Bologna Children’s Book Fair Review

For three days in April, I went to this visual assault on the senses that is The Bologna Children’s Book Fair.

One of the biggest in the world. Full of picture books, publishers and of course, illustrators - millions of illustrators all keen to show off their work.

So why was I there?

Mostly illustration. Seeing what the best in the world are producing right now, if and how my stuff measures up, and what I can learn & discover about the latest trends and opportunuities

Also agents. Like the Edinburgh Fringe, the industry is all in one place. I don’t need an Illustration agent, but that didn’t stop me from getting in front of a couple just to gauge my market worth.

Finally, my love of comics. A particular type of comics. The European market is very different from the rest of the world, and bigger than anything we have here in the UK.

The Bologna Children's Book Fair is as much a festival as a trade fair. All the big publishing players are here with exhibition stands the size of coffee shops, covered in gigantic illustrations of the most popular characters. Walking the enormous five halls, meetings were everywhere; on the first day I could hear the polite cut and thrust of business being done and imagine the inky smell of contracts being signed.

Bologna fair is huge, industrial scale commerce, and I’ll admit I ran a full gamut of emotions. So many visuals - so much competition!
For a moment, I was swept back to the mid-1990s when I'd attend UKCAC (the UK Comic Art Convention) and the Caption indie comic fest in Oxford. Amazing events those.

Here, I felt for the seer number of optimistic young illustrators clasping portfolios, eager to show off work. The portfolio area, where agents reviewed art was hectic and rammed.

Ironically, the area was called ‘The Illustrators Survival Corner’. I was expecting an open space where illustrators could show and share work, and despite some great masterclasses and workshops, the space felt dominated by the portfolio reviews, stressed staff trying to manage a torrent of emerging artists.

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I didn't spend much time there. This book fair has been running since 1963, and I suspect it wasn't always like this. My takeaway on this aspect - if you have an ‘Illustrators Survival Corner’ don’t put agent reviews in the same space. Otherwise, your putting the cat in with the birds.

I attended some amazing panel talks. The highlight was 'Where are the boys', discussing the lack of relatable characters for boys that aren't superheroes or stereotypes. A proper hot topic in the UK, with references during the chat to the Netflix TV show 'Adolescence'.
Italian Author Francesca Cavallo made powerful points about the differences girls and boys have growing up and addressed the small percentage of males in publishing (a mostly female industry).

Did I mention it was huge? In the entry hall was a long gallery wall space where any illustrator could hang their work to be seen, and I witnessed the massive rush on the first day as people filled the walls with posters and postcards. It felt a bit like the Royal Mile during the Edinburgh Festival, except folks were polite and didn't post over the top of each other! I stuck up a couple of postcards for fun but didn't see the worth of it. Aside from that the walls had an odd a porous texture, and by the end of the first day a fair amount of it was on the floor.

Aside from the main draw of children's illustrated book, there were comics, and this is where Bologna really shone for me. The amount of beautiful graphic novels was glorious, regardless that very few were in English.

Mainland Europe has a very different relationship with comics than the UK or the US. In Manchester, my home town, the comic shops cover mainly US comics and toys, and the local Waterstones has one section for graphic novels and one shelf for independent graphic novels.

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There’s a far bigger scene in Europe, a difference in the culture, reflected by the kind of works seen in print. The costs to translate outweigh the cost of production and sales, so a graphic novel has to be as popular as Blacksad to break through. Here are some examples;

I topped out my three days with a bit of networking, meeting folks from Boom studios, Maverick Publishing and author/illustrator Kevin McClosky.

To conclude with the best news I picked up, I'd heard last year at the Northern Lights writers' day that more visual books were on the increase, and this was confirmed in Bologna.

Mainstream publishers are becoming more interested in 'comics' in it's looser more literate definition. Graphic readers’, books which are lead by visuals as much are text, are also on the rise as a way to bring new readers in.

My book should be out sometime in 2026.

Big thanks for Trafford Creative and the artist's bursary, which helped make my visit happen.

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Links;

Anna Goodson
Bologna Children's Book Fair
Boom Studios
Chris Haughton
Harper Collins
Francesca Cavallo
Folio Art
Maverick Publishing
Rebellion
Publishing Perspectives

Distance 5th Anniversary Edition

Did you know this week is the fifth anniversary of the UK lockdown?

Crikey, eh?

They were some dark times, crazy times, and some might argue the changes that happened then are still being felt today. To mark the occasion, my graphic novel, DISTANCE, is now available on Amazon for the first time.

Did you run out of toilet roll? Did you social distance in a group of more than 6 people? Did we ever find out if was a scotch egg a substantial meal?

I drew this social commentary in comic book form at the time, as it happened from March 2020 to Jan 2022 and this is the first time the complete version has been available in print.

The title is a play on words about social distance and running, but as time went on it was about perspective too, getting distance from those extraordinary events. May you live in interesting times. Indeed.

Buy now on Amazon

5 Years ago...

Previously Distance has only been available via Kickstarter, where it was successfully funded over 2 volumes, and from me directly at conventions and art fairs. This 'UK Lockdown anniversary' edition contains the entire run, including additional material.

A couple of pages were also shown at the HOME open exhibition in 2022.

Back 2020, I started drawing a comic strip diary. I had no real plan, just creating it one page at a time documenting the ups and downs of life during the pandemic. As time went on it became about how to stay positive, exploring the weird, dark, crazy world we've all experienced dealing with living through such bizarre times. Like most people it made me reflect on life, be super vigilant and make new decisions about the future - whatever that might look like.

Comics are a great way to share experiences, and it was a great way to connect with people at a time when I couldn't touch, hug or meet up with friends.

The Art of Scamps

Updated March 2025

Need scamps? You're in the right place.

Good quality scamps help win pitches.

Rough and ready quick drawings getting ideas down on paper. A lot of my output involves making scamp artwork. For production companies and collaborations with other creative agencies who need to generate visuals quickly.

Scamps are very similar to storyboards or mock-ups. They help frame an idea, giving an art director or advertiser something to see that can help 'proof' a good idea, pushing it to the next stage, or decide if they aren't quite working, to help find the right direction.

They're an important early part of the creative process where speed and clarity are more important than the quality of the image.

Note: I often work under NDA's (non-disclosure agreements). That means the work is not for public display, on websites or social media. Scamps are often only for private use and owned by the company they are created for. The examples on this page are from real projects, and I've been permitted to share them. Just in case you're production company looking for a scamps artist and are worried about privacy.

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Scamp artwork examples

These examples are from various projects I've worked on with leading production houses around the UK. From TV adverts to product design, it's often about facilitation, taking other people's ideas and converting them into images without being precious.

As you'll see in these examples, even at the early stage colour can be introduced a little, which often helps align with branding when presenting to clients. I've worked under direction with an art director to help achieve their vision, and I can offer ideas too.

Scamps happen at the very beginning of the process, and can on occasion stressful when they are created alongside conversations - that can go in different directions, but they don't have to be.

I have a background in comic art and improv comedy, and studied sequential art and communication design as a student. Learning the shorthand for storytelling and attention-grabbing that comics use so often really helps when it comes to composing images. Scamps can get messy quickly, and less is often more when it comes to choosing images for a presentation.

Get in touch for more info and rates.

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More Live Scribing

Updated March 2025.

What is it?

'Live scribing' is a term for artwork created live during an event. It has other names like visual minutes, sketch noting, graphic recording and graphic facilitation. It's the process of capturing a live event as it happens with engaging colourful visuals. It's a great way to engage and support individuals and teams .

It can take various forms;

Capturing a speaker's words as visuals as they deliver their talk at a conference
Working with a team at a company away day, turning feedback into posters
Visualising company core values from spoken notes, turning them into highly polished illustrations

Live art is a great way to create more engagement, helping teams or attendees retain information once an event has taken place. As you may know, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual.

Live art is a great way to enhance the impact and takeaways from an event.

With the live art I create for clients, all artwork is owned by the clients once it has been created, and can be reused however they like. Often on office walls or social media.

How does live art work?

Traditional

Large format paper
and marker pens.
Very flexible for most events.

Digital

Digital pen tablet
connected to a stage
screen or projector.

Remote

Connecting virtually
to an online meeting.

Above are photos from a diverse range of events; a nursing lecture, a team building day and a conference on tech research at Newcastle University for the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Live scribing is used for a wide range of events, and I'm always happy to suggest ideas on how best it can be used. If you think it might be useful for your event but are not sure how, I'm always happy to chat and offer suggestions.

Some photos from an event at Z-arts & MADE in Old Trafford. 'Exploring The Creative Potential for Manchester to become a UNICEF Child-Friendly City'.

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Other images from live art events;

Previous clients I've created live art for include;

Biffa
Digital Manchester
Roche
Hologic
NIHR - National Institute for Health and Care Research
UK BCorp Conference
National Fire Chiefs Conference
National Deaf Society
North East Combined Authority
Manchester City Council
University of Manchester
Willmott Dixon Construction
Z-Arts

Get in touch

photos by Lizzie Henshaw / NIHR

Meet working artists and creative professionals.

Creative networking in Manchester at Grit art studio

Join us for an evening of chilled networking, chat and idea-generating discussion.

The event helps businesses and entrepreneurs who want to work with creatives, and vice versa, by creating a super chilled atmosphere and frank discussion (it's hosted by a comedian). The aim is to help make networking an enjoyable experience for those who find it boring or intimidating and answer questions around working with creatives, chatting with professional working artists in the city.

Connecting movers and shakers with artists and makers, ART+WORK is a creative networking event for both local artists and creatives and Manchester’s vibrant business community, to explore ideas and create new opportunities.

Finding GRIT.
Grit Manchester is located just off Deansgate in the Great Northern Building. Access is from the Great Northern Warehouse car park entrance, to the right of the main entrance. See map for more information.

Creative networking in Manchester

Links

Motion graphics video with illustration

In this motion graphics video for drone security, the whole process was covered in-house. From script to screen, creating illustrations, motion animation and voiceover.

The illustrations were clean and functional while retaining a bit of personality and character. Instead of 3D or vector graphics, digital illustration was used to create the assets, images and backgrounds. This allowed for a quick turnaround, and as with all projects at Rockest Steps, nothing as outsourced, it's all in-house.

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*This is an edited version of the final video

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Motion graphics animated videos are great for engaging audiences. Using dynamic visuals, text, and motion to simplify complex information. They capture attention more effectively than static images or plain text, making it ideal for marketing, education, and storytelling.

Infographics, charts, and diagrams get your message across, and they are cost-effective too. You don't need expensive equipment or a day wasted on filming locations. This makes them a versatile solution for social media, websites and presentations.

Beyond engagement, motion graphics enhance brand recognition by incorporating consistent visual styles, colours, and logos. They are particularly effective in digital marketing, where social media algorithms favour video content. Increasing audience reach and interaction.

Additionally, motion graphics videos are much easier to update, unlike live-action videos which may become outdated. Their ability to simplify communication, boost conversions, and enhance storytelling makes them an invaluable tool.

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Great Northern Winter Trail

In late December I was invited to create poster illustrations for The Great Northern building in Manchester.

The brief was to make engaging visuals for a trail around the Great Northern's grand leisure and retail space in the city centre, also the home of Grit Studio. The client referenced some of my satirical cartoons (which are dotted around the art studio and other places), and I proposed some ideas, creating illustrations of winter-themed animals, poems, design and typography for 'The Great Northern Winter Trail'.

Each poster illustration has it's own humorous poem to go along with it. The Great Northern building is home to many different kinds of businesses, from bakeries to letting agents and the poems allude to some of these without naming any specifically, so no one feels 'seen', teased or left out.

Then taking it one step further I added a QR code to a web page where visitors can see silhouettes of each animal they're looking for. Helpful clues that don't show everything, to maintain the incentive to find them all.
There are also instructions on a small 'collect the letters' challenge for visitors to download an artwork montage of all the Winter Trail as a mobile phone or desktop wallpaper. A fun value ad that didn't take much time to implement.

The Winter Trail was a joy of a project with a lot of creative freedom to it. One practical aspect is that poster illustrations are a relatively affordable way to create engagement.

Mine isn't the only art on display in the building with some of the other studio creatives having work on display there. If you're passing through Manchester come and check it out.

Links;

Better engagement with motion graphics

Motion graphics animation, and why you should use it.

Often folks use the term 'animation' when they want to add movement to make their content look more engaging or attention-grabbing. It could be a slide deck, a video or a social media post. This is fine, and to be fair I'm splitting hairs here but it's not entirely accurate.

Animation is closer to TV and Film, describing the movements of characters and scenes. Motion graphics can be anything, shapes, text and illustrations. Motion graphics are most often found in videos, presentations, and social media.

Why should you use motion graphics?

Well, an obvious reason is they capture attention quickly. They stand out when users scroll through a crowded feed, making them more likely to engage with your content.

Motion graphics are great for simplifying complex messages. They can tell a story to get the message across, use humour, or empathy and other emotive hooks to explain an idea more effectively than static images.

Like a good advert, motion graphics content is more likely to be remembered. Many social media platforms prioritize moving content over static, which can boost your visibility and increase organic reach.

Want to find out how you can use motion graphics? Book a chat or get a quote

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Here are some examples of work;

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Refresh, not rebrand.

In late 2024 my local running club, Manchester Road Runners, were looking for a new shirt design to celebrate 12 years of being a lovely active community. What they didn't ask for is a rebrand on the logo, but I'm always looking for opportunities and took the liberty of suggesting a very, very small refresh on their very established logo.

This is not a rebrand.

I think 'rebrand' gets overused in design and not always for the right reasons. There's no need to change something if it works, and with over 100 runners every week and growing, Manchester Road Runners don't really need an image change.

Sans serif?

I was reminded of the 'design trauma' stories of large brands going around the houses on wild varieties of different ideas to refresh a logo, then settling on something resembling what they already had.

With the 'MRR' logo, this is all I suggested. Remove the seriphs. Those are the little cross bars on the ends of letters that define a serif font, often used to define the difference between classical or contemporary style.
I rounded corners a little here, and added a bit more leading (space between rows) so the whole thing fits into a square easier for social media. Other than that this is still the original logo as designed by Chris ryder one of the founding members of my Manchester orderers and a good pal.

Just like the community at Manchester Road Runners who offer support new the runners who rock up every week, this logo refresh is just a gentle nudge of positive progress.

Links

Speed Portraits.

Update.

I have quite a lot of these events in my diary now, currently have some availability for Christmas 2024.
You might have seen me at Manchester Day, or Stockport's secret street party.

Get in touch for rates.

What is a speed portrait artist?

I prefer the term speed portrait artist to caricaturist. Here's a sample of my speed portrait work, capturing the likenesses of guests at events in my own clean-line graphical style. These photos were taken at various events, from awards ceremonies in Liverpool to Art Battle Manchester and other venues around the UK.

Speed portraits are about getting a likeness quickly, and I enjoy chatting to 'sitters' for the 5/7 minutes we spend together. It's not just about the art, it's about capturing a moment, putting them at ease and making them feel special.

Getting an event artist is a great way to give attendees something permanent they can take away as a souvenir. Weddings, conferences, conventions, etc. It's a quick win at any event. I'm available to book by half-day (evening) or a full day. All materials are provided.

I've got a performance background (in improv comedy), and use humour to help ease any nerves of those who want to sit and be drawn but are a bit apprehensive about it. In my experience, once the first brave few have been drawn, others are quickly drawn to ...bring drawn.

FAQ.

Q. How many people can I draw in an hour?
A. This can vary. A room full of bald-headed chaps would take less time than a room full big hair-do's and beards. Some faces have more lines than others. What can do is make sure everyone who is drawn feels like they've had a special moment.

Q. Do you work in colour?
A. My signature style is black and white, mainly to save time.

Q. Do you do draw pets?
A. I've done a few pet events but they are very tricky as pets tend not to sit still for long. Working from photos isn't the same as a live subject.

Q. Do you work from photos?
A. I can work from photos, however at events my guidance is that 'live' folks, those in the room, come first. a photo portrait can be created anytime, but at a live event the experience is best had by the folks in the room.

Book Cover Illustration

Need a book cover design? As a freelance book cover illustrator I can help with that. it's not always humour, though these covers generate the most interest when opening my portfolio. I can work direct with an author or publisher and I'm (at the time of writing) not represented by an agent, so I can offer value for money too.

Here are some examples of previous books I've worked on. I also do interior artwork, and the examples below have 10 black-and-white interior illustrations too, but you'll need to check them yourself to see that! All my book artwork is created traditionally and digitally by hand.

Got questions?

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Final Cover - Officer Crabtree's Fronch Phrasebook.

Here's a recent book cover illustration for 'Football's Tallest Tales' by Bryan Gibson.

Getting the cover right is important. In this case, nailing the humour and tone the author is after. Illustration is problem solving too. You'll see in this artwork in the background, on one side is the crowd is cheering, while the other is fed up as the ball whistles past the distracted keeper.

We could have had the fans in colour but after discussion, it was decided to keep them in shades of grey. Why? Well, imagine if one side was red and the other blue. It's important to make the book appealing to everyone, so if one colour was the losing team, that could put off a potential reader who supports a team that wears that colour. Make sense? These are the things I consider when doing illustration work.

For this book, I created illustrations for the cover and inside panels - but to see those you'll need to get the book!

Available from Waterside press

If you need a freelance book cover illustrator, get in touch for a chat;

Spring Clean - Need a website audit?

Once a quarter I do a website audit. What's that then? It's looking over all the pages of my website just to check that they are all optimized to the best they can be.

There are some great tools out there that can help check your website including Ubersuggest and Screaming Frog. Running your website through these will let you know how well your website is performing.

Knowing how well your website is performing is something that's become more important since the rise of AI content, as there's now SO MUCH content being created that not all of it, unsurprisingly is great quality or worth reading.
Moreover, Google recently begun penalizing websites that used lots of AI-generated content which can only be a good thing for quality, and humans.

With that in mind it's worth asking if you, or the agency you're using are creating AI content on your website, and if so how much of it?

As the metrics for search ranking change it's important to give your website a review. Make sure you're not piling on poor quality AI content that will help now, but tank your search results later.

If you're not sure where to get started with a website audit, or you just need help with your website in general, get in touch.

I'm a Generation One web designer, which means I've been around quite a while. I'm a website petrolhead, a massive website nerd who loves keeping websites well-oiled and easy to use.

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From cool-looking design to speeding up slow sites. If you need a new website or have problems with the one you've got, get in touch. I cover the full journey from idea to finished website and beyond. Helping you understand what your website needs.