We are delighted to welcome this dynamic new creative talent, Billy Partridge to the Arena Illustration family. He has hit the ground running with the publication this month, of his amazing debut book, Hupo and the Wonder Thief, with Flying Eye Books.
To take a glimpse inside Billy's mind is to find a world buzzing with characters, magic and stories. Born in Nottingham he spent his childhood surrounded by designers, wood-carvers, artists and creatives of all kinds, watching cartoons and reading graphic novels. It's no wonder then that he went on to study illustration at Leeds Arts University before becoming an illustrator and writer. We met him when he won the Society of Artists Agents Award for New Talent at the World Illustration Awards for his contemporary take on The Jabberwocky, and we had the pleasure of mentoring him so it's with great pleasure that we now represent - Billy Partridge!
Billy took some time to tell us a little bit about himself, his inspirations and future plans.
Tell us about a standard day in the studio?
A standard studio day for me usually begins with a morning ‘ideas generating’ warmup. I’ll have a browse through Pinterest and other corners of the internet to gather interesting photos and art to inspire me for the day, before getting started on a few thumbnail sketches for personal work. I’m absolutely not a morning person, so I find this to be a really helpful way to wake my brain up and tell it to get creative (did I mention I’m not a morning person?) After an hour or so I’ll start getting stuck in with my illustration work. I like to get really immersed in a playlist or podcast while I work. Spooky, gothic things in particular really do the trick, and I find that the hours usually fly by as I set my imagination loose.
What was the best piece of advice you were given as an illustration student?
The best piece of advice ever given to me actually far predates my student years, in fact, I’m not sure I had even turned ten years old yet. I was a mega fan of the artist Jon Burgerman growing up, so when I managed to get a drawing from him it quite literally made my year. The best part was that he left a little message in the corner which read “keep on doodling”- so that’s what I did.
Which books did you love as a child?
As a young child I absolutely loved books about mythology. I’ve lost most of them now, so I can’t name any specific names, but they definitely had a big influence on me. I had a lot of Edward Gorey books around which always fascinated me. The images looked as though they were from a different time and reality, and I really enjoyed the feeling that I was looking at some mysterious etchings nobody else had discovered.
Which classic children’s story would you most like to illustrate?
There are so many! I’d really love to illustrate Harry Potter as it has played a big part in my own creative interests. Any vaguely spooky stories like ‘Coraline’ or ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ would be perfect, along with those for younger readers such as ‘The Secret Garden’.
Can you tell us your top creative inspiration?
I hope this doesn’t sound too pretentious or wishy-washy, but I would always have to put the natural world as my main source of creative inspiration. Whenever I go for a hike, I constantly find myself immersed in a semi-imaginary world of creatures, magic, and forces unseen. I’ve had pretty much all of my best ideas while out and about in some forest, valley, moor, or peak, so it only feels right I put these places in pride of place.
Do you listen to music/podcasts while you work? What do you listen to most?
I do! As mentioned above, I love a dark story, particularly anything ghost related. I listen to a lot of the classic ghost stories from the likes of M.R. James, Dickens and all the rest. History is also something I’m massively nerdy about, so I absolutely power my way through audiobooks and podcasts such as ‘Gone Medieval’ and ‘After Dark’.
How did you feel when you first saw a real copy of your first book?
Moved. Genuinely, it was a lovely feeling to hold something that you worked so hard on in your hands. I don’t think that feeling will ever wear off.
A big Arena welcome to Billy! Take a look at Billy's online portfolio and don't forget to check out Hupo and the Wonder Thief!
You can also find Billy on Instagram and for information regarding collaborations with him, please email info@arenaillustration.com or call us on 020 8555 9827. Don't forget to visit Billy's website here.
