A snapshot of a farmhouse in the Bernese Oberland and Richard at his desk, beneath the Danish baker's sign.
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Some Originals
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Pencil, ink, gouache, scissors, tape and glue: This is what Richard's original drawings are made of.
Richard always did his sketches on tracing paper, and the final drawings on frosted acetate, which doesn’t tear easily.
The pencil drawings were then printed in light-blue onto illustration board, which gives this system it's name: Blueboards. The blueboards were then painted-in, color by color, like a coloring book, with gouache paints.
Richard's earlier illustrations were beautifully painted in gouache.
Memorabilia
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Display-case preparations for the Centenary exhibition at Biblioteca dell'Archiginnasio, Bologna, Italy, 2019
Richard always wrote funny notes and took loads of photos of things for reference for his illustrations. He also loved to collect things, like hats and flags from different countries, or the baker's sign from Denmark which still hangs above his desk.
“Lowly's” Tyrollean hat, bought in St. Anton, Austria, in 1950.
Richard's cowboy hat.
During the summers spent in the South of France,
Richard worked from this folding artist's easel.
Richard collected postcards of buildings he saw on his drives around Switzerland. He put them all neatly into a little red binder which he used as a reference library for buildings to put in his books.
“My father was always asked where he got his ideas. "Outside! In the street!" Was always his simple reply. Here's the proof. St Anton, Tyrol, Austria, 1963. The young cowherd in leiderhosen is me”.
Huck Scarry
Patsy poses for an illustration for Little Indian, 1954
Richard Scarry’s notes and postcards
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Here are some of the family cards, letters and notes written by Richard Scarry – signed ‘Pa Pig’ when he wrote to his son, Huck. These examples show how Scarry’s sense of humour and talent for drawing was always present.
