Last week we ventured into London for the day. We had been invited to a drawing masterclass with Horrible Histories’ Martin Brown. It had been a while since we last had time to explore and we couldn’t wait to walk around Granary Square at Kings Cross before the event. The area has been totally transformed and there is always something new to see and do, especially for kids.
Drawing masterclass with Horrible Histories’ Martin Brown
If you’re a parent you’ve probably heard of Horrible Histories. My son just loves the books, written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown. They have been turned into a tv series which my children watch on CBBC, and the first full length film has just been released. The stories are a great way for kids to learn about history, especially all the blood, battles and baddies.
Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans
Who are the Celts? What have the Romans ever done for us? And why is Emperor Nero dousing himself in horse wee?
Friends, Romans, Celts… Lend us your ears. The all-conquering Romans rule the civilised world – and that includes “the stain” that is Britain. While the young Emperor Nero must battle his scheming mother Agrippina for ultimate power, Celt queen Boudicca gathers an army in Britain to repel the rotten Romans. Mixed up in this battle for liberation are the teenage Atti, a reluctant Roman soldier, and Orla, a young Celt with dreams of becoming a warrior like Boudicca. Will they fall on opposite sides or forge a friendship in the chaos of Celtic-inspired rebellion?
The film is stuffed with British talent including Sebastian Croft, Emilia Jones, Nick Frost, Kim Cattrall, Derek Jacobi, Lee Mack and Rupert Graves. We are really looking forward to seeing it at the cinema.
Back to the masterclass
Martin Brown happily shared his top drawing tips with both the children and adults. I’m the first to admit I can’t draw but Martin told me that anyone can draw, they just need to practice. We started off drawing animals, breaking them down into different shapes to get the size right. Then we talked about faces, and Martin’s favourite Horrible Histories characters and pretty much everything in between. He is a really nice person and generous with his drawing tips.
We were also able to meet the really lovely Sebastian Croft who stars as Atti in the film. The children were delighted to be given a Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans goody bag which contained some books. Both Martin Brown and Sebastian Croft signed their books so I’m sure they will treasure them!
Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans is out now. Let me know if you go and see it over the summer holidays!
Oh how fun! I used to love the Horrible Histories when I was a kid. This was such a great opportunity for you xxx
I loved the Horrible Histories books as a kid! A drawing class sounds like it would be great fun.
All of my kids have love Horrible Histories and my daughter would have loved been able to draw from such a well known artist x
We love Horrible Histories and met him last week at Camp Bestival – my kids would have loved this
Oh, this is such a lovely experience! I would love to sit and listen to his techniques.
What a wonderful experience, my children love the Horrible Histories books and TV series