Anne Wilson

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Animals

Character Design

Children & Family

Conceptual

Editorial

Nature

People

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Illustration of a tiger surrounded by green foliage

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Cartoon frog dancing joyfully in the rain among colorful flowers

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The Wild – 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle image

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Colorful abstract crowd scene with a prominent red figure by Anne Wilson

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Colorful illustration of diverse people dancing energetically at a festival

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Expressive, naive, surreal — lively modernity

Scalpel, paintbrush, and Photoshop: Anne combines craftsmanship with the digital.

Born on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, Anne now lives in the much less remote town of Reading. Growing up, she loved picture books and one day decided that telling a story through pictures was something she’d quite like to do for a job. Taking inspiration from natural forms, patterns and colours, Anne studied art, receiving an MA in Illustration from Central Saint Martins.

Approach

Anne’s process balances the traditional and digital. Her scalpel, brushes and inks sit side by side with her Wacom tablet, Mac and Photoshop. She loves the physical processes of colour mixing and mark making if they’re right for the project. The results are scanned and imported into Photoshop to create a final image.

Key Software

Photoshop

Style

Anne’s colourful, images often feature a host of interesting characters. Some more graphical, some experimental. Whether she is creating a landscape with swinging apes, drumming bears or a dancing Dachshund, Anne will explore materials that are a right fit for the job and vary her style and colour palette accordingly.

Awards

2026 - Long listed for the World Illustration Awards. 2026 - Short listed for the Bologna Children's Book Fair. 2022 - Long listed for the World Illustration Awards. 2020 - Teach Primary, best non fiction childrens picture book - 'Invisible Nature' Otterbarry Books. 2019 - Santa Monica Library, Green prize for sustainable literature - 'Red Alert!' Otter-Barry Books. 2011 – Serco Prize for Illustration - Winner.

Impressions

Interview

Video

Website

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Interview

Do you have any formal design training?I did my degree in illustration at Bath Spa University College, and then some years later (4 or so years ago) I did an MA in illustration at Central St Martin’s College of Art. Where are you originally from?I was born on Ascension Island, a small dot in the middle of the South Atlantic. Where is your studio and can you describe it for me? It’s at the bottom of my garden, although it frequently spreads throughout the house as well, depending on how much work I have on and how ‘helpful’ my two girls want to be! Who or What is your biggest inspiration? My two girls, Ella and Mia. Do you collect anything? I collect children’s picture books if I collect anything, I would much rather spend hours browsing through these than more grown up stuff in the book shops. Do you keep a scrapbook? I keep several sketch books on the go, which I frequently add to and get ideas from. What are your interests outside of illustration? Most of the time is spent with a 2 and 3 year old, but I love setting out on journeys not quite knowing where you will end up, especially in my little Morris Minor with the hood back. Tell us about a favourite project you’ve recently completed. I have just finished a picture book for Barefoot Books, “We’re Roaming Through The Rain Forest”. Great to research and lots of colours and patterns. Due for publishing next Spring. Who is/are your illustration hero/es? I love Tove Janssons picture books – magic! Also Christopher Corr (of course) Sara Fanelli and anyone who pleasantly surprises me in a picture book, like Istvan Banyai’s ‘Zoom’ – great! If you could live anywhere, where would you go? I would live in a great big tree house and just hang out with the birds and admire the view. If you won the lottery what would you do with the money? Chase the sunshine.

Favourites

Café: Any that does a decent cup of coffee. Gallery: Guggenheim New York. Art Equipment/Tool: Swan Morton Scalpel, 10A Blade. Food: Mum's cooking. Drink: Don’t really have one, will give most a go. Shop: I like random shops with random things in. Magazine: Raw Vision Holiday/Travel Destination: Kerela India