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rachelillustrates — Rescued - Snow White
Published: 2008-05-19 14:11:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 3857; Favourites: 66; Downloads: 1
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Finally, my project about Fairy Tales. In this series I explore the passively perfectly thin fairy tale heroines of my youth, giving them a rebirth as strong, self-confident agents of their own destinies who have some weight on them and are unconventional, but beautiful. All the paintings were done in watercolor with some colored pencil for touch-ups, and black ink linework.This is the final piece (so far) in the series - Snow White. I had a lot of fun with this one and really like how it came out even though I was worried it was going to be rushed. I had a LOT of trouble with the idea for this one, even more than Sleeping Beauty's piece (which is funny because they're the only two perfectly square images in the series). But eventually I settled on this idea of body image and fashion, pushing that angle through the three things the Queen tried to kill Snow White with. So, the Queen holds the corset, meant to crush Snow White's ribs, and the apple, meant to poison her. The apple I feel represents dieting, though apples are very good for you and very yummy. The corset obviously represents that too, but even more from an appearance-based standpoint and a desire to look thin in order to be attractive. Finally, Snow White pulls the poisoned comb from her hair, further dismissing the obsession with appearance that the queen is trying to push on her. I really feel this is the most successful, both content-wise and composition/color/art-wise. I think it might be my favorite, though I do love them all.
And I said this is the final one so far because I hope to do more of these. Originally I had a seventh planned, "Rumplestiltskin," so I want to at least get that one done this summer. I hope someday to rewrite the stories too, and get them published. We'll see what happens
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Comments: 77
Cool! A good story for you would be the fairy tale Kate Crackernuts. In it, the average- looking Kate is the winner.
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I've read that one! And I do love it, yes. Kate definitely is a strong heroine, I wish Disney would dive into a lesser-known fairy tale for once.
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Beautiful artwork, and a wonderful message. Great job
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Things would have been so much easier if Snow White had never listened to the strange women offering her the various items.
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True....but then the little children reading it wouldn't have learned not to accept things from random strange hag-women who are really their evil stepmother in disguise 
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Interesting take. That Snow White's inner and outer beauty as well as her refusal to appeal to typical standards of "beauty" is what really irrates the Queen.
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It was a very unique take on the story.
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You might know this already, but in the original (or at least, one of the pre-Disney versions that I've encountered a couple of times, it's impossible to find the "original" version of these kinda stories) there's non of the kissing or true love things going on. No, the prince BUYS Snow White's cold dead corpse from the dwarfs, and then he orders a servant (a prince doing heavy lifting? Preposterous!) to carry Snowies carcass home to the castle. The servant accidentally drops her, and the cursed apple falls out of Snow White's throat and revives her. And after that she, for some bizarre and unexplained reason, marries the creepy, psychotic necrophiliac prince. And they lived happily ever after. Aaaaaw!
Yeah, I think I prefer your version, with a Snow White who acts less like a complete moron and more like a woman.
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Yeah, I had heard that about the original. Ironically, I haven't read many of the original Grimm's versions of many of these stories. Anyway, I am quite pleased and touched that you prefer mine
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This is a beautiful, clever adaptation of the fairy-tale, I love it
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Out of all of them, I think this one is my favourite. The composition is so lovely and sweeping, and the symbolisim so clear. Plus: The colouring just WOWS me.
I wish you the BEST of luck in getting these published. I can't imagine that there's not an audience for a book of this nature.
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Aww, thanks so much!
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i love this piece. very cool. i really really like the symbolism here. no girl should feel that pressure to be thin. and i just realized that Snow White almost looks Native American. lol
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Thanks very much! I'm glad you like it
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I love the symbolism you chose for this piece. It speaks volumes. I also noticed that the queen has no mouth-- perhaps a symbol of her choice to relinquish her own voice in favor of aesthetic acceptance?
This series is so powerful. I find myself completely inspired that you're doing work like this, and hope that these will evolve into the sort of empowering Fairy Tales I can share with my children.
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Aww, thank you so much! 
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I like the whole serie, but I love this one specially, Snow White is thinking "I am going to do all that I want to do"
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I bet she is. Thanks very much!
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There are many princes out there who likes big and soft women like her you know. Especialy if they are carefree and self confident like she obviously is.
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Well it, it makes me smile to know that
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Wow, i would so buy your re-written fairytales!
And man, i didn't realize i was missing out so much by only knowing the Disney versions of these stories. Had no idea about the corset or hairpin...
My only criticism on this one is that - even though the lighting is golden in wherever they are - Snow White's skin is supposed to be represented very pale. But that's the only thing, hehe.
And that arch thing in the background with the very thin queen remind me of that other old Disney short where Mickey, Donald and Goofy find magic beans, make the beanstock and go visit that giant who had the harp lady (the harp on her back). I always liked her ... maybe you or i should draw her, too. Does she have any significance in the original Jack and the Beanstock stories, do you know?
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Hmm, I think the harp lady was an addition of Disney's, as I think the harp was just a harp in the original, but I'm not sure. And I didn't have that in mind when designing the arch, but I do see what you mean.
As for Snow White's skin, I know its supposed to be paler, and I did add white hilghlights to it in the skin tone, but I guess it didn't work out as well as I'd hoped
I'm glad you like this though! I encourage you to seek original versions of fairy tales always, especially ones that feature strong women and are thus hard to find. Even if I never get my book written, though I am going to try
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I believe I have to say: I heart this!
This whole series is amazing in it's awesomeness, and I really feel like drawing something now! (I havn't felt like drawing for a month or so...)
And I think this one is my favorite, the colors, the symbolism, it's all just ... perfect. Great job! *favies*
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Aww, thank you!
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Awesome! Go Snow White! You tell that skeletal queen to take her corset and shove it! Hehe.
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Hehehe, thanks very much!
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In Rumplestiltskin she is the hero, [link]
So the queen thought the whole night of all the names that she had ever heard, and she sent a messenger over the country to inquire, far and wide, for any other names that there might be. When the manikin came the next day, she began with Caspar, Melchior, Balthazar, and said all the names she knew, one after another, but to every one the little an said, that is not my name. On the second day she had inquiries made in the neighborhood as to the names of the people there, and she repeated to the manikin the most uncommon and curious. Perhaps your name is Shortribs, or Sheepshanks, or Laceleg, but he always answered, that is not my name. On the third day the messenger came back again, and said, I have not been able to find a single new name, but as I came to a high mountain at the end of the forest, where the fox and the hare bid each other good night, there I saw a little house, and before the house a fire was burning, and round about the fire quite a ridiculous little man was jumping, he hopped upon one leg, and shouted -
to-day I bake, to-morrow brew,
the next I'll have the young queen's child.
Ha, glad am I that no one knew
that Rumpelstiltskin I am styled.
You may imagine how glad the queen was when she heard the name. And when soon afterwards the little man came in, and asked, now, mistress queen, what is my name, at first she said, is your name Conrad? No. Is your name Harry? No. Perhaps your name is Rumpelstiltskin? The devil has told you that! The devil has told you that, cried the little man, and in his anger he plunged his right foot so deep into the earth that his whole leg went in, and then in rage he pulled at his left leg so hard with both hands that he tore himself in two.
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I know, but in MANY versions, the part where she discovers his name is changed - instead of her finding it out on her own, a male servant in the castle comes to her and tells her that he was the one who overheard Rumplestiltskin shouting and discovered his name. In those versions, she literally does nothing in the way of finding it herself. That's why I plan on doing that painting.
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Still in the better ones she sends out the people looking for his name.
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Yes, and it is MUCH better when she does anything herself, but my point is that in many of the versions of her story that are included in popular fairy tale anthologies, she doesn't act on her own. I can't remember reading any versions of "Rumplestiltskin" as a child where she does find out his name on her own, either by wandering herself or sending others out on her behalf. That is why I feel the need to include it.
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I like the tone of the picture.
It's like, "Wait, take this apple, it's low-calorie and full of arsenic-y goodness D="
"No, GTFO"
Most appealing. ^_^
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This reminds me of the scene in Enchanted where they walk past the full-bodied statue on the way into robert's office (in the time warner center) and amy adams says "she's beautiful."
Really great piece though. Love the concept, composition, and colors. congrats.
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I love Enchanted, and that's my FAVORITE part of the movie!!! So it means a lot to me that this reminds you of that scene. Thanks so much!
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SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This one wasn't in your show and it's too bad. It's absolutely awesome! I love your choice of colors and the super-skinny queen! You did great!
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Hehehe, thanks! I know, I wish this had gotten into the show. Oh well. But I'm glad you like it so much 
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Perhaps the next time I come over for a girls night. Thanks, again, for inviting me over Sunday. I had a great time. I hope you did too.
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We did too, and on Friday
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