Very longtime readers may remember that, way back in the mists of time, I started an alphabet mural on the wall of my baby daughter’s room. I even took suggestions on which characters to include. Then the Almanac deadline loomed (passed, in fact) and I didn’t work on the mural all summer.

Well, it’s back! I starting painting again when we got back from Italy (inspired by the Sistine Chapel, no doubt). At this rate, I’ll probably be done about the time Caitlin is in college. Actually, my new goal is to get it all finished before she’s old enough to request that I start replacing characters with her favorite “Bratz” or whatever cool slut dolls all the prosti-tots will be playing with in two or three years.

You can see larger versions by clicking on the images.

The four newest panels were a lot more challenging than the first three, if anyone cares. I wanted to duplicate the feel of the original book illustrations as much as possible, and Angelina, Babar, and Clifford all happen to be drawn in a very simple ink-line-and-watercolor-wash style, so no problem. But the four recent additions originated in four different media: Ruth Chrisman Garnett’s My Father’s Dragon lithographs, Hilary Knight’s intricate India-ink drawings for Eloise, Lillian Hoban’s charcoal Frances sketches, and Margret Rey’s simple ink-washes on Curious George.

How to duplicate all those in permanent mural fashion on latex-painted wallboard? I quickly found out that my options were further limited by the very textured walls, which made certain approaches impossible. (In fact, the walls are so rough that even a smooth acrylic paint line is tough.)

I finally settled on what you see above: stippled Conte crayon on the shadows of the dragon to suggest some of the pebbled look of the lithograph (the textured walls actually helped here for a change), fine-tip permanent marker (and almost no spot-color) on Eloise, Frances in charcoal-gray drybrush (which doesn’t look a whole lot like charcoal, but at a distance can pass), and watered-down acrylics, slightly sloppily applied, for George.

My back and shoulders hurt, and I’m only up to H (Harry Potter). Accio muscle relaxant.