ARTIST FEATURE- Tove Jansson

Tove Jannson was a Swedish artist and illustrator who was the author of the world wide famous Moomintroll series otherwise known as the "Moomins"
Her stories held deep philosophical meaning about respecting nature, people and appreciation for life.
They became so immensely popular that the series was made over and over again into various cartoons and anime as well as producing endless merchandise featuring her characters.

My own digital painting of two of her characters

A model of Moomin house

Tove 's moomin comics are universal in that they each convey a deep philosophical message, her characters have so much depth for being such simple drawings.

she has a very particular style that is perfect for a children's book but can also be enjoyed by adults who have grown up with the comics and books. 

Having grown up with the Moomins TV show I like to think Tove may have influenced my own work on a subconscious level since I put as much care and thought into each of my own illustrations/animations and I think this is a very important quality to have- especially in the industry as high work standards will be valued.

I have my own intentions to write a comic of some sort or a children's book (or at least illustrate one!). I appreciate the idea of this because a child can learn a lot from reading a book that speaks to them, either through pictures that capture their attention from the storyline itself.

It is evident that Tove cared deeply about each comic she did and to think that she had to come up with a fresh new story each week whilst still maintaining her heartwarming touch is pretty remarkable and I greatly admire her for that.    

Tove not only created a wide range of charger designs but she also created a believable world for them to live in. She based "Moominvalley" on the forests and landscape of Finland where she absorbed herself in the nature found there, and created a safe secure but exciting world where adventure was an everyday occurrence.