This Folio Life: Illustrating Winston Churchill
For this extraordinary book of Greatest War Speeches 1939-1945, based on the first collection of Winston Churchill’s speeches from throughout the Second World War, artist Peter Strain’s brief was to combine a portrait of the wartime prime minister with an iconic quote, to make an image that had both gravitas and visual appeal. “All the books Folio produces are impeccable, but this edition is incredibly important historically, and I wanted the artwork to make readers feel respected.”
“With most book covers, you're trying to convey a concept rather than a person, but this was the opposite,” says illustrator Peter Strain. “Churchill has such a powerful, characterful face, the key was finding the best way to portray it.”
The first step was combing through photographs from the time. “I found a couple that had strong eye contact that I felt conveyed the idea of a leader. I used them for reference, adding some essential elements like the homburg hat and a microphone.”
After experimenting with different perspectives, Strain picked a close-up for a more intimate feel. “Although Churchill was speaking to thousands of people, it seemed like he was trying to address individuals, so that everybody felt like they were part of something.”
After experimenting with different perspectives, Strain picked a close-up for a more intimate feel. “Although Churchill was speaking to thousands of people, it seemed like he was trying to address individuals, so that everybody felt like they were part of something.”
Strain made his sketch using a white pencil on black card to “convey the natural contours of the face in a bold, engaging way”. He then scanned the drawing into his computer and refined the details using a drawing tablet. The next challenge was deciding how to add the lettering. “Sometimes it can look interesting to have a lot of curves, but that didn’t feel appropriate here. I wanted it to be beautiful but not too decorative, so it was more about texture.”
The words were then layered over the drawing in Photoshop. “The quote we chose was from the Dunkirk speech, which shows Churchill’s eloquence and passion. These speeches really united the nation.”
