When comparing the work of Jon Klassen to Eric Carle, it is clear to see that they are in fact both quite similar. Both of their illustrative styles try to include high levels of texture and mark making into their images, but they do this by using different techniques. Carle has been working in children's book illustration for much longer, and so uses processes that are very 'hands on' and somewhat traditional in comparison to Klassen's digital work. They both use materials such as paint and pencils, and also both have a lovely 'transparency' to their work. Carle uses pieces of painted tissue paper, which he cuts and assembles by hand. Whereas Klassen works by hand, but then scans the textures onto his computer so that he can re-work, tidy, and compose them together. This digital element to Klassen's work just comes naturally with doing illustration in the modern world. The ease of the assistance of programmes such as Photoshop, enable Klassen to have much more flexibility when playing around with different colours, compositions, and materials. It could be argued therefore that Klassen's work is a more modern take on the traditional illustrations of Carle's.
The most obvious difference between the two illustrators work is the use of colour. Carle uses a very bright & bold colour palette, which works perfectly with his fun and cheerful stories. Klassen on the other hand uses more muted tones, which are more earthy and natural. This more 'true to life' representation of the world could be likened to his raw sense of humour when it comes to certain characters being killed or eaten at the end of his stories. So although the themes of their stories are quite different (one is very cheerful and fun, and the other has a more 'sinister', humorous tone), Carle and Klassen do share many similarities when it comes to the use of texture & plain negative space in their illustrations.
Eric Carle
Jon Klassen
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