The Polar Express

I have to admit, I was never a big Polar Express kid growing up. I guess it was one of those gaps in my childhood holiday education or something. But, there's no denying that it is a lovely Christmas story with beautiful drawings from the amazing Chris Van Allsburg.

After yesterday's crazy, colorful, and time-consuming muralcle, I was looking for something more straightforward and gently Christmasy, and The Polar Express seemed like the perfect candidate.

It helped, of course, that I had Van Allsburg's wonderful oil pastels as a guide, although it was a pain in the butt to find a good reference image online.* I finally had to cobble one together from a Youtube clip. I never realized, though, just how dark these pictures are. I had to pump up the color a bit, especially in the shadows (which in the book are pretty much black and gray), so that the image didn't get lost in the chalkboard. Also, our intercom is very annoyingly right in Santa's tummy.

Dave's first-view reaction: What happened to Community? What is this? [I tell him it's The Polar Express] Where's Tom Hanks?


*Of course, now that the drawing is done, I find a perfectly beautiful image in about three seconds

Van Allsburg drew these reindeer so beautifully, it's almost like they're alive.
Mine sort of look like they're posing for a taxidermist.

The first gift of Christmas!

Though I've grown old, the bell still rings for me as it does for all who truly believe.

Hero kid! Much cuter than the Tom Hanks version.