Drawing characters from Alice in Wonderland with Chris Riddell | V&A

Watch children's book illustrator and author Chris Riddell draw his version of the iconic 'Alice' characters: The White Rabbit, Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter, as well as Alice at the V&A.
Chris tells us how he was inspired by the Victorian illustrator John Tenniel, who illustrated the first published version of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as well as more contemporary character references, from Lady Gaga to Björk.
How to draw The White Rabbit: 2:50
How to draw The Queen of Hearts: 05:19
How to draw The Mad Hatter: 07:16
How to draw Alice: 08:51
Find out more about the 'Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser' exhibition: www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/ali...

[@deltaloraine]

Alice in Wonderland is one of those kid stories that is made for redesigning. This is great!

[@LMuse9]

Chris is such a brilliant artist. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@TanjaHermann]

Love, love, love Chris Riddell! We had lots of books with his illustrations when my son was younger. We especially loved his characters in "Something else", "Wendel's Workshop" and "Mr. Underbed". These books were much treasured and made it into the "memory library".

[@alicestate2967]

Absolutely love Chris Riddell’s illustrations!!

[@LoveUnfailing]

Chris seems like such a kind soul! I absolutely love his high fashion take on the Queen of Hearts

[@ohwhatapeach]

I know Chris Riddell's work through his amazing illuatrations for Neil Gaiman stories. He seems so lovely in this interview - this was a simple but genius idea for a video!

[@cstz]

Alice, V&A and Chris Riddell - what a dream. Thank you for this lovely video.

[@designoergosum]

I used to love illustrations in books when I was a child, it's another dimension to dive in along with the story)

[@poppyporter5869]

I loved copying Teniel when I was starting out on my art career too, those drawings lead to a lifelong love of line drawing, illustration, and character art.

[@annishilcock4587]

Good for you. A great shame Mr Lidell didn't learn more from copying Tenniel.

[@peckerdecker]

Would be _fab_ to see your illustrations and if _other youtubers_ would like to *share* (links like Instagram etc) . Thank you. Mr pecker decker.

[@miriamgreen3973]

I never thought I'd hear/watch Mr Riddle. The Edge Chronicles illustrations blow me away. Thanks V&A!! 👍

[@clivefelgate9802]

Just the touch of magic we needed on a miserable day😀👍👍

[@LizGridleyArtist]

Agree'd ❤️

[@g1ng3rsn4ps]

I am looking respectfully at the Hatter 👀💕

[@PaulaStueckendamm]

I looooove Chris Riddells illustrations. So happy to have found this Video.

[@rainantoinetteasmr6296]

I only recently started watching their videos. Glad I found them

[@Kinglystateof]

I have a 1923 version of Alice through the looking glass and a lot of these images are burned in my memory I love that they’ve decided to reimagine the characters

[@JTonson]

This is an excellent video and I am very much looking forward to visiting the exhibition at the V&A. Chris Riddell's Gulliver's Travels is one of the greatest illustrated children's books ever - on a par with Tenniel.

[@carringtonlefayette8644]

Chris God and the Universe was showing off when you were made. You are beyond fabulous my heartfelt gratitude for this clip. This was my childhood favourite book. Pookie the Magic Rabbit. Australia 3.26 am

[@asunnybooknook]

I love this channel so much

[@victoriacoombes7753]

Really enjoyed this watching this video! The illustrations are amazing, and so interesting to hear additional descriptive information provided alongside drawing process…😻😻👏👏👏

[@muimina-]

Excellent work. I would have loved to have seen the hatter as a more modern designer with a hat to match , like the work of Philip Anthony Treacy or maybe even more surreal like Elsa Schiaparelli. Fine work all the same.

[@Divertedflight]

If I was being pedantic I'd insist that the top hat be made of cured felt as the mercuric nitrate used in the production is what caused Mad Hatter's disease. Also the lady hatter is probably too young to have gone mad from it yet, but what the hell; it's not really important. I love Riddell's work in the Goth Girl series. Though the books themselves seem to end to abruptly. I understand they're written for children, despite this they seem to develop quite nicely in intrigue, only then to be spoiled somewhat by sudden conclusions. Also I fear children will completely miss out on most of the parodical references, but perhaps those are for the parents.

[@SC4RArt]

This is sooo amazing! Beautiful artwork, I Absolutely love it!!! 💛👀💛

[@deliamarianetti7052]

So beautiful!

[@samantha.redacted]

This is so fun!

[@Myself23512]

Lovely!

[@LizGridleyArtist]

Just magical 😊

[@ratxart]

Nice drawing sir. ❤️❤️❤️

[@nawal10]

So effortless 😍

[@GPflashclass]

0:56 I don't know if Riddle knew this or naturally inferred the idea from the text. Scholars have pointed out the similarities between the poems in Alice in Wonderland and improving texts.

[@liz-c39]

Did he pronounce the author’s last name ‘Dodson’? Story of my life.

[@TheSolipsist0]

Lovely made. Thank you. Since childhood I always imagine putting litte scarfs or jackets on rabbits or squirrels. It‘s hard to resist. 🐿🐇🧣🧥 Sometimes then the wind is blowing and the rain is hard, seeing „our“ wild squirrl might beeing cold breaks my heart.

[@recoveringsoul755]

Peter rabbit, Frog and Toad, its hard for some of us to outgrow, and why should we lose the spark of innocence and wonder that children have anyway?

[@kenisaP]

Great video

[@annishilcock4587]

To be more accurateThe Water Babies by Charles Kingsley was published in 1863, Alice in Wonderland in 1865, but that's probably splitting hairs.

[@drpepa09]

To be more accurate Water Babies was all written by May 1862.

[@stay_eeek]

I just remembered because of this random video on my feed that i dreamed about something like Alice in Wonderland thingy. Where i supposed to, eat that soft bar to get away and i wont get caught with 2 other companions, yet i havent shrinking, its not working. And so i lied down acting like im not existing so the owner of the house wont kill me. But they just act like, oh the heck this thing besides the *rabbit cage*" "oh she's with *one of my companion" , like its ok for me to appear there, so i looked stupid.

[@user-hi9yf1wo2o]

Thank you so much 😊 is wonderful job 👍👍👍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰I like it so much!!!! 😎😎😎🌻🐨🐨👍🌻👍👍🌻🥰🥰🥰🌈🌈

[@luiscuixara4622]

Por que este hombre dibuja sus personajes mirando personajes que ya ha dibujado? Y todos saben que Alice era rubia. . .

[@warboats]

Bit weird you not bringing up how Carrol nonced on the poor girl you’re drawing…

[@hypno5690]

It's weird to bring it up tbh. Wheres the relevance aside from shock value

[@hypno5690]

So obnoxious when an artist attempt to be flippantly subversive.

[@christianbjorck816]

Alice has several moral lessons though... and teaches children quite a bit about logic and questioning things. So no, children’s books should not just be ”escapism” without any substance - makes them rather pointless. And an androgynos Hatter? Seriously?

[@theanimelibarian7881]

Every time I see other people’s Alice interpretations it’s always some edgy version it’s corny as hell

[@josephgioielli]

Ah yes, a woke AIW. Nifty.

[@annishilcock4587]

Sorry Chris but your illustrations are far too simplistic and lack the sophistication of the Tenniel originals. Alice in Wonderland is far too complex to become just a comicbook.

[@judywhiting4684]

Sorry.....those illustrations.are flat...boring....ALICE is such a wonderful.timeless fantasy.....they have no personality.....wish they WERE fabulous....but....noooo

[@davidevans4043]

I’m guessing you don’t know anything about illustrations or art itself my friend.