July 2021 Little Red Riding Hoods

July 2021 marks one year of drawing Little Red Riding Hood. Here’s a look back at the first #LRRH.

Little Red Riding Hood wearing a red pancho and brown skirt over boots. Illustrated by Katherine Botts Whitaker.

…and where I am now. What a difference a year makes, huh? 

During the pandemic, I bought Procreate and really honed my digital skills. I drew Little Red Riding Hood over and over again for an entire year. They were all learning experiences. I always knew I needed a long term, low stakes, self-directed project but it took me years to come up with the right thing to hold my attention day after day. I found it in drawing Little Red Riding Hood — there’s a lot of room for interpretation and the more I think about how illustrator’s approach LRRH, the more I learn.

I learned a lot about the nature of storytelling. The structure of familiar stories just allow for such deep exploration. I have a much deeper connection to this story now. LRRH was a really fitting way to cope with life during the pandemic. Whenever I see another LRRH I think “Yes! It’s perfect!” Because the beauty of the Little Red Riding Hood is how she’s endlessly malleable for each and every age.

So much gratitude for what I learned in the last year.