New Versions of 
Iconic Book Characters in Fundraising Sale for Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration

Quentin Blake has illustrated some of the most recognisible book characters over his 70 year career and 300+ titles. He has now returned to a dozen of them and redrawn them for a special online auction at Bonhams to support the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration.

A Dozen New Drawings of Old Friends runs March 4 - 14 and features his characteristic line and beautiful watercolours of familar faces such as Matilda, Mister Magnolia, the BFG, and Mrs Armitage and Breakspear. These new drawings will be on display at Bonhams in Knightsbridge, London, March 4 - 8.

"Quentin draws his characters with such energetic pen and brush strokes, they look like they’ve just leapt into life," said Lindsey Glen, Director of the Centre. "But some of his iconic characters were born decades ago, and since then Quentin has created many other things. Today he is working in his studio on large-scale works on paper that are quite different from his book illustrations.

"As we have been working on plans for showing works from Quentin’s archive at the future Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, we have been looking at original illustrations for books he illustrated in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s. It seemed the perfect moment for Quentin to revisit these much-loved books that have become modern classics."