Victor Ambrus

Known chiefly for his work on the TV programme Time Team, Victor Ambrus is an artist with an enviable ability to create beautiful and highly believable historical scenes based on a combination of his knowledge, imagination, what he can see at the actual dig site (often no more than grass, mud and stones) and what the archeologists of the show are suggesting used to be there…

He is also however, a highly respected illustrator of children’s books. Using a loose pencil, pastel and water colour style, he produces wonderfully vibrant and expressive images that have an appeal to both adults and children alike.

Ambrus has been producing these wonderful illustrations for many, many years, and has said about himself: “I have spent my lifetime drawing, having illustrated over 250 books. My main interest is drawing the human figure and animals from life”.

Wikipedia has an impressively long list of these works including books that he has both written and illustrated himself. The earliest titles date back to the mid/ late 1950’s, and looking at the titles, it’s quite likely that I may well have had some of them (the Puffin books from the 1970’s especially) when I was young…