Rosie Brooks | London Illustrator – Pen & Ink, Watercolour, Live Events

Hand-drawn pen & ink and watercolour illustrations inspired by the joy of music.

Rosie Brooks brings music to life through illustration. With a BA in Music from Durham University and a Master’s in Children’s Book Illustration, Rosie’s work uniquely bridges the worlds of sound and image. Her pen & ink and watercolour illustrations are shaped by a deep understanding of musical structure, storytelling, and performance, making her a go-to artist for music publishers, orchestras, and cultural institutions.

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What Rosie Offers

• Music Book Illustration:
  Specialist in music education books, sheet music, and narrative-driven projects for leading publishers such as Oxford University Press (including the acclaimed “Piano Time” series) and more.
• Visual Storytelling for Orchestras & Opera:
  Bespoke illustrations for concert programmes, education packs, and marketing—capturing the spirit of live performance and the personalities behind the music.
• Event & Project Highlights:
  • Illustrated live at London Mozart Players concerts, projecting drawings in real-time to enhance performances.
  • Created artwork for Classic FM, Royal Ballet and Opera, Opera Australia, Naxos UK, English National Opera, and Birmingham Royal Ballet.
  • Developed visual resources for schools and young audiences, making music more accessible and engaging.
• Collaborative Process:
  Works closely with editorial, music, and education teams to ensure every illustration complements the music’s message and enhances the audience’s experience.

Why Choose Rosie?

• Genuine musical insight, classically trained to degree level, Grade 8 Violin with a passion for the subject and championing it through illustration.
• Visuals that resonate with musicians, educators, and audiences alike.
• A proven track record with top names in music and publishing.

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Selected Clients

Oxford University Press, Classic FM, Royal Opera House, Opera Holland Park, English National Opera, London Philharmonic Orchestra, St John Smiths Square, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Naxos UK, English Touring Opera, London Mozart Players, National Children’s Orchestras of Great Britain, Opera Australia, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Wigmore Hall, and more.

Sir Paul McCartney invited Rosie to create a custom painting on his Gibson Les Paul guitar after a collaboration for London Guitar Town in which Rosie’s Ten Foot Illustrated Guitar statue sold for $160,000 at Auction. Sir Paul played the guitar headlining on the main stage at Glastonbury in 2022.

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Some of Rosie’s Musical Illustration Projects

• Rosie recently created a fun and playful visual identity for a concert series aimed at families with young children for Scottish Chamber Orchestra which was used in both print and digital marketing.
• Rosie illustrated “God Save the King: An Illustrated Guide to the National Anthem” for the coronation, collaborating with Classic FM’s Anne Marie Minhall to bring a visually engaging and informative touch to the beloved anthem.
• Rosie created animated videos for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s social media platforms, highlighting their Family Music and Dance events. This collaboration showcased how successfully her illustrations work giving an authentic voice to social media content.
• Rosie’s collaboration with Classic FM was the creation of their first-ever illustrated countdown for the Classic FM Hall of Fame.
• In addition to her work on social media, Rosie has also contributed to Classic FM’s charitable efforts, creating Christmas cards, an illustrated calendar, and a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, all with proceeds going to Global’s Make Some Noise.
• Aled Jones, a presenter on Classic FM and a prominent British singer and television personality, approached Rosie to illustrate his debut children’s book series about a little boy called Bobby Dean who loves to sing, published by Hodder Faith.
• Rosie’s illustration extends beyond musical greeting cards, as she has contributed to various larger scale projects. Her work has been used in fundraising activities, marketing and educational programs.
• Rosie has also showcased her illustrations live at several London Mozart Players concerts, where she used a special visualiser to project her illustrations behind the musicians in real-time. With narration and a live audience, Rosie’s illustrations provided a visual accompaniment to the orchestra’s performances, bringing the music to life in a new and exciting way.
• Rosie collaborated with Naxos UK to create a series of home learning colouring sheets. Colouring sheets proved to be a great way to make learning fun and engaging for children, especially during periods of remote learning and social distancing.
• Rosie’s illustrations brought the colouring sheets to life creating a valuable resource for parents and teachers to use in supporting children’s education at home.
• In May 2022, Rosie travelled to Rome to collaborate with Operaffinity and Save the Children Italia where she was invited to draw live alongside international opera singers at a series of refugee centres. Through this initiative, Rosie was able to make a meaningful contribution to the lives of young refugees in Italy, while also highlighting the importance of art and culture in promoting social inclusion and fostering a sense of belonging through opera and illustration.
• Rosie has a close relationship with Opera Holland Park, collaborating with them on various projects, including illustrating school programmes, creating illustrations for educational programmes, and leading drawing workshops at their annual Open Day.Rosie participated in a wonderful project with Vopera, providing illustrations for the first digital opera production of Ravel’s L’Enfant et les Sortileges. This production was broadcast on Marquee TV and went on to win several prestigious awards, including the Southbank Award for Opera and the London Philharmonic Award.
• Rosie’s collaboration with the Royal Ballet and Opera Learning and Participation department is a wonderful example of how illustration can be used to enhance educational experiences. As part of this collaboration, Rosie created illustrations for several operas and ballets, which were used to accompany school visits as part of the Royal Opera House Schools Matinee Programmes.

If you would like to discuss a musical collaboration idea, Rosie would love to hear from you.