Children's Book Week - See Illustrator Peter Willis's Studio
STEP INTO PETER WILLIS'S STUDIO
British children's book illustrator Peter Willis is Mims House Books’ featured illustrator for Children’s Book Week 2022
When you feel creative, do you want a space alone by yourself? Or do you want to work in middle of everything? What do you think Peter Willis likes?
ASK PETER WILLIS
Q: Do you have a studio where you work?
No, I don’t! I work on my kitchen table at home in Newcastle. I like a lot of noise around me when I’m working so a lot of the time, we have friends popping in, traffic going by, people making a cup of tea etc.
When I’m working, I usually listen to the Football on the radio (Newcastle United) or I watch a DVD on my lap top of something that is a bit related to the book – So for The Nantucket Sea Monster I was watching Jaws or Moby Dick.
We have a caravan (travel trailer) just over the border in Scotland as well, so I do a lot of work there when it is too wet to go out – which is basically all the time!!!
Q: With eight books out now and one more coming in 2023, which one is your favorite book?
That is incredibly difficult as I have really enjoyed doing every one of them for various reasons. If I was pushed, I would have to say The Nantucket Sea Monster as I have been on holiday in that area and have real affection for it. I also love the way America looked during that period (the 1930s). It seemed very colorful compared to what England looked like at the time.
While Peter is a book illustrator, he also does many other types of art. Come back tomorrow to see what else he’s working on!
RESOURCES - READ MORE ABOUT PETER WILLIS
- From the Sketchbook: Peter Willis, The Children’s Book Council, May 14, 2019
- 2021 How Do You Draw activity – Napoleon. Download the Drawing Activity Printable here.
- 2022 How Do You Draw activity – pirate. Download the Drawing Activity Printable here.
- See Peter Willis’s art in the Moments in Science Series
