Overview
I am always up for new and creative challenges.
Over the years I have occupied myself in a variety of fields:
- film-making at college (Don Quixote award at Cracow Short Film Festival - co-directed and -edited);
- architectural college (Architectural Association School, London) and draughtsman (to finance course);
- photo-journalist (Evenening Despatch, Darlington) & topical newspaper cartoonist(Northern Echo, Darlington);
- information graphic artist (Northern Echo; London Daily News; 18yrs and 22 national/international awards as graphics editor of The Daily Telegraph – every subject from science and sport to natural history, archaeology to war and disaster);
- freelance illustrator for publishers: see intro..
- illustrator for architects incl. John McAslan & Partners (biomass energy centre cutaway for London Olympics and Abu Dhabi National museum exhibit); Kit Martin (now Prince Charles Regeneration Trust historic buildings adviser); Norwich Theatre Royal regeneration.
- publisher of my own books, illustrated children’s and adult fiction (see below).
Media. Digital: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Painter. Hand: pencil, crayon, pen and ink, watercolour, gouache.
I have self-published (traditionally) two books so far (performing all publishing and marketing operations except editing).
The Amazing Adventures of Curd the Lion (and Us!) in the Land at the Back of Beyond. Children’s nonsense adventure, 7-12 yrs. Hardback. 176 pages. 80 pencil illustrations & map. £15.
32,000 plus SOLD WORLDWIDE.
9,000 sold in the UK, 1,360 in S. Korea, the rest (ongoing) in China.
Lovereading4kids made it a Book of Year and keep it on essential reads list - many reviews there, including Margaret Mallett, an award-winning educationist (UK Literacy Society), who gave a half page review in her book on children’s literature for teachers.
The Flight of Birds. Gothic ghost tale/horror thriller under Alan Howard (adult fiction name). 400 pages trade p/b. £10. Sold 3,000 UK. (Now in two editions, Black and White, with different beginnings and endings to same story)
Several more stories in the pipeline (adult, children’s and YA) - incl. illustrations for these.
Services
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Languages
Awards
- British Press Awards, Graphic Artist of Year (winner x3, runner-up x2)
- British Press Awards, Team Award (Iraq War)
- US Society of News Design Awards (Silver x2, Excellence x12)
- Newspaper Focus Ind. Awards, Graphic Artist of Year
Work experience
X
My work is two-pronged. On the one hand I illustrate for many publishers in non-fiction subjects including science, anthropology, archaeology, history (ancient and modern), travel, nature, war (from weapons cutaways to campaign and aerial views of battle maps). I designed buildings and figures in 3 dimensions for model-builders of a 1950’s English village for Hachette’s railway part-works. I illustrate cutaways and exploded diagrams for architects and developers.
On the other hand, I write, illustrate, design and publish traditionally under my own imprint my own work with some degree of success, if you take sales value figures, rather than quantity, as a yardstick, having sold over £165,000-worth of these to date, not including translation rights.
The Daily Telegraph
Responsible for organizing and carrying out all breaking news, feature, city, sport and other graphics for the newspaper with a select team of artists. Liaised with editorial heads of home news, foreign, sport, weekend, travel, city, property departments.
The Evening Despatch / The Northern Echo/ London Daily News
Photojournalist for the Despatch (while doing topical cartoons for the Echo) till April 1986; 1st regional news graphic artist for the Northern Echo till 1st December when appointed same at London Daily News.
Portfolio
Alan has 6 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Lorraine N.
Sep, 2023
David G.
Nov, 2020
Jack B.
Jun, 2020
Earik B.
Sep, 2018
A.P. H.
Nov, 2017
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