This is a record of some of the projects Quentin Blake has undertaken that go Beyond the Page to exhibition, murals, hospitals and other public spaces. The range of work is astonishing but none of the illustrations from the largest hoarding to the tiniest stamp lose that Blake movement, that lovely line with the humour never far away. It’s exuberance, gorgeous colour and with some rarer pencil and ink drawings and sketches to contrast. A wonderful collection that compliments Words and Pictures, the book recording his career as a book illustrator.
Best-selling illustrator Quentin Blake has delighted young and old for over fifty years with his wonderful picture books such as Mr Magnolia and his iconic illustrations for Roald Dahl’s classic titles including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and others. In this stunning book packed full of illustrations of all kinds, Blake tells of the amazing pictures he has created in all sorts of other places – especially the walls of hospitals including his joyous and life-affirming pictures for the Rosie Maternity hospital - and galleries as well as his myriad greetings cards. Blake captures the excitement at these opportunities and describes how the technical challenges are overcome. A book to savour for its beauty as well as an invaluable insight into the world of an iconic illustrator.
Click here to view a special Quentin Blake section on the Lovereading4kids website.
Quentin Blake is one of the best-known and best-loved illustrators in the world, creating brilliant and iconic characters for amongst others Russell Hoban, Joan Aiken, Michael Rosen, and most famously Roald Dahl. He has won numerous awards over the years, including the Whitbread Award, the Kate Greenaway Medal, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration. In 1999 he was appointed the first ever Children's Laureate, and in 2005 was created CBE. In Beyond the Page Blake writes about his projects since 2000, vividly describing his working processes, his collaborators, his travels, and his various projects and commissions, including his 'illustrated walls' projects for hospitals in the UK and France. Generously illustrated with 240 full-colour reproductions of his inimitable work, this is an unsurpassed collection of Quentin Blake's achievements, which together with his fascinating story make it a must for aficionados and professionals alike.
Quentin Blake taught for many years at the Royal College of Art, where he was head of the Illustration Department from 1978 to 1986. As well as being known for his collaborations with writers such as Russell Hoban and Roald Dahl, his own creations, such as Mister Magnolia, have contributed to his reputation as one of the world's leading illustrators and an inspiration for artists everywhere. He was, in the words of The Guardian, 'already a national institution' when he was appointed the first Children's Laureate in 1999. He is particularly engaged in enabling art to reach a young audience, as was the case with the immensely popular touring exhibition 'Tell Me a Picture' held at the National Gallery in 2001.
