Demon in Elephant Ink Accident!

 An early version of my Bookmark Project artwork for this year.

Happy Birthday Jon Pertwee!

 The great Jon Pertwee was born today in 1919, my first Doctor Who!

Happy Birthday Paul Weller!

 Sixty five today!

Giraffe pop up!

How many injuries are caused by pop-up books with giraffes in them?

Do you ever think of that?

No, because you only think of yourselves.

Dog Save The King!

 Getting into the patriotic spirit at the weekend. (I'm back on the green ink because that's all I have left but I kind of like it!)

Tigers & balloons!

 Jump into that weekend like a tiger with a balloon!

Book Mark Project 2023

 I've just finished my (very literal) bookmark for Sharon Hattersley's Book Mark Project 2023 it's an original drawing, one of many produced by some great artists which will be auctioned in May to support Katiyo Primary School in Zimbabwe.

The Escapee...

 My breakfast table doodle got coloured in!

Dragons in their pants!

SURELY this is what they invented the internet for?!?!

 

Tiger Dreams

Regular followers of my other social media accounts will know that that I stabbed myself in the thumb with my dip pen while drawing this. The rest of you will probably never see this or even care, you absolute rotters! 

Who KNEW illustration was so dangerous?!?

(Yeah, I'm fine now. Cheers for asking...)

(More tigers?)

Steve May - Illustrator's Q&A

 

Illustrator Q&A for the Big Bearded Bookseller (@IndieBookshopUK)

Where I discuss drawing, conversations with random cats, my influences & basing a villain on an ‘evil-David Dickinson’ amongst others…

Read the interview here 

When did you know you wanted to become an illustrator?

I always drew obsessively as a kid but I didn’t realise you could do it as a living until I was about 10 years old & discovered 2000ad

How long does it typically take to make a page or cover for a book?

Ha ha! How long is a piece of string? It depends how many characters are involved. My present book has a big cast of characters so the cover was quite complicated!

What’s your favourite piece of art equipment?

I love dip pens although I’m a rather destructive illustrator & I frequently destroy them!

Do you have a favourite colour scheme, if so what and why?

I seem to often lean towards purples & oranges but nothing in particular

Who were your inspirations when starting out?

There are SO many artists I love but Tove Jansson (Moomins) Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd etc.) Albert Uderzo (Asterix) & Ralph Steadman all had a huge influence on me

Do you have another job beside being an illustrator, if so what?

I’m an animation director & I lecture in animation.

What do you do to overcome a creative block?

Eat things I shouldn’t or go for long walks & start up conversations with random cats I meet in the street.

Do you have a favourite piece in your portfolio, if so could you share it and talk about it?

It changes all the time. I like to feel I’m always moving forward so it’s usually something I’ve done recently. I’m rather fond of the cover from Supernan’s Day Out by Phil Earle which was published last year 2022 by Barrington Stoke – it’s got lots of things I love in it, superheroes, the seaside, ridiculous animals (& if you look closely there’s a little cameo of me wearing a striped shirt eating an ice lolly & holding an inflatable fish in the background.

What was your first book related project?

I *think* the first children’s book I illustrated professionally was called ‘James & The Alien Experiment’ by Sally Prue back in 2005

What type of media do you prefer to work in and why?

I love pen & ink but I generally work digitally so my stuff is usually a bit of a hybrid

Do you have a playlist you like working to? If so do you want to share it?

I like noisy music when I’m colouring in!

Do you have any rituals when working?

Does ‘pulling stupid faces’ count?

Do you have a favourite artist outside of the world of books, if so who and why?

Too many to mention, early Hockney, Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, Aubrey Beardsley (& all the other ones I’ve forgotten!)

Did the books you read as a child influence your work?

Very much so! I loved the Asterix & Moomin books & Richard Scarry’s work was phenomenal. (I had the honour of getting a quote on the covers of recent Scarry reissues from Faber which was VERY exciting!)

Has your illustration/art style changed over time?

Yes, but gradually. (although I’m sure my critics would say I just drew the same nonsense over & over again!)

How closely do you work with the author on developing the illustrations for a book?

I like to be able to send over character ideas & discuss them with the author – sometimes I’ll ask them if they have anybody in mind for a particular character. When I was working with Harry Hill we concocted a villain who was half Nick Cotton from Eastenders & half ‘Evil-David Dickinson’!*

(*You’ll only know David Dickinson if you watch too much daytime TV!)

If you could illustrate any classic book which would it be and why?

Alice in Wonderland would be fun but I’d also love to have a crack at Andy Stanton’s Mr Gum books!

Which illustrated books in the last year have you loved?

Too hard! I did rather love Sister Clawdetta by the brilliant Tor Freeman!

If you can please tell us about your latest project and if not your last project

My latest project is a picture book with the brilliant Francesca Simon which I’m sworn to secrecy on – I’ve been working with Francesca on her Two Terrible Vikings series for Faber but this is a new picture book for younger readers – hilarious & VERY colourful – watch this space…

Do you have any events on in the near future?

I’m doing Wimbledon Bookfest for World Book Day on the 9th March with Francesca Simon talking about our latest book Two Terrible Vikings – Feast With The King – expect mayhem (that’s MAY-hem of course!)

Publication Day for Two Terrible Vikings - Feast With The King

It's publication day for the THIRD in the Two Terrible Vikings series 'Feast With The King'  

As ever I loved working with the brilliant 'Queen of Comedy' Francesca Simon who imbues these books with so much energy & humour!

Published by Faber Childrens

Three fantastic new stories!

Hack and Whack babysit a toddler – Fire Hazard – and discover to their horror that they might not be the worst vikings in the village after all . . .

Then they manage to secure an exciting invite to feast with the visiting king, but discover that it’s three days of having to be on their best behaviour . . . Until the new teenaged king turns out to be a lout – food fights ensue, and he loves them.

Unfortunately, that’s when the snotty, privileged, wealthy winter guests turn up – distant cousins who can’t be turned away. They make everyone’s life a misery – can Hack and Whack find a way to get rid of them?

Packed full of humour that children will love and illustrated with anarchy by the fabulous Steve May.

 

Eek, Sheep!

 SUPER BAAAAAAAAD! My new collaboration with the MIGHTY Danny Pearson, 'Eek Sheep!' is out NOW! Expect wooly mayhem, seaside adventure & plenty of jelly!

'A community is thrown into chaos as a flock of hungry sheep take over the local town and cause mayhem! All the people want to do is live in peace once again, but who will be brave enough to stand up to this wacky woolly army?'

You can order a copy here!

(I TOLD you there'd be plenty of jelly!)

 

(You might just find a certain illustrator lurking on the cover too if you look carefully!)

Grunt The Beserker - behind the scenes...

 I was just searching through some old files & found some of my preliminary sketches for Two Terrible Vikings & Grunt The Beserker my second collaboration with the brilliant Francesca Simon which I thought some of you might be interested in seeing the process around creating the cover

This was my very first version which I cleaned up a bit...

...to this which went over to the people at Faber - we all thought it looked a bit too scary so I gave it another go & rejigged the format to make it a bit clearer

I decided it would be less cluttered if Hack & Wack were separate from the terrible Grunt Ironskull so I doodled this in the back of my sketchbook...

...which turned into this...

It was thought that this version was too similar in colour to the first book so I decided to create a more brooding sky which I think works much better on the final book cover (see above)

For the back cover we'd decided to show Hack & Wack's pet wolf Bitey Bitey being menaced by Grunt's hound Muddy Butt - I drew a couple of versions - I rather liked the front on version but the final version works better with the text

Here's the final version...

Haircut?

 The perils of living hair!

Publication Day For 'Two Terrible Vikings' - 'Grunt The Beserker'

 "The world’s very worst Vikings are back to dash our hopes and fail our expectations!"

I'm extremely pleased to say that Hack & Wack, the WORST Vikings in the village are back in the second of the Two Terrible Vikings series Grunt The Beserker which is published TODAY - 3rd February by Faber Childrens!

In the new book the twins are forced to attend school & EVEN WORSE a fierce & stinky beserker warrior moves in NEXT DOOR!

How will the twins & their friends outwit Grunt & his vicious dog Muddy Butt?!?!

This is my second collaboration with the brilliantly funny Francesca Simon & was an absolute riot to return to draw the terrible Viking twins Hack & Wack along with their friends Dirty Ulf, Twisty Pants, Elsa Gold-Hair & of course Bitey Bitey their pet baby wolf!
In this new book I also got to draw the terrible (& rather stinky) Grunt The Beserker, his huge vicious dog Muddy Butt, Pecky Pecky the fiercest chicken in the Viking world & a plethora of angry puffins too! 

I frequently found myself laughing out loud when realising Francesca's hilarious text which is always a VERY GOOD THING!

Pop into your nearest independent bookshop & say hello or you can order a copy from here

Gong Hei Fat Choy! Year of the Tiger!

 

Grunt The Beserker - cover reveal!

 Me pulling my BEST beserker face after receiving my copies of the new Two Terrible Vikings book 'Grunt The Beserker' by Francesca Simon & me! There's NOTHING quite as exciting as seeing an ACTUAL PRINTED COPY!

It's a very funny book, Francesca has such a brilliant imagination & turn of phrase  - I found myself laughing out loud at various things I was drawing which is always a good sign (even if my studio mates think I'm going mad occasionally!

All the old gang are back, Hack & Wack the terrible viking twins, their baby wolf Bitey Bitey, Dirty Ulf, Twisty Pants, Elsa Goldhair & some brilliant new characters! I'll reveal more soon, watch this space...

You can preorder a copy here

Out with the old...

 Here's to a better 2022 everyone!

Murder of Soggy Crows!

 Recent commission based on the view from my kitchen window (pen, ink & wash on 300gsm watercolour paper)

(based on an original digital drawing)