I created 14 new illustrations for an article in Le Figaro Hors-Série magazine's Shakespeare issue. The illustrations started off as vectors in Illustrator, and I added the distressed effects in Photoshop.
Richard III - Richard III manages to fool those around him into thinking he's kind and genuine. Despite his small and misshapen form, he casts a large shadow. His animal, the extremely violent boar, is a better representation of his true self than the face he puts forward.
The Taming of the Shrew - Petruchio is holding two wedding rings in his outstretched hand, attempting to woo Katherina into a partnership. Petruchio compares his new wife to a falcon in the play, and his handling of her is similar to the manner in which a bond is formed in falconry, so that is how I have represented Katherina.
A Midsummer Night's Dream - Puck attempts to play the characters as if he is a puppeteer, but his use of the love potion causes chaos.
Much Ado About Nothing - The coffin represents not only Hero's faked death, but also the characters putting Cupid out of a job by taking matters into their own hands. It is mentioned that Benedick has "cut Cupid's bow-string" on two or three occasions, which is why Cupid's bow is broken.
The Merchant of Venice - Portia dons a disguise and, despite her lack of formal legal training, acts as judge, taking justice into her own hands and steering the outcome of the trial based on technicalities rather than the merits of the case. Portia doesn't stop at saving Antonio's life; she punishes Shylock for not showing mercy. Justice is supposed to be blind, but this entire affair is nothing but a mockery.
Venus and Adonis - Venus's passion is an all-consuming fire, so she's represented by the outline of her body in the flames. Adonis is a flower, defined by fleeting beauty, and is represented by the anemone that grows from the patch of his blood on the ground..
Romeo and Juliet - The lovers are unable to reach each other because their wrists are chained. The torn paper emphasizes the divide between them.
Julius Caesar - Caesar is stabbed in the back. The eight daggers represent the eight conspirators.
Hamlet - The skull represents Hamlet, and the seven tombstones on the crown represent the other lives his revenge ultimately cost.
Othello - Iago is a spider, whispering in Othello's ear and tangling him in a web of deceit.
King Lear - The king is metaphorically blind to the machinations of his two daughters as they plot to steal everything he has. Gloucester is literally blinded in the play, and his illegitimate son plots to steal his title.
Macbeth - The hands dripping blood represent not only the murder committed but also the guilt felt by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Three of the blood drips look like daggers. The silhouettes of the three hags, who manipulate Macbeth's actions throughout the play, are visible in the background.
Antony and Cleopatra - Antony has an identity crisis. He thinks of himself as a hero, but this is incompatible with the person he becomes with Cleopatra. He's split in two: Rome vs Egypt, hero vs lover.
The Tempest - Prospero, determined to regain the title that was taken from him, plays the other characters like pieces in a game of chess. It begins with him using a storm to shipwreck them, so the illustration is of chess pieces in a stormy sea.
