Divi & Frey
Research, Insights and notes for educators
Come and find me on Instagram, tony_flowers99
recent posts
- Understanding the principles of design, for new illustrators and teachers.
- Understanding Elements of Design: A Guide for New Illustrators and Teachers
- Engaging Classroom Activities for Visual Storytelling
- Unlocking Wally Wood’s 22 Panels for Dynamic Storytelling
- Beginner’s Guide to Watercolour for illustrations
about
Category: Illustration
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If you’ve already read my first post, Understanding the Elements of Design, you’ll know that those building blocks, line, shape, colour, texture, and so on, give us the raw materials we use to create images. This second instalment looks at what comes next: the principles of design, the ideas that show us how those elements…
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Elements and Principles of Design Introduction When I first started out as an illustrator, no one ever sat me down and explained the elements and principles of design. I wish they had. These concepts aren’t just academic theory, they’re the practical tools that help you see images more clearly, create with more intention, and talk…
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Visual storytelling, writing, and composition Tony Flowers (2025) Sketchbook Further to my earlier post on Wally Wood’s 22 Panels That Always Work, I wanted to explore how this system functions as a practical visual shorthand for storytelling. While originally created as a professional tool, the panels translate extremely well into classroom contexts because they help…
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Wally Wood’s “22 Panels That Always Work” serves as a vital resource for comic book artists, providing dynamic visual storytelling techniques. It helps both beginners and experienced creators break free from common pitfalls in framing and offers fresh perspectives when creativity wanes. This guide encourages exploring diverse storytelling methods in comics.
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Divi & Frey promotional image (2025) Watercolour is one of those magical mediums that everyone wants to try, but many people feel unsure about where to begin. My students often tell me they’re excited and terrified in equal measure. If that sounds familiar, you’re in the right place. For illustrators, especially those of us who…
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Paris is often described as magical. For me, it was creatively catalytic. Rosamond McCulloch studio building, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris (Dec 2023) In early development for Divi and Frey and the Curse of Anubis, Book One of the series, I lived and worked at the Cité Internationale des Arts as part of the University…
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Rickshaw Driver, Chandigarh Market. In November 2023, I took a journey through India that changed everything. India and Nepal were more than just travel destinations—they became living sketchbooks that whispered stories into my hand as I drew. From the vibrant pulse of Chennai to the layered history of Kathmandu, every moment was a collision of…
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I lucky enough to stumble across an original ink drawing in an antique shop recently. The image was in a tatty old frame with no artist listed on the work(image below). On closer inspection, I could just make out the faint remains of the pencil sketch work in places and see the ink nib marks,…
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I have been having some fun working on a new project. This one has allowed me to combine traditional illustration techniques with digital work. Loads of fun and I am very happy with the results so far.
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I thought that I might post some images from my current sketchbook. Some of these have been posted on Facebook in the past, but not as a collection with an explanation (albeit a rambling one). I have shown my sketchbook to a number of people, all of whom focus in on these images. This may…
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