Ian Cartwright is the author and illustrator of ‘The Legend of Old Captain Sue’ — a silly, swashbuckling, adventure with gorgeously grotesque illustrations. Available now from all good bookshops!
In this Q&A, Ian discusses taking inspiration from the Cornish coast, beginning with a doodle, and taking his art from the world of tattooing into children’s picture books.
‘The Legend of Old Captain Sue’ by Ian Cartwright is available now!
Hi Ian, hope you’re well. First of all, we want to know what inspired you to create the character of Old Captain Sue.
The Legend of Old Captain Sue was inspired by years of visiting Cornwall since I was a young boy with my parents. I still try and get down there at least once a year. I absolutely love the place.
The story is full of silly sequences and jokes. It’s also written in rhyme. Was there any difficulty writing something funny and making it rhyme?
I found writing the story in rhyme quite easy. It was probably a complete fluke but it just seemed to come together really quickly. I put together the rough story and then played with the text as I worked on each page.
There’s also a clear moral about greed in the story. What do you hope children take away from the book?
I suppose the message of the book is simple and I can only hope it teaches kids the downside of greed. Above all, I just hope they find it funny and enjoyable. As a kid, I loved looking at the illustrations in books and copying them in my sketch pad.
As the author and the illustrator, you’ve brought your own style to the art as well. How would you describe your art style?
My art style I suppose is influenced by many illustrators and artists that I follow. I’ve tried to take bits that I like from certain work I’ve seen, mash it up and make it my own. I like to make the characters seem grotesque with googly eyes and horrible teeth. I think it has worked great for a pirate story.
You mentioned previously that the book evolved from a single doodle. Can you talk us through how a page comes together?
Yeah, Sue came from a doodle. I just scribble loads of characters and ideas on a sheet and keep going until something feels right. When creating the pages I would sketch a few thumbnails and play around with composition and possible layouts. With this book, I worked traditionally with mixed media on the main parts of the page. I then brought them into Photoshop and played around with the backgrounds. This also lets me be more flexible if I’m not 100% happy so I can make changes without any fuss.
Your work as a tattoo artist involves a lot of detail and precision. How does this experience influence your work in children’s book illustration?
I didn’t want any part of my tattooing work to carry over to what I was doing as a children’s illustrator. I spent years really just trying to find my own style without copying anyone. I have no problem being influenced by people but I wanted it to look as original as possible. I spent years learning how to draw in a certain way and then I had to try and forget all that and add a childish element to my work. I would often overcomplicate my illustrations and add detail that probably wasn’t needed. I think there is an art to knowing when to stop and I’ve found that ‘less is more’ can have more of an impact.
You’ve previously mentioned that children’s book illustration has been an interest since your university days. What was it that finally prompted you to bring your ideas to life?
After university, I worked as a graphic designer and the illustration work took a backseat for a while. I never planned to be a tattoo artist, it just came along at a time when I was craving for a change. I was missing drawing and became increasingly tired of sitting at a computer. I had an opportunity, took it and never looked back.
I’m hoping this book leads to a similar situation where I can divide my time between tattooing and children’s illustration.The book was written quite some time ago with all the rough doodles to go with it. The pandemic happened and closed our industry down so I used the time to finish the book.
Looking ahead, what can we expect from you next? Do you have other stories or characters in the works?
I have quite a few more ideas that are at a rough stage and another book that is finished. It’s a western — inspired by my grandad’s love of cowboy films. Hopefully, I’ll get to share that one with everyone in the near future.
The Legend of Old Captain Sue is available now!