Blog

We’ll soon be announcing our fantastic mentors for the next round of our mentoring scheme, and you’ve already met our newest mentees. As we’ve mentioned, it was an incredibly strong year in terms of our applications and we are keen to let you know about the folk who were shortlisted during the process. So, here’s […]

First of all thank you to everyone who applied for a place on our mentoring scheme. The standard was incredibly high, we enjoyed looking at all the submissions we received, and it was a tough job to whittle it down to a shortlist.   Our panel thoroughly enjoyed meeting all the shortlisted illustrators and hearing more about their […]

Kirsti Beautyman is a Newcastle based illustrator, who graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2016. Her jungle-strewn, ethereal illustration earned her the title of Picture Hooks illustrator of the year for 2017-18. She was mentored by Helen Stephens. Now that applications are open for the new mentoring scheme, we thought it was time to […]

APPLICATIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED FOR THE 2018-2019 MENTORING SCHEME. THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT APPLIED! We are now taking applications for our 2018-2019 mentoring scheme. Please make sure you have read the guidelines thoroughly before submitting your application. The deadline for applications is midnight (GMT) on 30th September 2018. Applications should be submitted via our online […]

Speaking at our conference in May is the brilliant Orange Beak Studio, a collective comprised of Pam Smy, Maisie Paradise Shearring and Ness Wood,  award winning illustrators, designers and picture book makers. Based in Cambridge, Orange Beak offers workshops and one-to-one portfolio sessions, as well as other events aimed at creative development for illustrators. We […]

We are proud to announce that our very own co-founder and trustee Vivian French has been awarded the prestigious 2018 Scottish Book Trust Outstanding Achievement Award. Vivian is an Edinburgh-based author and educator, among her various other roles – she has been Children’s Writer-in-Residence at Edinburgh International Book Festival five times as well as a guest […]

Now that this year’s cohort of mentees are finishing their work, we look forward to exhibitions, a tour, and some workshops at the Scottish National Gallery.

Congratulations to Kirsti Beautyman, Picture Hooks Illustrator for 2017. Kirsti was mentored by Helen Stephens (How to Hide a Lion, Fleabag).

And congratulations as well to all five of our illustrators for 2016/17. You can read more about all of them and find their portfolios here.

How do you set yourself apart from other illustrators? Robert Frank Hunter and his publisher Zoë Aubugeau-Williams discuss drawing techniques and innovative marketing.

We recap Tessa Strickland’s advice on getting your work in front of a publisher, which she gave at the Picture Hooks Conference 2017.