THE SCOTTISH SCHOOL OF HARP MAKING

Illustration promoting The Scottish School of Harp Making.

The school aims to train a small number of woodworking students in the rare craft of harp making. Their glorious workshop is packed with beautifully arranged tools and saws, pots of oil, templates and formers, metal strings and great slabs of grained yew wood.

The school is set by the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders village of Stobo, and I was as keen as my client to include local wildlife in the illustration - an otter, red squirrel, salmon and a bright kingfisher.

It was important for the illustration to feel hand-drawn, reflecting craftsmanship, process and attention to detail. Curves drawn in ink reflect the smooth, elegant lines of the clarsach harp, coloured umber and layered with watercolour in shades of wood, metal and water.

Client: Mark Norris Harps