Learning English

Finn
Hi, I'm Finn and I've got a special programme for you here today. I'm joined in the studio by the artist Shan Pillay who did the pictures for the Alice in Wonderland drama series. Hi Shan.

Shan
Hello there Finn.

Finn
How's it going?

Shan
It's going very well. Very well indeed.

Finn
Great. So before we go any further, lets listen to a clip from Alice in Wonderland.

INSERT
Narrator
Alice found the March Hare and the Hatter, having a tea-party.

Hatter and March Hare
Would you like some tea? Tea, yes please! And cake? One cake, two cakes... One lump or two? Sugar?

Alice
Curiouser and curiouser. They're having a tea-party. But where are all the guests?

Finn
So the tea party scene there. Lots of fun and noise and clinking of cups. And we have a wonderful picture of it Shan. Can you describe what's in the picture?

Shan
It's a chaotic scene, drawn from Alice's point of view. So it's a lively image, it's done in a fun, cartoonish style with bold outlines. And along with the deranged Mad Hatter we have the equally mad March Hare. And both are dressed rather flamboyantly, don't you think?

Finn
Yes. So the Mad Hatter's wearing quite a garish, green top hat and a big bow tie. And the March Hare has got a pink bow tie and a purple suit jacket.

Shan
And a ruffled shirt.

Finn
That's great. A ruffled shirt, good.

Shan
And of course the other character who's in here, sitting in the teapot, is the dormouse.

Finn
Ah, so tell me about the dormouse.

Shan
Well this character is quite sleepy. You can see he's sleepily sitting in the teapot. And this is shown in his droopy ears and half-closed eyes.

Finn
That's right. His droopy ears – his ears are hanging down. And his half-closed eyes. He must be quite sleepy, but can he be sleepy with all this madness happening around him?

Shan
Yes, he looks quite alarmed that he's been woken up from a slumber.

Finn
He does. Now let's look at the next picture, which is of the Cheshire Cat, which is… what are those colours? Indigo?

Shan
A purplish-indigo and turquoise.

Finn
Purplish-indigo and turquoise, and yellow eyes and yellow teeth. So what's happening here?

Shan
Well this is the Cheshire cat and he's appeared in the tree above Alice. You can see the expression on his face, it's a slightly creepy smile that suggests a mischievous personality.

Finn
There's something going on, you're not quite sure what he's thinking, are you? So tell me about the teeth. What's the idea with the teeth?

Shan
Well I love that I did the mouth from one end to the other, it goes right across his face like going from America to England.

Finn
It's almost as big as his body.

Shan
And it looked good, it looked creepy. But I experimented with some colours some more, and I discovered that this bright yellow, that matched the yes as well, just heightened the creepiness of the smile if you like.

Finn
It does. It's already creepy and you've heightened it, you've made it even more creepy, you've heightened the creepiness, by making it yellow. That's fantastic. Thank you, thank you Shan very much for coming here and telling us about your pictures today.

Shan
Oh it's been a pleasure.