EXTRACTS: illustrators issue 2 © 2012 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition))

63 Sons. Not one to rest on his laurels, the ever ambitious seven year old then secured the prize for a ‘Sheep’ competition run by Jaegar, with mention of his winning entry appearing in the Observer newspaper of 13 March, 1921. His enthusiasm for art remained strong and, at the age of 15, he enrolled in a correspondence art tuition course run by the legendary illustrator, John Hassall, where he was complimented on “his remarkable understanding on the correctness of drawing”. Keen to earn his living in an art related industry he gained employment as a studio apprentice at Loxley Brothers, a printing company. Whilst earning his wage, he furthered his art interests under the tutelage of Sylvan G. Boxsius, the famous printmaker at the Bolt Court School of Photoengraving and Lithography. The knowledge that he gleaned from these studies was to stand him in good stead for the rest of his career. The school, which was non fee paying, was geared up for instilling in its students a keen awareness of the revolution in print and reproductive technology, with classes in design, drawing, lettering, engraving and photo-mechanical Liss Fine Art ABOVE : Raymond Sheppard at the age of three, a watercolour by his mother Annie. ABOVE TOP: ‘Two Cubs Eyeing Sparrows’ in London Zoo, a pastel drawing on coloured paper.