Children’s Book Illustration
Timeless hand painted illustration for children’s books
It all starts with an idea…
I’m a children’s book illustrator whose distinctive, hand-painted and mixed media style somehow feels contemporary yet deeply nostalgic. I draw upon my own childhood memories, as well as seeing the world through the eyes of my son, to create children’s book illustrations that connects deeply with both children and adults. I am a huge lover of children’s books, the work of Quentin Blake is what first made me want to be an illustrator, and the artist and illustrator Tove Jansson is one of my greatest inspirations. My large collection of classic children’s books is a huge inspiration to my work, from colour palettes to techniques
The Adventures of Miss Petitfour
I illustrate the children’s book series, The Adventures of Miss Petitfour, written by award-winning writer Anne Michaels. This is a fully illustrated chapter book, with full colour illustrations throughout, end papers, maps, vignettes and full page illustrations. There are currently two books in the series, The Adventures of Miss Petitfour and The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour, which see Miss Petitfour and her 16 cats get up to all sorts of hijinks of flying through the sky with their magical tablecloth. These books are set in a timeless yet nostalgic place, full of whimsy and sweet treats. The colour palette for the book is soft and pastel, using gouache and mixed media to evoke a charming and nostalgic feel. They are published by Tundra Books, and imprint of Penguin Random House Canada.
Block's charming, full-color illustrations complement the tales in a decidedly mid-20th-century modern style .... An homage to classic fantasies for an audience willing to suspend all disbelief and just go along for the ride. -Kirkus Reviews
My hand painted style of illustration has developed over many years of experimenting, playing and keeping sketchbook. I love using mixed media for creating children’s book illustrations, the vibrancy of liquid watercolours bringing a scene to life, or pan pastels creating a soft and magical haze.
Peekaboo Series
This is a self-directed ongoing series of illustrations, exploring the idea of playing hide and seek in imagined seasonal landscapes. A diverse group of children joyfully folic and play and hide and seek in a field of wildflowers, a field of pumpkins, a pine forest, a snowy landscape and jump in leaves. This self-directed series is available to license and develop further.
Drawing from observation
Nothing has propelled my work forward as a children’s book illustrator more than drawing from observation. Seeing the world through the eyes of my son and being able to observe him and his friends has been transformative in my work. I regularly sketch what he and his friends get up to, bringing my sketchbook to the beach the park and the forest, trying to capture movement and attitude.
Going to The Market
A board book idea exploring the idea of going to the market from a child’s point of view, focusing on the colourful items they might see.
I am a highly experienced illustrator, having worked professionally as an illustrator for over 17 years. I’ve worked with many of the biggest publishers in the world, including Penguin Random House, Hachette, Harper Collins, Bloomsbury and others.
I am available to illustrate the following formats
Board books
Pop-up books
Picture books
Non-fiction children’s books
Early readers
Chapter books
Black and white vignettes for early readers
