Latest news

Our blog is where we share our insights, ideas and inspiration. Discover helpful advice and how-to guides, peek behind the scenes and learn more about what we do when we aren’t hard at work!

The Wonderful World of Illustration

Illustration is all around us, from the pages of our favourite books, to the eye-catching images in computer games and animated TV shows. The festive season brings illustration into sharper focus, with beautifully designed Christmas cards and pretty wrapping paper. So, we thought what better time of year to put together a blog in which we share some of our favourite illustrations?! To find out more, read on...

Jill Murphy's The Worst Witch

Little Bird Emma’s favourite children’s book is Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch. The story of Mildred Hubble, the clumsiest witch at Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches, is brought to life by Murphy’s beautiful illustrations, such as this image of Mildred sitting up in bed late at night, confiding her fears to her best friend, Maud. The use of shadow – as well as the glow from the candle in the window – immediately makes you feel that you are there, in the dark room, taking part in this secret conversation.

Of course, Jill Murphy’s iconic illustrations fill the pages of all her books, from the big-hearted Large family in Five Minutes’ Peace, to the adventurous Baby Bear in Whatever Next, but it’s The Worst Witch that has a special place in Emma’s heart.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland - John Tenniel

Although Little Bird Lesley was also a fan of The Worst Witch, her favourite book as a child was Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland. Her first pick for this blog is by John Tenniel. She explains: “I love this illustration in particular because it’s so full of detail and character – everyone’s face is really expressive.”

The illustration also cleverly encapsulates a playing card, through the use of the outfits the characters are wearing, as well as the Jack posed at the front of the picture.

Lesley’s fondness for Alice In Wonderland has endured into adulthood and illustration is a big part of that! She adds: “I love that the story is full of weird and wonderful things that can only be captured by illustration and there’s been so many different takes on it through the years..”

Dogger, by Shirley Hughes

Emma’s second pick is the Shirley Hughes classic story, Dogger, a book Emma loved reading as a little girl and is now excited to introduce to her young nephew!

Shirley Hughes’ distinctive style was developed using pen and ink, watercolour and gouache and her illustrations manage to convey a sense of warmth and cosiness, as well as realism. In this scene from Dogger, we see a young girl, indignant at being asked to give back the toy she has just bought at a fair. Everything about it feels instantly familiar and believable – from the pleading expression of the child carrying the bear, to the tight grip the girl has on Dogger.

Few artists have captured toddlers and children better than Hughes, in Emma’s view!

Reverie - Alphonse Mucha

This poster, created for the publishing house Champenois in 1897, by the artist Alphonse Mucha, is Lesley’s second pick for this month’s blog.

She explains: “Mucha is one of my favourite illustrators/artists – I love the Art Nouveau style with the flowing lines and organic shapes. Mucha’s work has a very distinct look to it, with the way he includes pattern and geometric shapes to frame things. I also really like the way he uses outlines of different colours and thicknesses in his work as well.”

Mucha was famed for his decorative theatrical posters, as well as his illustrative advertisements and decorative panels. Many of his designs became among the best-known images of the Art Nouveau period. Indeed, Mucha’s enduring style is still emulated today!

How Can Illustration brighten your world?

We hope we’ve got you thinking about some of your own favourite illustrations! We believe that illustration can be a wonderful way to set an organisation apart from the rest – whether it’s a beautifully designed restaurant menu or a personalised greetings card, a picture tells a thousand stories! Why not let us help you to tell yours?

For illustration and graphic design – or any of our creative services – simply drop us a line.

You Might Also Like...

Exciting News : Little Bird Creative’s Online Shop is Coming Soon!

10 July 2025

This month, we have some exciting news to share! We’re delighted to announce that, after having many people tell us how beautiful our designs are, we are opening an online shop! Whilst we put the finishing touches to the store, we’ve uploaded a few items to Etsy to give you an idea of the type of thing we’ll be selling, and we thought why not pick a few favourites to tell you all about – and explain a little more about what you can expect when you purchase from Little Bird Creative?

Everything You Need To Know About Event Promotion!

3 June 2025

Event planning can be stressful – the last thing you need to add to your worries is promotion-related panic! Don’t fret. In this month’s blog, we’ve put together a guide to event promotion, to ensure everything goes off with a bang!

Copywriting: Can you get it right yourself, or do you need an expert?

5 May 2025

In this month’s blog, we look into some of the different uses for copywriting, the tips and tricks you’ll need to keep it fresh and interesting and, lastly, whether it’s worth doing it yourself, or calling in an expert.