Picture Hooks provides opportunity and development for emerging picture book illustrators, to help them access the world of children’s publishing.

The mentoring scheme lies at the core of Picture Hooks: emerging illustrators work closely with established professional illustrators. They are carefully paired and during the course of a year, each illustrator studies the creative process of making a picture book, steps out of their comfort zone and finds new techniques and methods of working, with one-to-one guidance by their mentor.

At the end of each round of the mentoring scheme our Picture Hooks illustrators and their mentees exhibit their work in the Scottish National Gallery. The exhibition then tours across the UK.

Regular conferences take place across the UK to demystify the world of publishing.

The fourth Picture Hooks conference was run in partnership with the AOI and hosted at the Manchester School of Art. It was a great success, featuring talks from Egmont, Nobrow Press, Handsome Frank as well as illustrators Robert Hunter, Matthew the Horse and Sonny Ross.

Masterclasses offer additional support and development opportunities.

Picture Hooks is a SCIO and supported by Creative Scotland.