Quentin Blake in a wheelchair, arms outstretched, in front of a large blue-and-white mural of figures on a bridge
Quentin Blake unveils A Bridge to the Past at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 2026. Photo: Ben Johnson. Framed by CoolCuration.

Last updated: 27 October 2026

Sir Quentin Blake is the illustrator of more than 500 books, from Roald Dahl to his own, and the founder of the new Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration. Here you will find our take on his work, his current London shows, auction results and the £90 print we feature.

Our take on Quentin Blake

Blake was first published in Punch at 16, and had no formal art training beyond life classes at Chelsea, according to his own site. He went on to illustrate more than 500 titles and to run the Illustration department at the Royal College of Art from 1978 to 1986.

“Illustrating is like directing a play, except that you also get to design the scenery and play all the parts,” he says, quoted by the Quentin Blake Centre. Its opening show, Quentin Blake: Performance, looks at how theatre runs through his work.

His 2022 Companion of Honour came with instructions, he writes: “you have to go on and do more.” At 93 he still draws every day. His Courage screen print for Refugee Week is £90.

Quentin Blake: the essentials

  • Born in Sidcup, Kent, in 1932; lives in south-west London.
  • Read English at Downing College, Cambridge.
  • First Children’s Laureate (1999); Hans Christian Andersen Award (2002); knighted in 2013 for services to illustration; Companion of Honour (2022).
  • Taught at the Royal College of Art for over twenty years, heading the Illustration department from 1978 to 1986.
  • Founded the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, which opened at New River Head, Clerkenwell, on 5 June 2026.

Quentin Blake exhibitions

  • On now: Quentin Blake: Performance, Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 1 Myddelton Passage, London EC1R 1AG, 5 June 2026 to 1 April 2027. Adults £15; Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
  • On now: The Southbank Parade, more than thirty life-size figures for the South Bank’s 75th anniversary, Southbank Centre, London, until 8 November 2026. Free.
  • On now: The Joy of the Frog, a staircase mural at The Sherborne, Dorset. Free.
  • Quentin Blake: Good Companions, his annual selling show, Bankside Gallery, London, 1 to 26 July 2026.

Recent Quentin Blake auction results

Original drawings and signed prints come up regularly at UK sales:

Main image: Quentin Blake unveils A Bridge to the Past at the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration, 2026. Photo: Ben Johnson. Framed by CoolCuration. Prices include buyer’s premium. Last checked: 27 October 2026.

Where to buy a Quentin Blake print

One edition and two books are on sale in the UK:

  • Courage, 2026, £90: four-layer screen print on G.F. Smith paper, 59.4 x 42 cm (23.4 x 16.5 in), edition of 150, signature printed in the image, from Print Club London. See our Courage page.
  • Jenny Uglow, The Quentin Blake Book, £30: from Thames & Hudson.
  • Not for Art’s Sake, £30: his work for hospitals and public spaces, from Thames & Hudson.

Quentin Blake prints and editions on CoolCuration

Quentin Blake Courage screen print with a woman swinging from a tree above a family with cake and booksQuentin Blake Courage Screen Print – £90

Quentin Blake FAQs

Where is the Quentin Blake Centre for Illustration?

At New River Head, 1 Myddelton Passage, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 1AG. It opened on 5 June 2026.

Can I buy a Quentin Blake print?

Yes. His Courage screen print for Refugee Week is £90 from Print Club London, in an edition of 150.

How many books has Quentin Blake illustrated?

More than 500, including Roald Dahl’s, according to his own site.

What do Quentin Blake originals sell for?

Recent UK auction results run from hundreds of pounds to low thousands for drawings.

More from CoolCuration

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Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.

Published by Tristan