Anthony draws on his experience for challenge

AN ILLUSTRATOR'S biggest challenge has just gone into print.

Anthony Lewis, of Sugar Lane, Manley, can see his illustrations on the bookshelves in Atticus the Storyteller's 100 Greek Myths by Lucy Coats.

Anthony, aged 36, has been a freelance illustrator for 14 years and was commissioned by Orion Children's Books to illustrate the book.

He went to Greece for two weeks to carry out research and to make some reference drawings and take photographs.

Anthony said: "With first hand reference material it is easier to compose pictures.

"In some ways we want it to look authentic but the book is about mythology and is open to interpretation for example no-one really knows what a minotaur looks like.

Anthony has illustrated many children's books including The Owl Tree by Jenny Nimmo that won a gold in the Nestle Smarties book prize for the six to eight years category and Love me Forever by Robert Munsch.

But Anthony said that this was his biggest challenge so far as the book is 260 pages.

Anthony has a first class degree in graphic design from Liverpool University but he did not set out to be a children's books illustrator.

Anthony added: "I also did a foundation course at Chester which was multi faceted and on that course I met a visiting lecturer who got me into thinking about the possibility of doing illustrating.

"I specialised in illustrating in my course and won a young illustrator competition and my work was exhibited in Covent Gardens.

"A publisher then got in contact with me. They saw something in my work that they liked.

"So they commissioned me to illustrate some books so I was working before I had graduated and it has taken off from there.

"I wasn't thinking about becoming a children's illustrator I just fell into it."

jdriscoll@guardiangrp.co.uk