Journal - Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

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Happy National Illustration Day!

Lindsey Glen, Director

3 December 2024

A photograph of a young woman sat at a desk drawing on a piece of paper. The desk is covered in prints of colourful illustrations.

A day in the life of an Illustrator

The Association of Illustrators

26 November 2024

A photograph of the architect Tim Ronalds standing in front of a large banner with an illustration of a fantastical dragon-like creature holding a red envelope with the words "Special Messenger"

Meet the Architect

Tim Ronalds, Tim Ronalds Architects

29 October 2024

Illustration of a person sitting on a stool with five cats standing next to them

Quentin Blake’s Feathered and Four Legged Friends

Katie McCurrach, Quentin Blake Centre team

Illustration of people in a play area playing with moving water in pipes in a park on a yellow background.

Who’s coming out to play?

Kirsty Sullivan, Quentin Blake Centre team

7 September 2024

A person sits at a desk, drawing. Behind them are illustrations on display.

A Q&A with illustrator and print-maker Viola Wang

Viola Wang, illustrator and print-maker

3 September 2024

Double page spread of a book with labeled illustrations of a sausage, chips and baked beans.

A Q&A with illustrator and writer Matthew Hodson

Matthew Hodson, illustrator and writer

Book of the month

A series of biro illustrations of people's heads in greens and reds pinned to a wall.

Quentin Blake's A Hundred Portraits

Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre team

The front cover of Sennen by Shanti Rai, with an illustration of a person standing in a large hand, against a starry sky.

Bobby Joseph's Laureate Library List of Graphic Novels

Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre team

A double page spread of a book featuring some text about the 1948 London Olympics and an illustration of someone lighting a huge torch, and next to them is a big flock of birds in the sky.

A Q&A with illustrator Laura Carlin

Laura Carlin, Illustrator

Book of the month

An illustration of a person with a covering over their head with spikes on it. They have a hole in their head with smoke coming out from it. They appear to be standing on a beach with the sea behind them. The sky is pink.

Book of the Month: Boy Island

Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre team

Book of the month

Layout of a double page of a book, with an illustration of two people measuring an octopuses' tentacles. There is some text stuck onto the page, including some 'amazing facts about this book'.

Remembering John Yeoman

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

Comics for MPs

Myfanwy Tristram, Comics Cultural Impact Collective

A still from an animation with a two pencil drawn people in the centre layered on top of one another. Strips of colourful fabric lay on top of the drawings, like hair.

A Q&A with artist, animator and educator Lily Ash Sakula

Lily Ash Sakula, Illustrator

A big thank you

Lindsey Glen, Director

Collage of a child recycling by feeding plastic to a dinosaur.

A Q&A with picture book creator Anka Schwelgin

Jo Shallow, Quentin Blake Centre team

Photograph of an open book with an illustration of imprisoned people

History of Press Graphics

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

Book of the month

Photograph of two hands opening up a copy of the Illustration and Heritage book.

Book of the Month: Illustration and Heritage

Katie McCurrach, Quentin Blake Centre team

Book of the month

Illustration of two people and a sitar, there is some text layered over it.

A Q&A with illustrator and creative educator Jhinuk Sarkar

Jhinuk Sarkar, Illustrator

Illustration of a child surrounded by bottles, they are pouring the contents of one of the bottles into a big metal saucepan. Purple smoke is coming out of the pan.

A dozen new drawings of old friends

Claudia Zeff, Quentin Blake’s Creative Consultant

A person in a colourful studio space leaning on a desk looking ahead smiling. There are artworks stuck on the wall.

A Q&A with illustrator Tess Smith-Roberts

Tess Smith-Roberts, Illustrator

28 February 2024

Book of the month

Four sea shells on a yellow background, each illustrated with a series of small line marks.

A Q&A with illustrator and creative educator Grace Holliday

Grace Holliday, Illustrator

7 February 2024

Illustration of a bearded man wearing a ruff with the ruffs on one side transforming into a seascape and map with three small ships heading in the direction of some islands in the distance

New River Adventurers

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

11 January 2024

Celebrating National Illustration Day 2023

Lindsey Glen, Quentin Blake Centre team

30 November 2023

Japanese woodcut print of a fisherman standing at the edge of a rock, casting their net into a turbulent sea. An imposing Mount Fuji looms large in the background.

Book of the Month: Hokusai's Fuji

Tara Vidisha Ghose, Quentin Blake Centre team

27 November 2023

Book of the month

A photograph of a studio desk with illustrations on the table, with scissors, pens and ink.

A Q&A with Lena Yokoyama on celebrating illustration

Lena Yokoyama, Illustrator

17 November 2023

Front cover of Brilliant Black British History, featuring a number of illustrated faces and figures, arranged around the book title.

A Q&A with Kingsley Nebechi on illustrating Brilliant Black History

Kingsley Nebechi, Illustrator

31 October 2023

Book of the month

Bold and graphic illustration of a map depicting the course of the New River.

A Q&A with Nina Chakrabarti on illustrating history

Nina Chakrabarti, Illustrator

16 October 2023

A double page spread of an open book with colourful panels of illustration and the text, 'A poem for our land'.

Book of the Month: The Land of Uncertainty

Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre Team

Book of the month

Front cover of the book, 'Sensible Footwear: A Girl's Guide' with the author's name 'Kate Charlesworth' at the bottom. At the top of the cover is a quote by Posy Simmonds, 'A stunning achievement.'.

Book of the Month: Sensible Footwear: A Girl's Guide

Cassie Ash, Quentin Blake Centre Team

Book of the month

Red and yellow illustration of two people looking at pieces of paper in their hands, both people smiling.

One Hundred Years of Photo Wallets

Annebella Pollen, Professor of Visual and Material Culture at University of Brighton

Book of the month

Flip-through of Feelings: A Story in Seasons

A Q&A with Manjit Thapp about Feelings: A Story in Seasons

Manjit Thapp, illustrator and graphic novellist

Book of the month

A spread from Drawing for Illustration by Martin Salisbury

Book of the Month: Drawing for Illustration

Tara Vidisha Ghose, Quentin Blake Centre team

Book of the month

Black and white illustration of Tove Jansson with Moomin troll characters surrounding her and sitting in her lap

Book of the Month: Tove Jansson

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

3 February 2023

Book of the month

A moving flip-through of the Kalakarm Curriculum

A Q&A with Siddhi Gupta about the Kalakarm Curriculum

Siddhi Gupta, creator of the Kalakarm Curriculum

16 January 2023

Book of the month

Four sketches of Matilda reading

A Q&A with Liz Williams, Archivist at Quentin Blake’s studio

Liz Williams, Archivist at Quentin Blake’s studio

23 December 2022

Illustration of two people flying on the backs of birds over a mountain scape

Quentin Blake at 90 - our favourites

Tara Vidisha Ghose, Quentin Blake Centre team

2 December 2022

Pop-up book with animals and trees

A Q&A with non-fiction illustrator Owen Davey

Owen Davey, Quentin Blake Centre course tutor

25 November 2022

A Q&A with picture book author and illustrator Claire Alexander

Claire Alexander, Quentin Blake Centre course tutor

24 November 2022

Illustration of an underwater scene with fish, whales, and squid swimming

A Q&A with children’s picture book illustrator Sharon King-Chai

Sharon King-Chai, Quentin Blake Centre panelist

20 October 2022

Illustration from page of graphic novel showing two figures driving in car.

A Q&A with graphic novelist Rachael Ball

Rachael Ball, Quentin Blake Centre course tutor

14 October 2022

Photograph of people creating art at a table.

The Centre is in Progress!

Lindsey Glen, Quentin Blake Centre team

Illustration of a dugong with its head above water holding a dugong calf

Illustrating Verse

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

A series of fashion illustrations in different styles

From the experts: advice for emerging fashion illustrators

Josie Spalla, Quentin Blake Centre team

23 September 2022

Illustration of seated figure in yellow dress

A Q&A with fashion illustrators Montana Forbes and Joanna Layla

Natasha Knight, The AOI

22 September 2022

Photograph of a steel saw with etchings on it.

A Q&A with illustrator Laura Copsey and designer Philip Crewe

Laura Copsey and Philip Crewe, Quentin Blake Centre resident illustrators

6 September 2022

Animation of sketches by Sharpay of New River Head

A Q&A with illustrator Sharpay Chenyuè Yuán

Sharpay Chenyuè Yuán, Quentin Blake Centre resident illustrator

Photograph of an archaelogy kit

Copsey and Crewe Narrative Extraction Services

Laura Copsey, Philip Crewe, Quentin Blake Centre resident illustrators

Remembering Raymond Briggs

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

Scrolling text saying 'New Look'

New look, same love for illustration

Olivia Ahmad, Quentin Blake Centre team

Industrial brick building with blue sky above

Uncovering hidden heritage at New River Head

Lindsey Glen, Quentin Blake Centre team

Three people, two dragons and a cat having a tea party

Freddy and Ernest: a mid-century LGBTQIA+ picture book

Josie Spalla, Quentin Blake Centre team

Illustration of people working in car factory

Illustration first moves

Josie Spalla, Quentin Blake Centre team