The Tale of Peter Rabbit Written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter

Common characteristics throughout None of the pictures take up the entire page None of the pictures have hard backgrounds Earthy tones are prominent Illustrated in watercolors

lines 1.circular- encompasses Peter’s mom and sisters, sets him apart colors 1.red- Peter’s sisters are all in red, groups them together 2.blue- only Peter is in blue, sets him apart, possible foreshadowing to how different Peter and his sisters are She also uses white space between Peter and his sisters to show that he stands out.

What common children’s story do you think this may allude to? lines 1.diagonal- show that Peter’s mom is walking, also the loss of control she has over her children 2.jagged- foreshadows the danger coming colors 1.red cloak- draws your attention to the front of the picture and to the mother. 2.Browns and Greens- show natural elements in the picture

Whenever Peter has his blue shirt on he seems to act human-like. For example walking on two legs. lines 1.Diagonal- shows Peter is moving colors 1.blue- distinguishing color for Peter, only one of the rabbits who wears blue, also identifies him as a boy

lines 1.horizontal- show that Peter is sitting still and enjoying the food 2.thick lines- the handle of the tool is made of thick lines while everything else not colors 1.blue- identifies that the rabbit in the picture is Peter 2.bright greens, yellow,- shows there is life in the garden 3.orange/red- the carrots(Or Radishes) are a reddish orange color, could signify the danger that he may soon face

*Initial interaction with Mr. McGregor* Lines: 1.Vertical Lines = lacks movement/stationary 2.Right Angles = man-made object 3.Curves = fluidity, life-like (contours of bodies and plants) Colors: 1.Shades of brown = earthy, naturalistic 2.Blue = Indicates it is Peter. Also supposed to represent coolness (ironic) 3.Green = plant life

This picture is not entirely separated or encapsulated from the page, as seen in other illustrations of the book. White space is used more as a part of the picture. Lines: 1.Disconnected or stray lines = movement 2.Curves = also show movement, fluid motion 3.Diagonal = movement of the characters running and the danger that Peter is facing (Mr. McGregor) Colors: 1.Brown(s) = energy, warmth 2.Blue = typically coolness and tranquil, but with Potter it is more of a distinguishing characteristic of Peter.

White space is encircling the actual illustration, this gives a feeling of enclosure. Lines: 1.Diagonal = loss of balance or control 2.Jagged = danger 3.Right angles = man-made structure/object Colors: 1.In this particular illustrations we can see several different colors, all within a condensed area. What are your thoughts? Do you think it is too “busy”? 1.Also marks the return of the color red, which can be seen earlier in the book where Peter’s mother and siblings were wearing red overcoats. Do you think this was purposely done? Possible need for help/family?

Again the white space is encircling the actual illustration, giving sense of enclosure, or in this case being trapped. Lines: 1.Curves = fluidity, life-like (contours of bodies and plants) 2.Diagonal = loss of balance or control 3.Jagged = danger 4.Right angles = man-made structure/object Colors: 1.Darker colors and shades indicate doom/danger 2.Recurring theme of earthy tones - Browns, Greens, etc. 3.Introduction of shades of gray and black (seen in birds)

Now, Peter is without his jacket and is no longer walking on two legs like a human would. He is expressing more animalistic behavior. lines 1.circular- again a sense of enclosure 2.diagonal- movement, Peter trying to escape colors 1.More dark earthy tones suggesting danger 2.Loss of brighter, happier colors

Peter takes up more of the picture while it remains the same size as the rest of the pictures. This helps illustrate how Peter is feeling trapped and unsure of what to do. colors 1.Blue - takes up a majority of the picture, gives picture an overall sad tone lines 1.vertical- lack of movement, dead end and nowhere left to go 2.right angles- man-made objects

The picture is encompassed by white showing the enclosure of Peter. You also see Mr. McGregor in the distant background trying to chase him. colors: Green- Is a Earthy Color which illustrates the tranquility Peter is feeling as he is about to escape the garden. Brown- is the main focal color in this image it shows the four important parts of this picture. Peter, Mr. McGregor, the pathway that McGregor has to take to get to Peter, and finally the fence or Peter’s escape. lines -The right angles of the fence and the shrub line show that peter in enclosed in a man made place. -The wavy lines of the trees outside the fence and shrub line show the nature and his escape.

In this picture we see Peter laying on the floor after he returned home after his ordeal. colors Brown- represents the warmth he feels at home. White/Light Blue - represent the security and unity with his mother at the end of the book. lines -Circular - the entrance of the den represents the security and unity. -diagonal - peter lost control of his decisions and is now paying the consequences.

Themes Alludes to the biblical story of Eve and The Forbidden Fruit. Knew what could happen and still disobeyed his mother and could have faced the same fate as his father. The consequences he faced were a result of his own poor decisions