Education
Blake was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. His English teacher, JH Walsh, influenced his ambition to become involved in literature. His first published drawing was for the satirical magazine Punch, at the age of 16. He read English Literature at Downing College, Cambridge (1953-6), received his postgraduate teaching diploma from the University of London, and later studied at the Chelsea School of Art. He gained another teaching diploma at the Institute of Education before working at the Royal College of Art.
Career
Blake gained a reputation as a reliable and humorous illustrator of over 300 children's books. His collaborations with Roald Dahl brought him international fame. Blake has also written numerous books of his own. As of 2006, he has participated in the writing and/or illustrating of 323 books (of which he wrote 35 himself, and 18 were by Dahl). He taught at the Royal College of Art for over twenty years, and was head of the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986. He recently illustrated David Walliams debut book, 'The Boy in the Dress'.
Artistic style
His distinct artistic style uses fast, scribbly ink lines, but with a precise stroke. His idiosyncratic use of line adds depth to his drawings, conveying movement and creating images with a sense of excitement. First, he makes pen-and-ink drawings, and then adds watercolour. The spontaneity of his style is achieved by making a draft image with a free hand at first, and then tracing elements from the first draft onto subsequent drafts.
