Beastie goes flying

Here is a page from the picture book 'The Beast of the Thames' that I have been working away on... When I first started doing this I had totally underestimated how difficult it is to make a children's book. I didn't think it would be a picnic, but, blimey! So far I've made stuff that's been too scary, too complicated, too childreny, not childreny enough, with weird colours, with very weird colours indeed, and with spectacularly inconsistant characters.... However. Having found a very lovely creature called a capybara in Bristol Zoo, and drawn it, alot, and quietly battling away with photoshop, I am starting to feel like I'm making some progress... HOORAY! Still got a way to go, but might have an idea of which way I am heading. Which is definately a start.

Knitted Rocking Horse vs Tin Zebra

It's not going to be so much of a race, especially as my rocking horse has at least one really dodgy leg.

V&A drawings

Another sketchbook sketch. Drew these figures in the V & A some time ago, and came across them hiding in an orphaned file on my computer. Thought they might like to come out to play.

Jumping at Shadows

I am trying to use material from my sketchbooks more in my work, as I have lots of scribbly drawings like this one that never quite make it off the page. It's nice to set them loose.

A Very Lovely Dog in Bristol

Paddling Sketch

Uh oh.

Seem to have been neglecting the ol' blog for a little while, so thought I would ease back in with some little sketchbooky bits and bobs from Bologna. Was out there last week for the Children's Book Fair, which was fascinating. Mental. But fascinating. Amazing to see what's going on in children's illustration all over the world, there's some really interesting stuff out there. Iran rocks, Italy is cool and France is rather lovely.
Bologna was a very welcoming city, especially our B&B, which was run by a gentle old lady who fussed over the small band of illustrators at the breakfast table as if we were long lost grandchildren. She was utterly unworried at our lack of comprehension as she talked away to us in rapid quiet italian, nudging more toast and coffee towards anyone who accidentally still looked hungry. The city was the colour salmon pink colour of one of my marker pens, and we eeked out coffee and hot chocolate to soak up some rays of sunshine on prized tables in the piazza.