All the original illustrations were created by the author. Like most ideas they started out life as small seeds: simple pencil outlines giving way to bold ink skeletons. These were then filled in with the details which, as each illustration matured, became guiding motifs and stylistic statements.

I have often been asked how long each illustration took to create. That’s never easy to answer. There are one or two simple ones (for example Rainbow Bird and Shooting Star) which were no more than two or three days’ work, while others sat on the drawing board for months awaiting the final inspiration which would lead to their completion. The vast majority, however, were created in tandem with the writing of the novel. I would usually write in the mornings and draw in the afternoon. Often, of course, evenings were also taken up with sketching and working on the details in each illustration. Dragon, for example, took several weeks of painstaking detailed work and the final product is, I feel, worth the effort.

Anyway, attached here are a few simple outlines which I worked with. You can download these and create your own interpretations of the skeletons yourself. Be as creative as possible and don’t be afraid to change the outlines to suit your ideas.

Get some good quality black ink pens. Also make sure you use excellent felt pens and that you have a good supply of the colours you are using; many times I ran out of a particular shade and found myself frustrated by having to go back to the shop only to find they had sold out of that particular colour. REALLY ANNOYING! So, buy enough when you see them in the shop.

For really detailed work you might find yourself having to use a magnifying glass. 

I hope you enjoy the skeletons!

CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO DOWNLOAD