Brighton-based illustrator Del Thorpe has been drawing ever since that time he ruined his mum's best tablecloth with crayons.

Most of his formative work can be found in the margins of his old school exercise books. His maths teacher described these misunderstood pieces as "wasting time".

Wasting time led him to study illustration at university and a career telling stories with pictures. His drawings burst with humour and adventure, his playful characters are often more surprised than anybody else by the unusual situations in which they find themselves.

Del has illustrated for books and magazines, designed music album covers and provided character designs for various animation projects.

He won a Blue Peter Book Award alongside author Tony Robinson for their work on Weird World of Wonders: World War II and Weird World of Wonders: Inventions was a World Book Day book.

Clients include:

Aardman Animation
Alma Books
Bloomsbury Publishing
Box TV Ltd.
Penguin Books
Highlights Magazine
Macmillan Publishing
Square Peg Books
Walker Books