VICTORIA HALL

Don't fall out of love with your art. Check out my top three tips for making creations that you adore.

Listen to my recent podcast interview with the talented writer, Saskia Black.

Watch me do a watercolour speed sketch of a little zombie boy.

This International Fairy Day, I’m giving you the heads-up on the nastiest sprites from across the globe. Spot them and stop them from ruining your trip! Happy International Fairy Day, fairy fans! No doubt for most of you, the word ‘fairy’ conjures up images of Peter Pan’s playful Tinkerbell, Fern Gully’s forest-saving Crysta or even Sleeping Beauty’s generous fairy godmothers. But, did you know that not all fairies are good? In fact, anywhere you go, there are some downrigh

Folks, the 2017 Sydney Writers’ Festival has wrapped. My favourite part of the program? Family Day! Held in the heart of Walsh Bay on Sunday, 28 May, Family Day encouraged bookworms of all ages to come together for a delightful celebration of creativity and storytelling. Needless to say, the weather and harbour-side location looked picture perfect. With a hot coffee and a fresh croissant, I took a stroll around an exhibition of Roald Dahl’s book covers from across the globe.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be completing the layout of my upcoming picture book. Here's a sneak peek at one of the interior illustrations. You can see that I've gone quite gothic with this book, as it's aimed at older readers. Stay tuned for more updates. Thanks for reading. Victoria x #VictoriaHallIllustrator #VictoriaHallAuthor #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallWriter #VictoriaHallArt

In an effort to be more diverse, I'm introducing different mediums to my portfolio, starting with coloured pencils. It's been a few years since I last used them, but after reacquainting myself, I realised why they're so popular with illustrators. Their soft, gentle finish was the perfect choice for my sketch of a little girl and her puppy: The frustrating thing about coloured pencils is that they can take a long time to build. Being impatient, I almost abandoned the picture i

One of my lovely Instagram followers recently asked me what my studio essentials are. Well, I should probably start by saying that my "studio" is more of a modest creative space in the corner of my family's lounge room—just the way I like it. While I'm not particularly ritualistic, there are some things I need and like to have around before I get to work. These usually include: Art materials: Obviously. Acrylic paints, a selection of brushes, a jar of water, heavyweight acid-

Dear grown-ups, You're invited to join the World Book Day celebrations by reconnecting with your inner child and reading to the little ones in your life. To mark this special day, I'm offering a 20% discount on both of my books! Turning children into readers World Book Day is a fabulous initiative that aims to turn children of all ages into lifelong readers. As you know, this is something I am particularly passionate about, especially when it comes to helping children from di

Some advice—you may want to avoid me for the next few weeks! I'm likely to repeatedly ask you to comment on about 10 different versions of the same drawing. Apparently, this is highly annoying. I've finally finished my rough layouts and now I have to decide what media, materials and techniques I'm going to use for my final illustrations. It's important that the look of the artwork matches the mood of my story and the vision in my head. This book is a gothic fantasy story for

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on the rough illustrations for my next picture book. This one is a 64-page gothic fantasy story for 6-9 year olds. There are a lot of pictures to create—almost double the amount in my previous books—and it feels like it is taking forever to complete them. At this stage, I am trying to communicate what is happening with my story, straight from my head, without worrying about the details. I am also considering different viewpoints, com

Last weekend, my daughter and I went to Centennial Park to "play witches" and draw on location. Drawing from life is powerful. I love it because it helps me to create much richer and more unique pictures. Most importantly, it enables me to capture the true atmosphere and magic of a place. Probably because I am fully in the experience and using all of my senses. It also helps me to peer into people's personalities and moods simply by observing their mannerisms. And by studying

Get your little readers drawing funny faces on this free Eggy Peggy printable! To download the file, simply click on the thumbnail image below. In the spirit of Halloween, Victoria drew these spooky funny faces: Don't forget to watch the Eggy Peggy book trailer​ and get your copy here! #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallAuthor #VictoriaHallWriter #EggyPeggyhaslostherleggy

Sharing a new drawing from my sketchbook. You can tell that I'm feeling inspired by new healthy living routine, right? I just used a simple HB pencil. It took me about 10 minutes. Don't forget to follow me on the social media channels featured at the bottom of this page. x VH #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallAuthor

For the next few weeks, I'll be working on developing some new characters for my third book. The way I develop characters is different every time. Occasionally, they are based on people I know. Sometimes, they are completely imagined or a stereotype. Often, they are a mixture of all these things. Here are some quick sketches I recently worked on: I hope you like them. x VH #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallAuthor

It was just like Eminem said, "Palms are sweaty... knees weak... arms are heavy... "This opportunity comes once in a lifetime..." The first ever book reading! I sat down on a tiny wooden chair facing rows and rows of expectant little faces, and opened my book. In a trembling voice, I read the first line, "Eggy Peggy has lost her leggy!" A babble of laughter. Phew! But I told myself not to relax too much. You just never know what they might do next. "Look at that egg, it looks

Happy World Egg Day! Check out the trailer for Victoria Hall's new book, Eggy Peggy has lost her leggy, here: #VictoriaHallAuthor #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallWriter

Eggy Peggy (has lost her leggy)! The tale of an adventurous little egg in search of perfection.​ In her second picture book for children, Eggy Peggy has lost her leggy, Victoria Hall explores health, nutrition, and the importance of overcoming mental and physical challenges. Eggy Peggy has lost her leggy and she wants it back! Eggy Peggy hops from one kitchen landmark to the next in search of her missing leg until, suddenly, she finds herself in serious hot water. Eggy Peggy

I am excited to share the cover art for my new book, Eggy Peggy (has lost her leggy!). Eggy Peggy will be available from October 2015. Please stay tuned for more information. x VH. #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallBooks #VictoriaHallAuthor

To download, please click on your favourite picture and select 'save as'. ​ #VictoriaHallArt #VictoriaHallAuthor #VictoriaHallBooks