a new title for the series, You Are My Sunshine.

Now my desk is covered with sheets of bear drawings, bits of photographic reference, and my bear books. And I’m really excited!

Here’s a few insights on my favourite spreads from those earlier books:

I Love You As Big As The World 

 

‘The gorgeous illustrations by Tim Warnes will make this a favourite bedtime or quiet time read for you both.’

- LoveReading4Kids 

From I Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008) | Illustration © 2008 by Tim Warnes

This image was tough to pull off! For a start, it was tricky finding reference for bears swimming underwater, so most were drawn from paused video footage. (I hadn’t discovered the joy of Google back then!) Next, I made tonal drawings and colour studies to work out how best to achieve the feeling of being underwater. I seem to remember I restarted the final art a few times before I was satisfied - but it was worth it. 

I love the movement of the diving bear, and the atmosphere created by the shafts of light and the sea green colour. 

 

From I Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008) | Illustration © 2008 by Tim Warnes

Being up close to the bears, down amongst the grass, adds a real tenderness to this image.

Silent Night 

 

‘Readers will take a shine to the irrepressibly sweet bear and cub who joyfully discover and appreciate the wonders of nature in their midst’

- Publishers Weekly

 

From Silent Night by Juliet Groom, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2010) | Illustration © 2010 by Tim Warnes

The title page is a favourite of mine. (Sadly, it was dropped from Moon and Back.) I love walking in the countryside at night, especially under a full moon. It’s so magical, and still, and I think I captured that peaceful atmosphere well here. Papa bear is outside the cave, looking back with a smile at his sleeping cub. I’m pleased with the implied story that daddy is going to wake little bear, so he can experience the secrets of the night.

I Love You to the Moon and Back

 

‘Sweetly drawn, in a gentle, loving story, this is a perfect 'winding-down' story.’

- The Bookbag

 

From I Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth (Little Tiger Press 2015) | Illustration © 2010 by Tim Warnes

Despite the majestic vista, there’s an intimacy to this image. To me, it speaks of safety and security; of unity between a parent and child. And the passing owl is an added bonus! 

 When I began work on Big as the World, Levi was only a year old; Noah was eight.

Looking back, I can see that my experience of being a hands-on dad, and my love for my boys was subconsciously poured into these books.

And I think that’s the secret to their success and enduring appeal.

People can feel that affection and warmth. 

 

Development work: You Are My Sunshine (2021) | © 2020 by Tim Warnes

 

I can’t wait to show you My Sunshine. It’s going to be a little cracker, too.

 You Are My Sunshine will be published in 2021

‘… as sweet as any in the guess-how-much-I-love-you genre. What makes this one stand out from the teeming crowd is the art. Warnes’s watercolor-and-charcoal illustrations depict the expressive bears in a range of natural settings.’

- Kirkus Reviews

These illustrations....oh my goodness they are so heartwarming. ❤️

- rated 5* by summer, GoodReads



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‘Fantastic book that tries to explain the unexplainable - the love a parent has for their child.’

- Rated 5* by Jon Nakapalau on GoodReads 


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SourcesYou to Me Are Everything: Written by Ken Gold and Michael DenneI Love You as Big as the World by David Van Buren, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2008)Silent Night by Juliet Groom, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2010)I Love You to the Moon and Back by Amelia Hepworth (Little Tiger Press 2015)I Love You as Big as the World - LoveReading4Kids reviewI LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK - THE BOOKBAG REVIEWSILENT NIGHT - PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW © 2020 by Tim Warnes (unless otherwise attributed)****Use of third party copyrighted material falls under Fair Use/Fair Dealing Practice.