Picture Hooks is back!

We’re back!!

Summer is here again and we at Picture Hooks are over the moon to have our Emerging Illustrators Exhibition back at Macrobert.

What is Picture Hooks, you ask? We’re an organisation based in Edinburgh which exists to support children’s book illustration around the UK and beyond, with an especial focus on nurturing emerging illustrators at the beginning of their professional journeys.

Children’s book illustration is a powerful vehicle for learning. Many of us can remember images from books that may have been read to us as children and then stayed with us well into adulthood. To capture so much emotion and character in the illustrations so that every page keeps the attention of a very young reader requires an incredible talent.  We support these illustrators through running competitions, masterclasses and mentoring programmes, particularly those taking their first steps in what can be a challenging industry to establish oneself in.

It’s important to invest in the illustrators of tomorrow because picture books do not only provide a key first step for children learning to read, but also nurture an appreciation of art and visual literacy - a vital interpretative skill, appreciating the interplay between image, layout and language.

The pieces you will see in the exhibition are the result of nine months of hard work from five fantastic emerging illustrators (Rebecca Guthrie, Aline Monda, Phoebe Roze, Clare Andrews, Olu Oke) and their established professional illustrator mentors (Alison Murray, Jill Calder, Anna Wilson, Steve Antony, Chris Haughton). Alongside meeting with their mentors to develop their personal style, joining expert masterclasses and meeting publishers and agents, our brilliant mentees each developed a book cover and internal spread of illustrations to show you as part of this collection.

We hope you enjoy reliving the magic of children’s picture books through this exhibition!

Poppy, Lucy and Vivian

The Picture Hooks Team