Performers

“Drawing a new character is like encountering somebody for the first time. You come to know them as you draw them: you arrive at the edge of their story.”

Quentin Blake has illustrated hundreds of books. Many of his characters have been inspired by street and circus performers who communicate through movement. Clowns, dancers and acrobats have all been heroes in his books. Their poses and facial expressions are the most important part of telling the story.

Quentin draws quickly with a scratchy line, usually starting with his characters’ faces. “Then if I get them wrong, I don’t have to repeat the whole drawing,” he says. Sometimes he subconsciously acts out what his characters are doing as he draws them. Quentin says he “feels” the gestures and this helps him to portray them.