The freelance illustrator Richard Deverell is probably best known for his illustrations of stories from the Bible. He is the artist for the best selling English language Children’s Bible first published by Word, now known as Authentic Publishing. This is a translation FOR children – “The Bible that children can read and understand” and not a paraphrase or an existing “adult” translation with a special cover and plates for the younger generation. This Bible contains 32 pages of colour plates in traditional watercolours, all of them by children’s illustrator Richard Deverell.
When illustrating the Bible for children, special attention must be paid to details. So often in the past artists have trusted their predecessors’ work. Research is needed. First, it helps to read the Bible. Not just the story that is being illustrated, but also the background to that story. For example, a long time ago Richard was asked to draw the Ark of the Covenant being carried. What does it look like? There’s a great description of it in the Bible, but what he failed to notice was that no one, on pain of certain instant death, could look at it. Therefore it was covered with a heavy cloth. Even the publisher got really excited at the accurate and magnificent depiction of the ark that Richard illustrated for them to their detailed brief, and it was their US partner who pointed out this error. Whoops!!
Richard thinks the Bible has the best stories in the world and enjoys illustrating them more than anything else. He would love to do a new children’s Bible or Bible story book with digitally coloured images.
