• Fun folk

    Creative, Illustration

  • Crazy creatures

    Creative, Illustration

  • Monsters and Aliens

    Creative, Illustration

  • Amazing mazes, maps and puzzles

    Creative, Illustration, Magazine

  • Wicked wheels

    Creative, Illustration

  • Miscellaneous medley

    Illustration

  • Brilliant buildings

    Illustration

  • it’s a mystery

    Creative

Illustrator Extraordinaire

I’ve been passionate about drawing for as long as I can remember. As a child a packet of felt tips and a jotter pad would keep me amused for hours. At school I would illustrate everything, whatever the subject. From chemistry diagrams to trigonometry triangles, I would always focus on the pictures. I was born to be an illustrator!

I’ve been freelance for over 15 years now, working for countless clients including Scholastic, Oxford University Press, HarperCollins, Constable and Robinson, Horrible Science Magazine and Girlguiding UK to name but a few.

I am a nature geek and love being outside. So I feel I am perfectly placed, happily living and working in the heart of the Cotswolds in Winchcombe, near Cheltenham.

I specialise in children’s illustration and cartoons. I draw my artwork by hand and then colour it digitally (although I love the opportunity to dust off my watercolours from time to time!). I especially like to draw animals, maps, architecture and vehicles, the more complicated the better!
I also teach beginners drawing, life drawing and like to get out and about doing events and workshops at schools and festivals.

Please get in touch if you’d like to see any more work, to request some sample artwork or if you would like to chat about possible commissions or workshops. I’m always happy to help and would love to hear from you.

We really enjoyed working with Gemma and love her funny and colourful illustrations for our book
We really enjoyed working with Gemma and love her funny and colourful illustrations for our book

Lisa Maurer, Managing Editor– Schwager & Steinlein Verlag, Köln, Germany

As well as drawing delightful illustrations, Gemma is thoroughly professional, the perfect freelancer!

Duncan Proudfoot, Publishing Director– Robinson, Piatkus, Constable & Robinson, London, UK

Gemma is a true professional. Fun, reliable, flexible and worth her weight in gold. Give her the job and let her get on with it, whether a corporate job or more casual illustration she nails it.

Jason Pelta, Director– Pages Creative, Cheltenham UK

Gemma is a pleasure to work with, she delivers beautiful illustration that fits the brief perfectly. I can always rely on her to bring a brief to life and I would have no hesitation recommending her.

Nicolle Thomas– Scholastic

Art Classes

Creating art is a great way to stimulate the brain and anyone can do it! My classes are very friendly and relaxed and all materials are included in the cost.

I teach several classes in Winchcombe and surrounding areas and absolute beginners are very welcome. Please see details below and get in touch if you would like more information.

LIFE DRAWING –

Monday evenings 7-9pm at Abbeyfields Community Centre, Winchcombe. £80 per 6 week term.

BEGINNERS’ DRAWING AND PAINTING –

Wednesday mornings 10am – 12 noon at Encounter Church, Winchcombe. £80 per 6 week term.

MONTHLY DROP IN LIFE CLASS-

Last Saturday of the month. 10am – 12pm life drawing. 1pm – 3pm portrait session. At The Cleeve Room, Abbeyfields Community Centre, Winchcombe. Both sessions £30, one session £15. Materials, easels and refreshments provided. All abilities welcome!

LINO PRINT SUMMER WORKSHOP-

Learn how to lino print using nature as your inspiration. Thursday 25th July 9.30am – 2pm at The Cleeve Room, Abbeyfields Community Centre, Winchcombe, GLOS. £45 including all materials and refreshments

Contact me

elephant-icon
Gemma Hastilow
Winchcombe
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire

07813 062003
gemma@gemmahastilow.co.uk

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  • New work for the National Trust at Croome Court

    2nd August 2018

    So happy with these recent illustrations I did for Croome Court. It’s great seeing these drawings at such a large scale and watching visitors engage with them. They were for the current exhibition, Toxic Beauty, about the short and sad life of Maria Gunning, the wife of the Earl of Coventry who inherited Croome.

     

  • It’s Festival Season! Bring on the sun and fun…

    19th June 2018

    Summer wouldn’t be summer without a few festival visits and I’ve already been out and about!

    I had a great time on May Bank Holiday Monday in Winchcombe at Winchcombe Festival of Music and Arts Street Fair helping people participate in a giant collaborative drawing. It was so lovely to see people of all ages drawing … Continue reading

  • Fennella hops to Cotswold Farm Park

    18th May 2018

    Delighted that my hare Fennella that I painted for this year’s Cotswold Hare Trail launched the hare trail this week at Cotswold Farm Park  with Adam Henson. She will be there until September until she is auctioned for charity. Everything on Fennella grows wild in the Cotswolds and can be eaten. I love to forage so thought this … Continue reading

  • The Big Draw 2017 – Watch This Space! at Isbourne Valley School

    17th October 2017

    Had a blast working with pupils at Isbourne Valley Primary School as part of The Big Draw Festival 2017. Children participated in huge collaborative drawings of planets and a giant flying pencil which we will go on to use to make a short animation. Their work was out of this world!

  • Live drawing for Nespresso at Cheltenham Literature Festival

    17th October 2017

    I spent a busy couple of days at this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival ‘redefining’ people into whatever they would like to be to help launch Nespresso’s new Vertuo Coffee Machine. I drew a lot a fairies and train drivers and even a Tiki warrior!