"My illustration evolves as I go along but I am becoming more interested in discipline"

Charlotte Voake always wanted to be an illustrator, although she had no formal art school training. Her first book was published while she was still at university. Since then she has illustrated many books for other authors, as well as producing her own picture books.

Her work is notable for its draughtmanship and what has been called its 'freewheeling calligraphy'.

Magic Word: Shorthand
"I love the graphic shorthand of certain 19th-century artists - especially when they drew trees. And the way I do eyes with little dots - that's a kind of shorthand too". More

Magic tricks of her trade
She doesn't do any pencil under-drawing. "I just draw with ink - over and over again. If there's something that I am going to have to draw many times, then I prepare for it by drawing from life so often that it becomes second nature. For the child skipping in Elsie Piddock my son William would skip for hours while I drew him". More

Inspiration
Edward Ardizzone - creator of Little Tim
Bernini

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