I created this drawing for Barrie Ingham's birthday (February 10), and before I get yelled at by someone thinking I made Basil out of character, let me explain why I did it. His way of saying 'thank you' to Olivia in this scene stems a little closer to personal experience with his original voice. When I met Barrie at a convention last September, I presented him with a couple of my GMD drawings and said he could keep them as gift art. Well, due to my act of generosity, I received more than just a thank you! He was extremely pleased with my gift that it really overwhelmed him. He did not expect me to do that, not in the least.

The original plan for this drawing was Olivia handing Basil (on bended knee, not seated) a still-wrapped gift, kissing him on the cheek and him rolling his eyes in a bit of discomfort. No background was intended; I planned to keep it simple. Then, when I realized I was doing this for Barrie's birthday, I started to think more of his reaction when receiving a gift. In cartoon form, I wanted to capture the same reaction, or a side of Basil no one has ever seen before. I must admit he does look a little awkward due to the fact that his character has never made such a gesture to anyone in the film!

With that concept in mind, I had to think about what sort of gift could he be presented with that would make him react...like this. Naturally, losing his precious violin instantly appeared, and it wasn't the first time I've wondered how, if, or when he would get a replacement. It seems appropriate enough to be Olivia who'd work hard at either repairing the broken one (with her father's help) or saving up to purchase a full, brand new one. As a lover of music, I'm almost certain he'd be very appreciative of her doing this for him.

The image is entirely drawn with minimal shading to work on a colored version for it.

Anyway, hope you enjoy and...don't get mad at me!

The Great Mouse Detective and its characters is © Disney/Eve Titus