Susan Hellard
Susan Hellard’s illustrious career as an illustrator includes a long list of wonderful books for children. She was born in London and studied art in Hammersmith followed by a graphics degree at Canterbury. She now lives in North London where she loves spending time at her allotment and is a keen swimmer in the ladies pond at Highgate.
As a result of her adaptable style and keen observational skills Sue’s subjects have spanned; Grumpy Old Women, bored courtly princesses, funny cookbooks for children, fashion-conscious teenage girls, poetry by Pam Ayres, pottery design, and cuddly dragons.
Her studio walls are covered in pages from fashion magazines, samples of unusual fabrics and anything else that catches her eye. This genuine interest in contemporary culture lies at the heart of her illustrations – the dresses in her recent picture book series, Princesses Are Not Quitters, would make any fashion designer envious!
Creating sweet and realistic characters is another of Sue’s talents and she has just come up to her year anniversary of illustrating Mindy Hammond’s (Richard Hammond’s wife) weekly column in The Sunday Express magazine. Her illustrations have brought Mindy’s everyday adventures to life, from fighting off the mad pet duck to making her daughter’s Halloween costume.
Her recent projects include the cover and black and white pen and ink drawings for the magical Parisian tale of Madame Pamplemousse and her Incredible Edibles. This book’s classic design and irresistible characters ensure that it is going to be an instant success with kids and parents.
The Book Bag review:
“Sue Hellard’s illustrations make the book a thing of beauty [her pen and ink drawings] garnish the story perfectly, and give it an extra level of classiness.”