Quentin Blake is a world renowned illustrator, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the business like Roald Dahl. Blake has contributed to thousands of books, created several characters of his own, and has otherwise revolutionized the world of children’s books.
Biography
Blake was born in London in 1932, a historically harsh time for a child to grow up in. Drawing became his outlet and thus has progressed his skills tremendously. His art was so unique from others that he had published work by the time he was 16! Most of us have not even created a resume, let alone have a book with full-color artwork published in that time. Quentin has only grown with time, all over Europe his work is known and is quite famous. From gaining honorary degrees, to even receiving a knighthood. His work is quite influential on the community, and on our youth.
Style
Most artists keep their style top secret, not Blake! On his website, he clearly goes over the development process for all of his works. You can even watch him in action. Blake inspires others by giving them professional advice; everyone was a newbie at some point. The only way to progress your art is through practice. Blake admits that he is not perfect, often there will be a large pile of papers with expressions that did not make the cut. Being able to draft through projects ensures there are conformity and beauty in every piece created. Quentin uses very simple colors to achieve a dynamic illustration. Using this simplistic approach shows that even masters have to go back to the basics for every new piece.
Lasting Impressions
When a person moves from magazine illustrations to becoming an artist for children’s books, proves to be quite the change. There is a whole new world when that change is made as seen by Blake, after the transition his career experienced a serious uptick in popularity. From becoming a teacher, all the way to teaching at the Royal Art Institute, Blake gained valuable experience that prepared him to work with Roald Dahl. During the last few years, he has won more awards, celebrating the good his books, esp
ecially children’s book, have done for the world. His name is common on the shelves of homes all over the world, and for good reason.
Quentin Blake is a household name because of the way he able to teach great life lessons through striking artwork. While some pieces may look simplistic, there are hours of planning put into each page. The amount of dedication put towards all of the works done by Blake is something every artist can aspire to. From a very young age Blake was destined to do great thing, now his work is getting all the recognition it deserves. Thousands of families knew how fantastic his stories were, now the world hears the news. Due to the relatability of stories either created or illustrated by Quentin Blake, children and parents alike, adore his publications.
