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Las aventuras de Ulises

Greek myth for young readers

Illustration
The book’s cover

Colombia’s Ministry of Culture commissioned me to illustrate Charles Lamb’s The Adventures of Ulysses for young readers in the Leer es mi Cuento collection. I drew the cover, map and interior scenes, taking the flat figures and decorative borders of Greek vase painting as a starting point for the hero’s journey.

Publisher
Ministry of Culture of Colombia
Collection
Leer es mi Cuento · No. 25
Text
Charles Lamb
Deliverables
  • Interior illustrations
  • Cover illustration
  • Illustrated map

The journey

The book opens on a map of the Mediterranean, the sea Ulysses crosses on his way home.

Map of Ulysses’ journey across the Mediterranean

The battle with the Cicones

Leaving Troy, Ulysses and his ships are blown onto the coast of the Cicones. This spread was among the winners of Latin American Ilustración 8, American Illustration–American Photography, 2019.

The battle with the Cicones: Ulysses’ ships on the beach
AI-AP Latin American Ilustración 8

Figures from Greek pottery

Black figures, terracotta reds, gold and fret borders recall Greek vase painting.

Orange-red Ulises cover composition with a large grinning giant
Firelight detail beside a large red hand and dark ground
The land of the Lotus-eaters: a frieze of figures among white lotus flowers
Dense battle scene with black figures, shields and red-pink gestures
Crowded battle illustration with overlapping shields, faces and weapons
Battle illustration detail with gold garments and black silhouettes
Cover detail with a black bird and geometric border on orange-red

Giants and the sea

Close-up of a giant's face above blue water and a tiny ship
Reclining red giant beside a fire and small figures
Red giant lying beside a fire with tiny figures nearby
Small illustrated figures clustered above pale clouds in darkness
Blue sea dotted with rocky islands beneath a pale horizon
Dark interior with cooking vessels, hanging smoke and a pale sail-like form
Printed Ulises spread pairing red giants with a Spanish text column

The printed book

I alternated full spreads with shorter friezes above the text, changing the pace between encounters and passages of narration.

Detail of the cover
A battle spread in the printed book
An island spread beside the text
Detail of a printed spread
A battle spread in the printed book
Detail of a battle spread
A frieze of figures above the text
A frieze of figures above the text
A spread with the giant beside the text
A printed page with the giant and the fire
A printed spread with the ship
A printed spread with the giant’s face and the sea
The map on the endpapers, with the title page
The half-title page
Read the book (PDF)

Credits

Text
Charles Lamb
Illustration
Catalina Vásquez
Publishing
Ministry of Culture of Colombia · Leer es mi Cuento
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