ILLUSTRATION
柔靜的途中風景 │ Iban Barrenetxea
於 1973 年出生於西班牙北方小城 Elgoibar 的 Iban，是一個自學插畫家，繪畫與 書籍是構成他整個人的重要成分之一，並且花了一段時間把熱情轉變成專業。在成 為插畫家之前，他以平面設計師的身份工作了十年，並在第十年後決定為自己的人 生下個賭注而在 2010 年以 OQO 出版的“El cazador y la ballena（The hunter and the whale）”成為一個繪本插畫家。最近也在創作新的繪本書，部分插畫作 品也會在 Sàrmede 所舉辦的第二十八屆“Le immagini della fantasia”中展出。 I was born in Elgoibar, a small town in the north of Spain in 1973. Self-taught (and still learning), drawings and books have always been part of who I am. It took me a long time to realize that I could turn my passion into my profession. One day, after 10 years working as a graphic designer, I
Iban Barrenetxea ibarrenetxea@mac.com http://www.ibanbarrenetxea.com/ http://ibanbarrenetxea.blogspot.com/
decided it was about time and so I made my debut as a picture-book illustrator with "El cazador y la ballena" (The hunter and the whale, 2010) published by "OQO editora". Currently I'm working on a new picture book (as author of both text & illustrations) which will be published by "A buen paso" later this year. Some of my illustrations will be exhibited at the 28th edition of “Le immagini della fantasia” (Sàrmede, Italy October-December 2010)
Iban 的作品就如他所崇尚的那樣充滿凝止的敘事力量，充滿探險旅 途元素的畫面卻像棉絮般以粉蠟筆的柔軟筆觸綿密展開。儘管作品 充滿手繪質感，但身處技術轉換年代的他並不排除以數位技術加入 創作，希望插畫能成為與孩童間的對話平台。
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01. Bombastica naturalis 01
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ILLUSTRATION
柔靜的途中風景 │ Iban Barrenetxea
崇尚凝止的敘事力量 Iban 對亞述古文化、中古世紀手稿、早
his way of leaving clues in his illustrations so that anyone can build stories around a single image. Then there is Edward Gorey, and Miroslav Sasek too... I’m almost glad I did not meet his work
期文藝復興壁畫等藝術形式都非常感興
earlier; I fi nd it so charming I’m sure I would have
趣，而這些都對他的風格產生極大影響。
ended up becoming a mere imitato r. About
這些藝術形式中的純粹、和諧線條與形 塊，靜態而非現實的姿態就像是凝止在時
describing my own style... I would not know how to do it, it would be like trying to describe one’s own voice.
間之中，充滿著敘事力量，全都深深吸引 著他。打自孩童時期就非常喜歡洛克歐威
身處技術轉換的年代
爾，包括那些無能言喻的繪畫技巧以及令 人深陷其中的故事敘事。「他總是在畫面
一開始使用的媒材是色鉛筆與紙，總是一
中留下線索，讓任何人都可以自由以個人
層一層地並盡可能均勻上色。這種做法
的觀點建立新的故事。」另外 Iban 也非
非常緩慢，有時甚至會磨耗技巧。他的
常喜愛擅長細膩鋼筆畫的 Edward Gorey
第一本書，由 OQO 出版社所出版的“El
與經典童繪畫家 Miroslav Sasek，「他們
cazador y la ballena”即是以這種方式
的畫真是太驚人了，我很高興我並沒有太
完成。之後他開始加入數位處理，把之前
早遇見他們的畫，否則我可能最終只能成
畫出來的鉛筆、粉蠟筆等材質掃描起來加
「雖然插畫是書的一部分，我也還是必須考慮它在整
為一個模仿者而非呼畫家。」對於自己的
入創作。Iban 非常喜歡傳統技巧，但也並
個繪本結構中所扮演的角色。」通常他並不太畫草
風格，他認為那是無法描繪的，「因為一
不排斥加入數位技術；「最棒的事情是每
稿，對他來說「草稿本」基本上就是筆記本，他會傾
個人沒有辦法去描繪自己的聲音。」
天都可以找到新優點與可能性」。他同意
向於把概念以簡短的文字紀錄下來，讓他可以很快回
and “real” paper, but I’m tr ying really hard to achieve an
使用數位技術會有使真正的紙筆溫度漸漸
想起圖像。這是他最歡同時也是整個插畫過程中最重
invisible technique. I’m in the middle of a transitional period
dpi : Are there any art period or style has
消失的風險，不過也非常認真地嘗試這種
要的部分，就是圖像的初期視覺化，「想像」那些圖
influenced you? And how would you describe your
新技術。「因為我正處在這個技術轉換的
own style?
像。其他的流程就很簡單，只是坐在畫板或電腦前然
to sharpen my pencil anymore! About my working process, I
年代中，因此更要去學習、研究，並從中
後盡可能地使用所有技巧。
spend a lot of time with the text, trying to understand deeply
dpi : What material, tool and techniques did you use and why
illustration is part of a book, I also have to consider it’s place
you choose that? Usually, what’s your working process when you
in the narrative architecture of the work. I seldom do any
create?
previous sketching. My sketchbooks are actually notebooks.
Iban : I’ve been using coloured pencils on paper for some
I prefer to write the ideas in short descriptive sentences I can
years, applying layer after layer of colour as uniformly as
easily recall later as images. That’s for me both my favorite
04. Edelweiss
possible. It’s an extremely slow and sometimes exhausting
and the most important part of the process of illustrating: the
05. Bombastus Dulcimer
technique. After completing my first picture book this way
previous visualization of the image, “dreaming” the illustration.
06. Cartero
(“El cazador y la ballena”, OQO editora 2010), I began to
The rest is just sitting at my drawing board or computer and try
wo r k d i g ita l l y i nco r po rat i ng p rev i ous l y sca n ned penci l,
to do my best applying the techniques I know.
Iban : I think my interest in ancient forms of art like Assyrian relief, Medieval illuminated manuscripts,
得到樂趣！」至於創作的流程，通常 Iban
early Renaissance frescoes, etc... caused a big
會花很多時間去深入理解故事文本，直到
change in my style. I was captivated by their
圖像自動在腦中浮現。
purity, their harmony of form and line; their way of narrating by static, unrealistic gestures that
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seem frozen in time but are nevertheless so full 02
of expression and narrative power. I have also admired Norman Rockwell since I was a child. His
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amazing technique is of course beyond all praise,
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but what really fascinates me is his storytelling,
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pastel, and some real textures. I really enjoy using traditional techniques but I feel comfortable this way too and I’m fi nding new advantages and possibilities every day. There is always the risk of missing the warmth of working with “real” pencils
between techniques, learning, investigating, having fun...; at the moment I have enough trying to remember I don’t have
ever y detail until the images for m inside my head. If the
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ILLUSTRATION
柔靜的途中風景 │ Iban Barrenetxea
與孩童溝通的平台 當了 37 年小孩的 Iban 說，「我打從小時候就開始練習成為小 孩，所以那些童繪只是我試著創造出來去跟其他小孩（或其他年紀 小孩）說話的平台。只是這這樣而已。」他希望談話不只是文本的 飾品，而能促使書變得更完整。「這意思並不是說插畫必須成為一 個封閉的、明確的文本，相反的，圖象必須對讀者是尚未解開的 謎，讓讀者能夠藉之創造自己的故事。」Iban 這樣認為。 “Dr. Bombastus Dulcimer”這個作品是目前手上正在進行的 繪本故事中的主角（「或者，在我看來他其實就是作者！」Iban 說。），是以達爾文惡名昭彰的祖父 Erasmus Darwin 為藍本創作 出來的角色。Iban 說，「他是一個植物學家，一個真正的啟蒙時 代的人，一個自然哲學主義者，同時也是詩人、探險家以及為詮釋 世界而畫的 18 世紀藝術家。他的生活充滿了各種成就：他是第一 個解釋了雲的構成，發明了鋼架。喔，而且他還因為太胖而必須把 桌子裁切成半圓形來容納他的肚子。」因此，當 Iban 要創造一個 植物學家角色時，他很自然地就讓 Erasmus Darwin 博士的形象進 入 Dr. Bombastus 角色的形象中。 dpi : We found that your works full fill an atmosphere of poetic childlike delight. Could you share your aesthetic or philosophy about your work? Iban : I have a lot of practice being a child (I’ve been one for 37 years), so I just try to create images that will easily talk to any other children (of any age). I think that’s all... I want to create images that talk, that not only serve as a decoration to a text, but contribute to make the book a whole. With that I don’t mean that the illustrations should be a closed, defi nitive vision of the text. Pictures in a book should leave further unanswered questions for the readers to answer and so make the story their own. dpi : Would you please talk about your work "Dr. Bombastus Dulcimer", the character here is so fascinating. What message would you like to convey? Iban : Mr. Dulcimer is the main character (actually, I should say he is the author!) in the picture book I’m working on right now. I’m half way through the wor k, so I don’t want to spoil it too much. The character is loosely based in Erasmus Dar win, Charles Dar win’s notorious granddad. He was a true Enlightenment man: a botanist, a “natural philosopher”, a poet, an inventor, an 18th century atheist trying to explain the world... His life is full of achievements: among many other things he was the fi rst to explain the formation of clouds, devised a method of steering carriages not unlike the one used in modern cars... Oh, and he was so fat that eventually he had to cut a semi-circle in his table to fi t his belly. When I created a story about a botanist I could not avoid letting some of Dr. Erasmus’ characteristics into the character of Dr. Bombastus.
07. Bombastica naturalis
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柔靜的途中風景 │ Iban Barrenetxea
與作品的距離
故鄉做為靈感之源
Iban 沒辦法說哪一個作品對他來說是最重要的，「有時候會有一些作
而“El mejor viaje del mundo”則是一個自
dpi : Which works is the most special or the
good while before I can really judge it. But, I
most favorite for you? Would you please share
sincerely do try to do my best in every work,
the work and the reason as well with us?
so in that sense, if I’m allowed to consider
Iban : I’m afraid I can’t answer that... There
my i ntenti ons and not the resu lt s, eve r y
們，不斷地問他們覺得怎樣，這種時候其實必須要遠離那個作品一下，
are times, especially if it’s a drawing that
single one is my favorite.
來取得比較客觀的判斷位置。」不過對每個作品他都是投盡心力去完
i s ta k i n g m e a l o n g t i m e to c o m p l ete,
品是花了很大力氣與時間去完成，以至於連自己都失去客觀性，甚至不
己非常喜歡的個人作品，不過目前暫時擱在
知道自己在做什麼。這種時候我就會拿那些還沒完成的作品去轟炸朋友
一旁，希望有一天可以繼續進行，可能會從 草稿重新開始。作品的標題是參考自 Apsley Cherry-Garrard 的南極探險經典《世界上
when I lose all my objectivity and I’m not
dpi : What’s your creating plan in the future?
su re of w hat I’m do i ng anymo re. So I’m
Iban : If possible, to continue creating and
最喜歡的。如果可以的話，未來他希望能持續創作並且樂在其中，只要
constantly bombarding my patient friends
having fun while there is someone who likes
有人喜歡他的作品。另外或許也可以來趟南極旅行也不錯。
with unfinished drawings ask ing for thei r
what I do. A travel to Antarctica would be
feedback. I need to let my work rest for a
nice too.
成，所以如果以這點來說，考慮企圖而非結果的話，每一幅作品都是他
最糟的旅程（The Worst Journey in the World）》，但是因為 Iban 的故事是從企鵝 的角度出發，所以便成為《世界上最棒的旅 程》。「有好幾年只要是跟南極有關的事情都 會讓我產生極大興趣，」Iabn 說，「Cherry-
dpi : Please describe your series works "El mejor viaje del
illustrators and writers. As a late beginner I have been
Garrad得這個童話，他跟 Robert F. Scott 那
mundo", what’s the story about?
very lucky to meet authors and publishers always ready
Iban : They are part of a personal project I like very much.
to share their experience with me and help me with their
I had to abandon it temporally, but hopefully will resume
encouragement and good counsels. But as an author I
險故事，而是一個關於自身在世界中的空間、
it someday, probably starting from scratch. The title is a
think that my roots are rather literary than geographical. I
目的感、自然以及有一的故事。」
reference to Apsley Cher r y- Gar rard’s Antarctic travel/
mean that I believe it’s unlikely you will guess where I live
故鄉西班牙之於 Iban 來說，是一個充滿刺激
adventure classic “The Worst Journey in the World”, but in
only by looking at my drawings, but you will probably get
挑戰，並有著許多優秀插畫家與作家的地方。
this case, as the story is told from a penguin’s point of view,
a fair idea of what I read. Of course, I could not do without
it turns into “The Best Journey in the World”. Ever ything
my walks in the woods and mountains (when the weather
「做為一個晚進這行的新手，我很幸運可以遇
related to the Antarctic continent has been a passion of
permits), that is when I let my mind wander and get most
見許多願意分享經驗的作家與出版商，給了我
mine for many years. Cherry-Garrad’s tale, his experience
of my ideas.
些充滿挑戰的南極探險旅程，遠遠超過一個歷
許多諮詢與幫助。不過做為作者，我認為靈感
with Robert F. Scott’s ill fated expedition to the South Pole, is much more than a story of danger and exploration. It’s
與影響的根基多半來自文學而非地理空間。」
about fi nding one’s place in the world, a sense of purpose,
他認為，就像是我們沒有辦法透過他的畫作就
nature, friendship...
馬上分辨出他是來自哪個地方，但應該可以透
dpi : As an artist, have you been influenced by your own
過他的畫作猜出來他都讀了些什麼。西班牙對
country Spain? Would you please to share the creating
他而言最大的影響，是他可以在天氣允許的日
experience or illustration environment there?
子裡到樹林與山中散步，讓他的靈感也能自由 釋放。 36
I ban : A s someone w ho has j ust a r r ived i n th i s wo r l d of i l lustrated book s, I have found Spain a stimulating
08. El mejor viaje del mundo 08
10
09. Fox 10. El mejor viaje del mundo 11. El cazador y la ballena
09 11 12
12. El cazador y la ballena (cover)
sce n e th r i v i n g w ith a n a m a z i n g a m o u nt of ta l e nted
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圖片影像資料來源由 Iban Barrenetxea 提供 責任編輯：施怡妙 美術編輯：陳語萱 協力翻譯：劉佳旻
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