Boats are so much fun to draw. I love keeping lots of little models around me. I got these boats at the National Maritime Museum’s Toy Boats exhibition, that was AWESOME.

I had fun imagining what little characters could look like, having adventures in the boats. Here’s a squid in a submarine! I love my job.

Here was the original toy I looked at:

Did you know that one of my first jobs was Ship’s Illustrator for the Cutty Sark? I actually applied to be a rigger – a real career change, with a 12-year commitment! – but they liked the picture on my CV and took me on for my artwork instead. So I’m not sailing around the world working on masted ships, but that is what I might be doing if I didn’t like drawing so much. Here’s a picture of me then, in my Cutty Sark uniform:

Here’s a design I made for one of their gift shop mugs (click on the image to enlarge it):

And a woodcut design I made, after the Cutty Sark caught fire and closed for repairs. Here’s a workman treating one of the planks of the ship’s hull:

Take a look at a couple more toy boats from the National Maritime Museum that I’ve found inspiring:

Here’s a picture I drew one day before I started work. It’s me, painting my boat. It’s just one of the little boats on my bookshelf, but it’s a fine one, nonetheless. I took the name from the film Local Hero, a phrase my dad and I sometimes joke about. (You can see the clip embedded on my blog here.)

Happy sailing, everyone!

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Sarah McIntyre disgusted the world with her first DFB picture book, Morris the Mankiest Monster, but then charmed them with her comic, Vern and Lettuce  which is about sheep and rabbit best friends who live in a neighbourhood very much like her own in south London. Be sure to keep an eye on her website for news, drawings and free activity sheet downloads!