About Tony De Saulles
Let’s skip the school bit and start with art college. It was great fun. Four happy years of designing and doodling - I recommend it.
After college I had lots of different creative jobs before the illustrating took off. I started work in an advertising agency but that wasn’t for me so I moved from London to a job in the Cotswolds where I spent four happy years in graphics and book design. Sadly, the studio went bust so I took the plunge and became self-employed. Alongside the freelance design work I also spent a few years as a part-time art college lecturer. Twenty years later I’m still self-employed and working as an illustrator. I sometimes get to do a bit of writing too.
I live in Cheltenham with my wife Janet, a porky Jack Russell and some chickens. I’ve built a studio in the loft where I work at a large window looking out over the Cotswolds. When I’m not working I love playing squash, walking up mountains, cooking, cycling and having adventures with Janet in our VW camper van.
For the past fifteen years I’ve spent most of my time illustrating the award-winning Horrible Science series. There are over fifty titles in the collection (each one more gruesome than the next!) and we’ve sold millions of books all around the world - exciting stuff!
I love working with children and hold Horrible Science Cartoon Drawing Workshops at schools, libraries and book festivals around the country. I’ve even done some in China!
Life is strange. When I was at school I got into trouble for filling my books with doodles... these days I get paid for it!