Ignite Design: Shirley Hughes

Shirley Hughes is an illustrator/artist and children’s writer; she is best known for her series of 'Alfie' books. Shirley's style is both realistic and detailed, capturing both significant and insignificant moments alike, immediately connecting readers to her characters and their situations.

She begins her drawings with quick pencil sketches then if the picture is to be published she paints the finished artwork with gouache colours and chalk, which gives the piece beautiful colour and movement.

I think children can relate and interact with both the stories and the illustrations because they are about everyday events and problems of young children. As well as affecting children, adults can also connect in some ways to the books. I feel they can be quite nostalgic and relatable through both postures and facial expressions, for example, an exasperated parent!

So in conclusion I feel Shirley Hughes work is really outstanding and well deserves the credit it has received through the awards she has won and her fame as a children’s author and illustrator.