Little Tiger Press’ very own Art Director was born in Carshalton, Surrey, and is the daughter of a quiet Irishman and a blonde Bluebell dancer. She studied Graphic Design at Preston, Illustration at Brighton University and, as well as designing picture books, is also the published illustrator of many young fiction books. Living in London, when she is not buried in a book, she can be found patting big brown horses in Richmond Park, playing softball or falling off her bike pretty much anywhere!

What path did you take into creative design? Did you go to art college?
I have always been happiest tucked away in a corner, drawing, creating stories and making things, so becoming a designer was never a conscious decision. I just naturally gravitate towards words and pictures.

After school, I took a two-year art foundation course and then went to Preston to study graphic design. This was a four-year course covering the basics of page layout, advertising and logo design. I even had the chance to study typography at the Fachoschule in Augsberg, Germany for six months, which sounds quite fancy but mainly entailed drinking a lot of nice German beer!

After graduating, I decided to study illustration in more depth, and took an MA in Narrative Illustration at Brighton University. It was an amazing course for anyone interested in creating and understanding picture books. I had my very first illustration commission after I graduated – a picture book about a little lost bear – and ever since then, I’ve been involved in designing or illustrating children’s books in one way or another.

Did you always know you wanted to work in children's books?
Yes! A lot of my friends became graphic designers or creative consultants in fancy London advertising agencies, but corporate logos and brochures never held much interest for me. I am MUCH more interested in what a dog might have for breakfast if he runs out of bones, or the best way a bunny might cheer up a grumpy old bear. There is no other job in the world where you can have a (very serious) meeting about exactly how green a bogey should be or how much glitter a kitten needs to have on its whiskers!

What role does a designer play in the life of a picture book?
The life of a book will start with a story idea or manuscript from an author, and then, as a team, we’ll think about the best kind of approach and look at art samples to choose the right illustrator for the project.

Once an illustrator has been chosen and commissioned, the designer of that particular book will then work closely with them on every stage of the project, ensuring they are happy with how it’s going, that the book and characters are looking good, and that things are running to schedule.

The illustrator will start by doing sketches of the main characters and the settings, and then work up a very rough layout of the book (called ‘thumbnails’ as the drawings are usually so small!) When the thumbnails have been approved, the artist will work up full-sized, detailed pencil roughs of everything in the book, showing exactly what the finished artwork will look like. Once these have been discussed and approved, the illustrator then begins work on the final colour artwork.

A picture book can take anywhere from two months up to one year to complete and, during all these stages, the designer and myself are on-hand to advise them, direct, suggest or help the illustrator to make the very best illustrations possible.

Finally, when all the artwork is complete, it’s the job of the designer to put the finishing touches to the book: creating the cover lettering, designing the inside pages and adding any special effects or finishes which may be needed. This is great fun, and it's immensely rewarding when a project comes together and you can start to see how it will all look as a finished book.

What additional responsibilities come with the role of Art Director?
Alongside working on new books, the picture book team also have to think ahead to future projects, so I am constantly on the lookout for new illustration talent and thinking of exciting new book ideas. Inspiration can come from anywhere: bookshops and card shops, illustration galleries and student degree shows (which are always incredibly good fun!) or looking online at artists’ websites and agency portfolios. And - phew! - as well as working on books and keeping my eyes peeled for the hottest illustration stars of the future, I also have to help ensure that the rest of the design team are happy in their day-to-day work, and that their projects are running smoothly. Luckily, there is a smashing little shop across the road from Tiger Towers that sells sweets and chocolate, which help keep up our energy levels whenever they are running low!

What is the best thing about your job?
I absolutely LOVE that moment when I see a new illustrator’s portfolio (or even just a small sample of their work) and know that we have just the right story for them! Even the most well-established and respected illustrators have had to start their careers somewhere, and being able to offer a new artist their very first commission and their first step into the world of picture books is a rare and magical moment.

And the worst?
Ha ha! My lips are sealed, and I am not going to admit to falling off the gangplank and losing a shoe at our recent Little Tiger Press 21st Birthday boat party!

What was your favourite book as a child? What was it about it that captured your imagination?
The sorts of books I liked best as a child always involved adventure, escapism  …and horses! I yearned with my whole heart to have a pony to ride, but, as this was not possible, I tried to lose myself in pony books instead. My bookshelves were filled by Black Beauty, Follyfoot and the Jill series of books by Ruby Ferguson, which I loved so much I even wrote to Jim’ll Fix It to ask if I could stay with Jill and her ponies during the summer holidays. (This, apparently, was not possible, and it still seems unfair today!) What entranced me about these books at the time was the total reality of the world they created – the attention to detail and the new, different language and settings, which I threw myself into. Any sort of book that can transport a reader in this way and make them feel so utterly at home within the pages, and a part of its world, is a book well worth reading.

Whose work do you particularly admire?
I work with so many different illustrators here at Little Tiger Press that it’s not possible to name just one or two. Everyone in our picture book family of artists is SUPREMELY talented, and brings their books to life in their own magical and unique way! Outside of Little Tiger, I love the illustration of Edward Ardizzone, whose line has a wonderful, shaggy looseness to it, and is superbly drawn. The evocative, timeless feel of his Tim series is utterly gorgeous. I also love very spare, bold illustration styles which rely on pure shape and colour – artists such as Dick Bruna and Tove Jansson are absolutely wonderful artists who are able to show the most complex of situations and emotions in the simplest way.

What advice would you give to anyone hoping to get into design or illustration?
In picture books, there’s quite a lot of overlap between illustration and design, so if you want to work in a role where the two go hand-in-hand, children’s publishing is a very good place to be! If you’re a designer hoping for a career in publishing, then a love of lettering and creative typography is essential, as is the ability to be able to understand the highs and lows of a story and help an illustrator convey that. It is also VERY useful to have a small corner of your brain which is still five years old, as this will come in very handy when discussing princess kittens, dinosaur underpants or just how green that bogey needs to be…

Little Tiger Press are always on the lookout for bright, new illustration talent and are particularly interested in working with artists who can draw children as well as animals. Whatever medium you work in, you would need to have a convincing and confident style of drawing and a uniqueness to your work which sets it apart from other artists. Excellent draughtsmanship and talent for conveying a character’s expression and emotion is essential, as is the need to draw a character consistently across an entire book. It is a tougher job than most people realise, but also immense fun, so if you think you may have what it takes to sit alongside our excellent Catherine Rayner, David Roberts, Tim Warnes or Jane Chapman and become a part of this gggrrrreat publishing list, then check out the Submission Guidelines section of our website – a must for all aspiring illustrators!

Click here to see, in more detail, the lifecycle of a picture book.