CELEBRATED illustrator Korky Paul is leading a campaign to find the next generation of aspiring artistic talent.

The Oxford artist, best known for his Winnie the Witch illustrations, will select two sketching stars from primary schools nationwide to benefit from his guidance and advice.

The children who are chosen will win a special illustration workshop, led by Mr Paul, for them and their classmates.

Mr Paul, who lives in Oakthorpe Road, Summertown, and has been illustrating books for more than 30 years, said there were huge benefits to children drawing from a young age.

He said: “Children are encouraged to read and write, but no one is banging on about drawing.

“It’s a great way of communicating and explaining ideas. It’s also a therapeutic way of releasing tension and stress, and expressing yourself.”

He started illustrating the Winnie the Witch series, written by Valerie Thomas, in 1986 and won the Children’s Book Award the next year. He is currently working on the latest book, Winnie the Witch’s Big Bad Robot. Mr Paul, whose real first name is Hamish, was chosen to lead the campaign by Staedtler Teachers’ Club UK, which provides interactive resources for teachers.

The competition will be open to teachers to enter any budding artists in their classes between Monday, January 6, and Tuesday, February 4.

For more information, visit the website teachers club.staedtler.co.uk which goes live on Monday.

FACTFILE

KORKY Paul was born in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in 1951 into a family of seven children.
He moved to Greece in 1976 and was commissioned to illustrate books teaching Greek children to speak the ‘Queen’s English’.
In 1986, he met Ron Heapy, of Oxford University Press, who commissioned him to illustrate Winnie the Witch.
It won the Children's Book Award in 1987 and has been published in more than 10 languages. A series of 'young fiction' Winnie The Witch books were then released.
In July last year he celebrated 25 years of the Winnie the Witch series.