Illustration Friday - ImagineThe Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces

I started this drawing after being inspired by this post. It started out as a drawing purely from my imagination, remembering the kinds of pictures I loved to draw throughout my childhood. I remember spending hours completely wrapped up in my drawings, making up stories in my mind to go with the pictures. I was particularly enchanted by fairytales, and this particular sketch ended up evolving into an illustration for one of my favourite fairytales, The Shoes That Were Danced to Pieces. In this Grimm story, twelve princesses steal away every night to meet twelve princes who row them across a lake to an underground castle where they dance until their shoes are in shreds. On the way to the lake they pass through an avenue of trees with silver leaves. I've always imagined that this underground world would be really beautiful and magical with gardens and colourful lanterns.