Robyn Wilson-Owen
Online Tutor, Illustration MA (Online)
Robyn is an illustrator and author of picture books. She mostly works with dip pens, ink, paint and pencil. She always carries a sketchbook and adores detail, texture, pattern and expressive eyebrows. Robyn studied children’s book illustration at Cambridge School of Art and graduated with an MA with distinction. As well as creating her own stories Robyn has illustrated books for Joseph Coelho (the current children’s laureate) and Anne Booth.
Before Robyn trained as an illustrator she designed sets, costumes and puppets for theatre for a decade, having gained an MA in theatre design from Wimbledon School of Art. Robyn finds the intersection between theatre and illustration fascinating and thinks of picture books as miniature collaborative performance pieces.
Robyn's books have been selected as a Bologna Exhibition Finalist, The Sunday Times children’s book of the week and among The Guardian’s best books of the summer. They have also been long listed for the UKLA book awards and the Spark book awards and selected to be part of the Empathy Lab ‘read for empathy’ list. Robyn was shortlisted for the Batsford Prize and the Searle Award for Creativity.
External Links
Contact details
Qualifications
Qualifications
| Year | Qualification | Awarding body |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | MA Children's Book Illustration | Anglia Ruskin University |
| 2004 | MA Theatre: The Visual Language of Performance | Wimbledon School of Art |
| 2003 | BA(hons) Theatre | University of Glamorgan |
Research Interests
Research interests and expertise
Areas of teaching
- Narrative and sequential illustration
- Visual language development
- Drawing techniques
- Creative business skills
Professional Engagement
Independent professional practice
February 2023 ‘Hedge Lion’ (pub. Andersen Press)
Bologna Illustrators Exhibition Finalist 2023
September 2021 ‘Close Your Eyes’ (pub. Boxer Books)
June 2020 ‘Bloom’ (Author Anne Booth, pub. Tiny Owl)
Sunday Times book of the week. One of The Guardian’s best books of the summer. Spark award longlisted.
June 2019 'No Longer Alone' (Author Joseph Coelho, pub. Egmont)
UKLA award longlisted. Empathy day book 2020.
Social, community and cultural engagement
I regularly run workshops in collaboration with schools, arts festivals, libraries and museums.
Organisations I have recently worked with include - Henley Literary Festival, Ely Arts Festival, Linton Literature Festival, The William Heath Robinson Museum.
