Shirely Hughes

Shirley Hughes is one of the best-loved and most innovative creators of books for young children. She has written and illustrated over 50 books, sold more than eight million copies, won major awards and created some of the most enduring characters in children's literature, including Lucy and Tom. Author and illustrator Born 16 July 1927, West Kirby, Cheshire, England United Kingdom.

She was educated at West Kirby Grammar School, and studied drawing and costume design at the Liverpool School of Art, then the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine art in Oxford. She was there encouraged to work in the picture book format and to make lithographic illustrations. Hughes began her work during the 1950s and 1960s by illustrating other authors’ books, such as My Naughty Little Sister by Dorothy Edwards and The Bell Family by Noel Streatfeild. In 1960 she wrote and illustrated her first book, Lucy & Tom’s Day, which was made into a series of stories. She went on to write over fifty more stories, including a series about a young boy named Alfie, and his sister Annie-Rose, as well as the Olly & Me series. An exhibition of her work was put on at the Walker Art Gallery in 2003, which then moved to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford.

From what I have seen her illustrations are very accurate, more life like rather than cartoon etc, this is probably due to the story's she writes, they are for children to really imagine they are part of the journey and the story involved. I like Shirley’s work as the bold and bright colors are highly ascetically pleasing and her style of work is remaniciant of may childhood books. The use of shading and light really brings the illustrations to life. I do enjoy this style of illistration however it is not my chosen style of work as i prefer a more graphic approach to art.