| The first illustrated Anansi storybook was by Pamela Coleman Smith, published in 1899. It was titled "Annancy Stories". She was born in London, England to an American merchant, Charles Edward Smith from Brooklyn, NY and a Jamaican mother, Corinne Coleman. The family moved to |
| Jamaica where her father was employed by the colonial government to help to build the island's railroad. This is where she became more acquainted with her island's strong tradition of Anansi storytelling. Pamela heard Anansi stories from her Jamaican nurse, often one of a local child's earliest confidants. She attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York from 1893 to 1897 where she honed her skills as an illustrator. A socially connected artist, she is best known for designing the Rider-Waite-Smith deck of divinatory tarot cards for Arthur Edward Waite. In the early 1920's American folklorist Martha Warren Beckwith collected and published an impressive number of similar Anansi stories told to her by various informants from many locations in the island. These stories are printed in the variety of Jamaican vernacular of that period. |
| Print this and... DRAW ANANSI'S PORTRAIT IN 9 EASY STEPS (For all ages) [Materials: Paper, #2 pencil, black (fine or medium) marker, color markers (or crayons, or color pencils), and a mirror.] However, before drawing Anansi you may first need a WARM-UP EXERCISE. |
| CLICK MY PIX TO GO |
Copyright 2007 by Michael Auld
| Drawing Anansi |
| For centuries artists have drawn images of Anansi the Spider. There are as many versions of the spider-man as there are books about him. There is even a traditional Anansi Ghanaian hair style that his wife Aso wears. |
I created my first drawing of Anansi for an illustration
class at Howard University in school year 1965-1966.
My Anansi came from two sources. First, I was born
in Jamaica where my childhood was steeped in
Anansi stories. Second, my introduction to African art
at Howard's College of Fine Arts by Prof. James A.
Porter allowed me to create a character that was
based on traditional aesthetics.
class at Howard University in school year 1965-1966.
My Anansi came from two sources. First, I was born
in Jamaica where my childhood was steeped in
Anansi stories. Second, my introduction to African art
at Howard's College of Fine Arts by Prof. James A.
Porter allowed me to create a character that was
based on traditional aesthetics.
1971: The First Anansi Comic Strip
Hint:
(a) [1- 8] Use a pencil to draw Anansi. [9] Trace over the lines with a medium or fine black
marker. After the black marker lines dry, carefully erase the pencil lines. You may color Anansi
with color markers, crayon or color pencils. Markers are vivid and fresh. Crayons are as old as
cave paintings. Color pencils allow subtle shading techniques.
(b) Artists must learn to be observant! Look in a mirror to see what happens to your face when
you make different facial expressions.
(c) Practice drawing different Anansi faces with a pencil. Combine a variety of eyes and mouth
shapes and try to identify the expression. For example, instead of arcs for eyebrows, draw a
wide capital “W” between the eyes. Then, draw the line for the mouth arced down at the
corners. This expresses “sadness” or “anger”. (If, instead, you draw the line for the mouth
arced up at the corners, this shape of the mouth expresses “determination”, “malice” or
“sneakiness”.)
(a) [1- 8] Use a pencil to draw Anansi. [9] Trace over the lines with a medium or fine black
marker. After the black marker lines dry, carefully erase the pencil lines. You may color Anansi
with color markers, crayon or color pencils. Markers are vivid and fresh. Crayons are as old as
cave paintings. Color pencils allow subtle shading techniques.
(b) Artists must learn to be observant! Look in a mirror to see what happens to your face when
you make different facial expressions.
(c) Practice drawing different Anansi faces with a pencil. Combine a variety of eyes and mouth
shapes and try to identify the expression. For example, instead of arcs for eyebrows, draw a
wide capital “W” between the eyes. Then, draw the line for the mouth arced down at the
corners. This expresses “sadness” or “anger”. (If, instead, you draw the line for the mouth
arced up at the corners, this shape of the mouth expresses “determination”, “malice” or
“sneakiness”.)
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Above: Pamela Coleman Smith
Left: Her Annancy illustration
Left: Her Annancy illustration
Page refreshed in January, 2011
| Aso (in her Anansi hair style)with their son Intikuma |