John Lawrence (illustrator)

Born in Hastings in 1933, John Lawrence was educated in Salesian schools, first in Burwash, Sussex then in Cowley, Oxfordshire, before attending Hastings School of Art (1951 - 1953). After National Service in West Africa he moved to the Central School of Art and Design (1955–1957)[4] where he was introduced to wood engraving by Gertrude Hermes.[6]

In the 1960s he taught at Brighton School of Art and then as a visiting professor of illustration at Camberwell School of Art until 1993.

Until 2010 he taught at Cambridge School of Art, lecturing on the M.A. course in Children's Book Illustration.[2][4]

What can they be doing, brother? An illustration from the Folio Society edition of Tristram Shandy by Lawrence

He has illustrated more than 200 books,[1] both adult and children's ranging from Shakespeare to Alan Ahlberg including the best-selling Watership Down by Richard Adams and has recently worked with Philip Pullman producing all the illustrations for Lyra's Oxford and Once Upon a Time in the North[2][4][7]

His work is represented in the Ashmolean, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Manchester Metropolitan University and Seven Stories in Newcastle.[8]

• Ian Rogerson, Through the Looking-Glass: the Illustrations of John Lawrence (2006)
• John Lawrence (2002. Primrose Academy) (series: the Engraver's Cut)
• Sketchbook drawings by John Lawrence with a recorded commentary by John Lawrence, compiled and edited by Tom Colverson ... (1991. Previous Parrot Press)
• D. Martin, 'John Lawrence', in Douglas Martin, The Telling Line Essays On Fifteen Contemporary Book Illustrators (1989), p. 167-186
• A Selection of Wood Engravings John Lawrence (1986. Camberwell Press) [Limited edition]
• Peter Guy, 'The Wood Engravings of John Lawrence', in Matrix; 3 (1983 Winter), p. 21-41
• Lesley MacDonald, 'Der Illustrator John Lawrence', in Illustration 63, 18/3 (1981 November), p. 83-88

• Incomplete bibliography
• "The spitsticker wizard: John Lawrence uses tools and techniques that go back to the 18th century, yet his illustrations look bang up to date", The Guardian, Saturday 21 June 2003
• John Lawrence at Library of Congress Authorities, with 52 catalog records