Following some pictures I recently drew, I’m feeling inspired to explore illustrations of traditional Irish folk stories, which I grew up hearing and reading.

This little old man was inspired by the tale of the man with no story. He’s a travelling salesman, and one miserable winter night he seeks shelter in the only house for miles. He’s invited in by an old man and given food, but when asked to tell a story he confesses that he has no tale to tell. The old man is horrified and throws him out of the house, so he creeps into the barn to sleep there instead.

That night, a series of terrible events happen to the poor man, which is all quite traumatising, but nonetheless give him a story that he can always tell. I may get round to depicting the horrific goings on one day, but for now I thought it would be nice to draw the old host sat by the fire, hoping for a story to pass the night.

Anyway, the point is to just keep practising and try and see if I can explore my way towards my particular illustration style.