10 Minutes With Charlie Mackesy
Artists & Illustrators|October 2020
Creator of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse on his heart-warming characters, and drawing for the NHS.
Rebecca Bradbury
10 Minutes With Charlie Mackesy

WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST MEMORIES OF MAKING ART?

Drawing horses when I was about four and scratching drawings with a compass point onto the wooden record player.

HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DRAW WITHOUT GOING TO ART SCHOOL?

I just drew what I saw when I was a child. When I was at boarding school, I was quite unhappy. I used to draw to escape.

WHICH ARTISTS DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?

I had books by Edward Ardizzone when I was a boy and he introduced me to ink and watercolour, and atmosphere and expression. I got lost in his books. I have his art on the walls of my studio today to inspire me.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE MEDIUM TO WORK IN?

This story is from the October 2020 edition of Artists & Illustrators.

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This story is from the October 2020 edition of Artists & Illustrators.

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