Emma McCann

Hello. I live in Brighton and work from my home studio where my ideas are scribbled, inked, painted, scanned and Wacomed into existence. I call my way of working "digital collage". Basically, this means I scribble out my ideas in my sketchbook and then scan them in to Photoshop where I take a Wacom to them to tidy it all up. I then add in a combination of digital colour, scanned textures, papers or fabrics and hand-painted swatches to bring it all to life.

I studied Illustration at Kingston University, where I happened to find myself in the highly unusual situation of being nabbed by a publisher at my degree show in 2003. My first self-penned picture book, “Fish Don’t Play Ball”, was published by Meadowside Children’s Books in June 2004. My Second, “Munch”, followed in February 2005 and was long-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal. Since then, I have worked for a variety of clients including Scholastic, Wayland, MAGA, Tony Potter Publishing, the American Animal Hospital Association, Oxford University Press and Ladybird Books.

 I currently live a dual life. By day, I may be a mild-mannered illustrator, but by night I become the masked crime-fighter and master cake-baker Red Velvet*. I hope to be joined soon in my crime fighting/cake baking adventures by a small, black, white and dog-shaped partner.


 * May or may not be true.