Featured Illustrators

Featured Illustrators

Shown here are just a few featured illustrators who’s work we admire. These artists have produced wonderful children’s books, fine press books, prints, posters and more.

Reg Cartwright, Mr Potter's PigeonReg Cartwright

Reg Cartwight is an artist and illustrator who has illustrated over 30 books. Born in 1938 in Leicester England, Reg Cartwright is an illustrator, painter and printmaker. His children’s picture books such as Mr Potter’s Pigeon show his painterly style at its best. His paintings and prints can be seen on the Bircham Gallery website.

Charles Keeping

Charles Keeping is one of the great British illustrators of the 20th Century. His work was wonderfully experimental and he could draw superbly. The illustration below is from an early book The Dancer at Burton Fair.

Charles Keeping (1922-1988) was a Londoner through and through. Born in Lambeth on the banks of the River Thames his illustrated books reflect his deep knowledge of London.

Following service in the Navy during the Second World War, Charles Keeping studied illustration, design and lithography at London’s Regent Street Polytechnic. His tutors recognised his skill and encouraged him to continue at the Royal College of Art but Keeping needed to earn a living and thus chose to go freelance as an illustrator.

At the beginning of his career Charles Keeping created a distinct and strong black and white style of illustration. Many of these can be seen in his illustrations for Rosemary Sutcliff’s books.

He was very successful as a book illustrator in the 1950s, and eventually began receiving commissions from the Oxford University Press. As with many illustrators working at that time, the advances in colour printing gave these artists the opportunity to experiment and expand their skills. The 1960s evolved into a golden era for a whole range of illustrators and designers.

From the 1960s on into the 1980s Charles Keeping was at the height of his career as an illustrator and writer. The series of books he produced at this time are full of his experiment in both illustration and story telling, as can be seen in Alfie and the Ferryboat, Inter-City, and Through the Window, to name but a few.

At the very end of his career Charles Keeping illustrated the entire set of Charles Dickens for the Folio Society. With his knowledge and affinity with London this commission was an inspired choice.

Charles Keeping, The Dancer at Burton Fair

This beautiful illustration is a typical example of Charles Keeping’s fluid style of drawing.

Charles Keeping, Alfie and the Ferryboat

This double-page spread from Charles Keeping’s book ‘Alfie and the Ferryboat‘ shows the vibrant colour style he developed for some of his finest books.


Tony Meeuwissen

Tony Meeuwissen, Queen of Hearts

One of Tony Meeuwissen’s illustrations for his celebrated playing card set The Key to the Kingdom.

Tony Meeuwissen is one of the UK’s great designers and illustrators. Winner of numerous awards. His work is in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s permanent collection, he is highly regarded throughout the world of design and illustration.

As well as book covers, editorial and advertising design, his work for Royal Mail stamps won him the award for the world’s most beautiful stamp. Shown here is his Queen of Hearts for his wonderful and inventive set of playing cards, The Key to the Kingdom.

Tony Meeuwissen illustrated very few books for Children, The Witch’s Hat, Remarkable Animals, Flip-O-Storic, but his work can be found on some wonderful book covers.

Tony Meeuwissen is represented by Folio Illustration Agency in London.


Arthur Wragg

Arthur Wragg’s distinct black and white artwork had tremendous social impact in Britain between the 1920s and 1940s. His commitment to highlighting poverty, challenging complacency and demonstrating the futility of war was unique in that era between the two world wars.
Arthur Wragg, Thy Kingdom Come