Stephen Biesty decided he wanted to pursue a career in illustration when he was 10. He studied illustration for 5 years, working on a variety of projects, before finally deciding to work as a book illustrator.

He uses nothing but paper, pen and ink, and watercolour paints. He never uses a ruler and draws everything freehand.

"I don't use a computer and I don't think I ever will. I always put in figures—as an illustrator you quickly catch on to the fact that nobody's going to look at it if there's no human interest".

There are four stages to each of Stephen’s illustrations. The ‘Idea sketch’ takes 2 days, which is followed up with a working drawing that takes 3 days. The final full-size finished drawing takes 7 days, then he spends another 7 days to complete the full-colour artwork. That’s about 4 weeks in total for each illustration!

Stephen is inspired by history — visualizing the stories of great people and historic events proved to be the catalyst for his creative energies.

As a child he developed an infatuation with Vikings and castles as well as movies including “El Cid” and “Ben Hur” — their epic battles involving thousands of people cast a lasting impression on his mind.

The historical atmosphere found in the work of artists such as Brueghel, Bosch and Canaletto, as well as the illustrations from medieval manuscripts, also proved intoxicating.

“When you start to draw, as you get to grips with the perspective, you begin to understand how something works, how it's put together. Cutaways explore this even further. There's really no end to the amount of detail you can include.”

Stephen first went to Rome in May 2001. Walking down the Forum was a revelatory experience. Having been previously buried by centuries of rebuilding, the Forum is below the modern street level. He got a strong sense of the history layered beneath his feet. His illustrations essentially peel away the layers of history to reveal glimpses of life.

“Even though Rome is busy and noisy, when you enter places like the Colosseum, your mind transports you back two thousands years and you become one of the crowd watching the gladiators in the arena.”

Tips for ‘wannabe’ illustrators:
“I think the best tip I could offer to someone interested in becoming an illustrator is to discover what interests you as this will be the inspiration for your drawing. This provides the fuel you will need, it also helps to keep an open mind and drink in new influences.”

Stephen Biesty was first published in 1988. He has gone on to produce a book a year covering subjects as diverse as Gold and Castles to the Millennium Dome and his Incredible Body! As for what we can expect to see from him in the future… “I would love to do a book of illustrations on places like London, Venice, Moscow, Paris, Ancient Egypt and I could think of many more. I’m already planning books for Oxford on Egypt and Rome. It’s just fantastic to have a new historical subject to find out about and then draw.”

As well as drawing, Stephen Biesty is a keen gardener who can boast an impressive Bonsai collection, many of which he has lovingly cherished and grown from seed over the last twenty years. He lives in Somerset with his wife and son.

Last updated September 2003