Chris Dunn Illustration | The Wind In The Willows

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Book Cover: 'The Wind In The Willows

Watercolour & Gouache
65 x 42cm

Client: Guomai

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Ratty takes Mole out on the river for the first time. From The Wind In The Willows. Boat watervole river messing about mole

Messing About On The River

Watercolour & Gouache
24 x 31cm

Those eagle-eyed of you may recognise this painting from the Galerie Daniel Maghen section. Due to time constraints, I attempted to re-purpose some of my previous watercolours in order to complete the whole book within the deadline.

The original 'Messing About' had a natural unpainted boat. However to fit the description in the story I had to do a bit of Photoshop trickery (or devilry) to make the inside appear white and the exterior blue.

Client: Guomai

Mole does some spring cleaning with a feather duster. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Mole Spring Cleaning

Watercolour
16 x 19cm

Client: Guomai

Toad shows off his new gypsy caravan to Mole and Ratty. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad's Caravan

Watercolour & Gouache
24 x 18cm

Client: Guomai

Ratty tries to get Toad's attention but Toad is transfixed by a passing car. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad Transfixed

Watercolour
14 x 9cm

Client: Guomai

Ratty is prepared with his guns and cudgel as he strides to the Wild Wood to find his friend, Mole. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Ratty Heads To The Wild Wood

Watercolour
18 x 11cm

Client: Guomai

Ratty and mole push through the snow in the Wild Wood. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Snow's Up

Watercolour & Gouache
51 x 35cm

Another example of a re-used painting to bring the illustration commission in on time.

Originally taken from 'Pushing Through The Snow', I separately painted Ratty and Mole, then removed the hedgehogs in Photoshop and overlaid the new painting. It was relatively straight forward, unlike some of the other altered illustrations. However, needs must!

Client: Guomai

Ratty and mole find badger's front door in the snow. They ring the bell and bang on the door frantically. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Ringing Mr Badger's Doorbell

Watercolour
11 x 17cm

Client: Guomai

Inside Mr Badger's cosy kitchen, Mole and Ratty are treated to a nice warming supper. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Badger's Kitchen

Watercolour & Gouache

51 x 39cm

This image was particularly hard to re-use. The original 'Warming Up' depicted hedgehogs and a mouse sat at the table. In Photoshop I somehow managed to hide all trace of them and overlay Ratty and Mole in their place. Thank goodness for the clone stamp tool!

Client: Guomai

Mr Badger shows mole the exteent of his huge underground home. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Badger Shows Mole The Vaults

Watercolour

9 x 11cm

Client: Guomai

Mole and ratty clean and prepare mole's forgotten house. Ratty builds a fire in the fireplace and mole does some dusting. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Mole's House

Watercolour & Gouache
24 x 29cm

Client: Guomai

Carol Singing Mice

Watercolour & Gouache
32 x 18cm

Client: Guomai

Toad steals a yellow car and drives away at top speed. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad Steals A Car

Watercolour & Gouache
15 x 10cm

Client: Guomai

Toad looks downcast as he contemplates his imprisionment. He sits on straw and is manacled to a ball and chain. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad Imprisioned

Watercolour & Gouache
11 x 7cm

Client: Guomai

Ratty and Mole in the boat searching in the moonlight for the young otter Portly. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Ratty And Mole Search For Portly

Watercolour & Gouache
19 x 10cm

Client: Guomai

Just before the Sun appears, Pan appears before Ratty and Mole. Sleeping contentedly under his protective gaze, is Portly. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Pan And Portly

Watercolour & Gouache
18 x 22cm

Client: Guomai

Toad, disguised as a washerwoman, escapes prison. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

The gaoler's daughter offers some toast to a downcast Mr Toad. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad And The Gaoler's Daughter

Watercolour & Gouache
17 x 15cm

Client: Guomai

Washerwoman Toad

Watercolour
9 x 15cm

Client: Guomai

Toad in disguise, jumps from a moving steam train in his bid for freedom. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad Jumps From The Train

Watercolour & Gouache
18 x 22cm

Client: Guomai

Field and harvest mice prepare for their Winter migration to the city. Sacks of food and suitcases. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Mice Packing For Winter

Watercolour
19 x 9cm

Client: Guomai

A seafaring rat sits for a while and tells grand stories of his life on the sea. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Sea Rat Talking

Watercolour
16 x 9cm

Client: Guomai

Toad takes the wheel of a car, crashes through a hedge and into a horsepond. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad Crashes

Watercolour & Gouache
11 x 15cm

Client: Guomai

Toad's cover as a washerwoman is blown, so the bargewoman throws him into the canal. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad In The Canal

Watercolour & Gouache
24 x 29cm

Client: Guomai

Toad cruellu commandeers the washerwomans tow horse. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Toad On Horseback

Watercolour & Gouache
18 x 12cm

Client: Guomai

A cheeky ferret with a gun stands guard. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Armed with sticks and guns, Badger, Ratty, Mole and Toad make their assault on Toad Hall's intruders. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Ferrets, Stoats and Weasels flee in horror from their assailants. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Ferret With Gun

Watercolour
14 x 14cm

Client: Guomai

Fleeing

Watercolour
20 x 8cm

Client: Guomai

Attacking

Watercolour
18 x 12cm

Client: Guomai

Badger, Ratty, Mole, Toad, Otter and friends celebrate the return of Toad to his rightful place at Toad Hall. Illustration by Chris Dunn for 'The Wind In The Willows'. Whimsical animal art.

Celebratory Feast

Watercolour & Gouache
51 x 39cm

Here is the final example of an altered painting from a previous life. You can see the original version in the Galerie Daniel Maghen section of my website.

This was a simple case of changing Toad's expression to fit within the story. He needed to look suitably humble and demure. So I painted a separate Toad head and overlaid him in Photoshop. Job done and another 12 days of painting saved!

Client: Guomai

Book Cover: 'The Wind In The Willows

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Scroll down to see more

Messing About On The River

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Mole Spring Cleaning

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Toad's Caravan

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Toad Transfixed

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Ratty Heads To The Wild Wood

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Snow's Up

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Ringing Mr Badger's Doorbell

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Badger's Kitchen

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Badger Shows Mole The Vaults

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Mole's House

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Carol Singing Mice

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Toad Steals A Car

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Toad Imprisioned

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Ratty And Mole Search For Portly

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Pan And Portly

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Toad And The Gaoler's Daughter

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Washerwoman Toad

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Toad Jumps From The Train

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Mice Packing For Winter

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Sea Rat Talking

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Toad Crashes

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Toad In The Canal

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Toad On Horseback

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Ferret With Gun

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Fleeing

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Attacking

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Celebratory Feast

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