The Toymakers Book Cover

My lovely agents at The Artworks asked me to write a few words about my illustrated cover for The Toymakers so I thought I’d share more here.

I was thrilled to be commissioned by Ebury Publishing (Penguin Random House) to illustrate the cover for the darkly enchanting novel, The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale, set in a Victorian toyshop.

Working with designer and art director Clare Stacey at Head Design, we tried to capture the enchantment and nostalgia of the story- during the design process we went through several versions of the cover, trying to convey a magical feel yet ensure it looked like an adult fiction title, rather than a children’s book. I loved the chance to explore Victorian shopfronts and children’s toys, and I visited The Museum of Childhood as research.

I was thrilled when the publisher decided to reuse my illustration for the paperback edition, with beautiful title lettering by Peter Horridge, and featuring gold foiling and red sprayed edges. I also created several chapter header illustrations throughout the book.