This weekend I'm dropping off my artwork for the Home Open Exhibition 2022 in January. Don't mind saying I'm super chuffed to be picked for it, and I sincerely hope that no pandemic related grimness gets in the way of an amazing exhibition. Home is Manchester's independent gallery and cinema, a very popular cultural hub […]
Upperthong is a village outside Huddersfield in North Yorkshire. When author John Simes and his agent got in touch asking if I could do the cover to his book, 'The Upperthong Thunderbolt', I just assumed he was from there. When I found out he was based in Devon I was surprised, but I shouldn't have […]
I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but if you look at some of my illustrations and compare them to the great Horrible Histories illustrator Martin Brown there are some similarities, we both clearly have a sense of humour. I'm a fan of clean lines, stylised yet accurate anatomy and exaggerated expressions. You could […]
Do they take your idea and run with it? Illustrators for hire are a flexible bunch when it comes to helping you imagine an amazing visual for your project. Do you have a clear idea of what you want from your illustrator of choice, or would you benefit from a handful of quick sketches to […]
Really happy with this. Last year a friend asked me to illustrate his book. Chris is a CBT counsellor, and his ace book is full of advice on how to deal with anxiety. As you can tell I got very creative visualising what stress might look like! It's a really helpful book and great stocking […]
Before I started drawing and illustration, my older brother Peter would draw comic strips. In some ways he did a lot of things I got interested in, apart from football. Through the years the idea of collaborating had never really crossed my mind, until a few month ago when he suggested it, so it was […]
"I’d long been an admirer of John Cooper’s artwork, so when I needed an illustrator for my first book, John was my first choice. His work was always inventive, and often greatly improved on my original ideas. He can work fast, to a deadline, and can adapt quickly to a change of plan. Working with […]
