“It’s no good going to the writer and saying, ‘What would you like me to draw?’ Your instructions should be there in the book. “You do the drawings that you think are right.
“We were both intent on making the thing as good as possible and he saw the pictures as very much a part of it. Multi-talented David Walliams sent hippos to the Moon and you can see them on stage.“We got on pretty well but it was a fairly professional relationship,” recalled Quentin Blake at Seven Stories. It was a departure for Dahl who had previously delivered manuscripts to his publisher and had little to do with the matter of illustration.īeing more of a picture book, The Enormous Crocodile called for a different approach – and certainly a closer relationship between author and illustrator. It was The Enormous Crocodile, published in 1978, that brought them together. The 2007 exhibition took place at Seven Stories and focused on Blake’s relationship with Roald Dahl.Īn illustration from John Yeoman's The Wild Washerwomen (Image: were, as was noted 10 years ago, an odd couple, the former short and stocky and the latter tall and gangling. Magic Pencil: Children’s Book Illustration Today was initiated by the British Council, which was unusual because its job is to promote British culture overseas.īut the imminent arrival of Seven Stories had called for an exception to the rule and the exhibition, featuring the work of 13 illustrators chosen by Quentin Blake, was a popular attraction throughout that summer. Speaking at the Laing Art Gallery back in 2002, Blake said: “All good illustrators are artists but not all artists are illustrators.”īlake’s sprightly creations tend to be thought of in relation to characters on a page but few would argue against his artistic credentials. It is likely most people now imagine Roald Dahl’s characters as Quentin Blake drew them. The approach with each new commission is tailored to the particular mood of the book and the nature of its characters. An Illustration from Russel Hoban's How Tom Beat Captain Najork and His Hired Sportsmen (Image: not a ‘one size fits all’ illustrator, Quentin Blake owes his success to a sense of humour and light touch which is perhaps a little deceptive.
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