Timeline

(approximately) Picks up a pencil (or crayon) and has drawn every day ever since

Evacuated to the West Country away from the London Blitz

Starts at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School, where there is now a Quentin Blake Art Building.  Has drawings published in the school magazine, The Chronicle.

First cartoon published in Punch magazine.  “They paid me seven guineas.  I didn’t have a bank account so that when I got the first cheque I didn’t know what to do with it.”

Begins two years of National Service, serving in the Royal Army Educational Corps.  Illustrates English Parade, a booklet to help soldiers learn to read.

Enters Downing College, Cambridge to study English.  Whilst at University, produces two covers for the student magazine, Granta.

University of London Institute of Education – trains to be a teacher.

Attends Life Classes at Chelsea Art School, part-time.

Illustrated first children’s book, called 'A Drink of Water', written by John Yeoman.

Begins teaching at the Royal College of Art.

Writes first children’s book, Patrick, illustrated in full colour.

Begins collaboration with Russell Hoban, illustrating How Tom Beat Captain Najork and his Hired Sportsmen.  Russell Hoban died in 2011, a few months before the publication of Rosie’s Magic Horse, their final book together.
Also begins long-lasting collaborations with Michael Rosen and Joan Aiken.

Appeares on BBC TV Jackanory narrating and illustrating his 'Lester' stories live on camera.

Becomes Head of the Illustration Department at the Royal College of Art.  Publishes first book with Roald Dahl - The Enormous Crocodile – followed by (among others) The Twits, The BFG and Matilda.  Their collaboration continued until Roald Dahl’s death in 1990.

Mister Magnolia published, which wins the Kate Greenaway medal.
Appointed RDI (Royal Designer for Industry) at the RSA in London.
 

The unstoppable Mrs Armitage and her faithful hound Breakspear appear for their first outing, Mrs Armitage on Wheels.  These are the only two of Quentin's characters ever to appear in more than one story, with Mrs Armitage and the Big Wave (1997) and Mrs Armitage, Queen of the Road (2003) continuing their adventures.

Appointed OBE.

Wins the Kurt Maschler award for All Join In

Illustrates Mortimer and Arabel – the final book in the much-loved series by Joan Aiken.  Their collaboration began in 1974.

Commissioned by the Royal Mail to design a set of postage stamps based on Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol

Commissioned to illustrate the early Roald Dahl titles which had been published prior to their collaboration, including Fantastic Mr Fox and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Wins the Bologna Ragazzi Prize, and the Nestle Smarties Book Prize (bronze medal) both for Clown

Turns 65.  Tries to retire....

Wins the Kurt Maschler Award, and the Nestle Smarties Book Prize (bronze medal), for The Green Ship

Appointed as first Children’s Laureate for a two-year term.

Major retrospective exhibition, 'Quentin Blake – Fifty Years of Illustration', opens at Somerset House in London.  It toured the UK for two years.

Appointed CBE. Curates an exhibition called 'Les Demoiselles des Bords de Seine' to celebrate the re-opening of the Petit Palais in Paris.

Publishes  Beyond the Page, an account of his work since 2000, much of which has been for hospitals and other public spaces.

Receives the Eleanor Farjeon Award for his outstanding contribution to the world of children's books.

Admitted as a Freeman of the City of London.   

Creates artworks for 'Life under Water: A Hastings Celebration', a special exhibition for the Jerwood Gallery, inspired by the town where he has a home. 

The newly-reopened children's library at the Institut Francais in London is renamed 'Bibliotheque Quentin Blake' in his honour.

Takes his work in a new direction and scale at Jerwood Gallery's 'Quentin Blake: The Only Way to Travel' exhibition

Illustrates 'Billy and the Minpins' for the first time, twenty five years after its first publication.  It is the only children's title by friend and collaborator, Roald Dahl, for which he had not provided pictures before

Creates a unique mural at the Science Museum in London, depicting 20 of the world's leading scientists and innovators of the past 200 years

Illustrates John Ruskin's classic book 'The King of the Golden River' to celebrate the book's 150th anniversary

Embarks on an ambitious scheme of self-publishing with an eclectic new series of 20 books of drawings titled 'The QB Papers'