Leo Hartas

I have been illustrating children's books, comics, magazines and games for over 40 years. My hallmark as an illustrator is drawing characters that readers can connect to in a warm and approachable style. I am currently working with the author Amanda Boulter to develop an exciting new series about the adventures of a Viking boy and his dog, called Little Moose and Wolfie, as they grow up in a fantasy historical world. I'm looking forward to the challenge of finding a cohesive style for the whole series that develops with the characters as they grow up and their stories evolve from toddler books to young adult novels.

I have a love of maps and began my career by illustrating most of the maps for the Fighting Fantasy series of game books back in the 1980s and 90s. I also enjoy designing cutaways that reveal the inner workings of buildings, machines and even whole starships; my favourite books of this type being Haunted Castle, The Apartment Book, and King Arthur's Spaceship. I love to weave little stories and details that the reader may miss at first, but find and enjoy every time they revisit the illustration.

Most of my other interests overlap with my illustration work. I love board games, computer games (though these days I have no time to play beyond booting up for a quick look!), RPG games and when/if I ever retire I would love to build detailed cutaway models of fantasy castles. A handful of times a year I get to dress up as a Viking and run about a field in Devon, England LARPing. And more than anything I love the simple pleasure of just exploring ideas and doodling in my sketchbook.