Both Children and Adults Can Enjoy Peter Donnelly’s Work

Irish illustrator and author Peter Donnelly is known for his witty observations, combined with mid-century aesthetics; his characters being both playful and nostalgic. A successful children’s book author and illustrator, Donnelly is regularly invited to speak at book festivals and has won many coveted awards for his work.

His recognizable style has also gained him commercial success, with collaborations with brands as big as Guinness, McDonalds, Samsung, Heineken, and Coke. With so much going on for him, Donnelly clearly has a tight schedule – but he’s always happy to rise to the challenge.

In fact, he strives for it. “I’ve usually three jobs on the go at any given time,” he remarked once in an interview with Inky Goodness. “I tend to jump from one to the other, Working that way helps me see things with fresh eyes when I return to something.”

“My clients are quite varied, from branding jobs and editorial to children’s book publishing,” he notes. “My style seems to be able to cross over and work for different clients. There’s a good vibe element to my work which I suppose appeals to people so it helps to sell products.” According to Donnelly, he can play with his style and make it less childlike when needed.

Whatever he does, the result is quite delightful.

View this post on Instagram

Sending positive vibes to a friend and colleague in Norway.

A post shared by Peter Donnelly (@donnellyillustration) on

View this post on Instagram

Happy dog in a cap and jumper. Woof! #donnellyillustration

A post shared by Peter Donnelly (@donnellyillustration) on