Illustrating History with Keith Burns

Following our season of drawing with the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize exhibition and series of talks and courses, we welcome illustrator Keith Burns to talk about his work illustrating history, including the popular Second World War Ladybird books written by James Holland.

Born in Dublin in 1974, Keith Burns is an award-winning artist and illustrator specialising in The Second World War. He began his career in comics where he learnt the art of capturing movement and storytelling in images. He is a full member of the Guild of Aviation Artists and has sat on the selection committee judging artwork suitable for entry into the annual exhibition. As a full member, Keith has also critiqued member’s artwork at various museums up and down the country and held a solo exhibition at the RAF Club in London.

Keith’s commercial work can be seen on stamps, jigsaws, book covers, magazine covers, comic’s (interior art and covers) and in ladybird books. His recent book with James Holland titled The Second World War

Illustrated took five years to complete and contains 288 paintings. Keith has been commissioned by the RAF, the Army and the SAS LRDG Charity and in 2018 completed the only official RAF100 painting. He also produces fine art paintings for a gallery depicting The Great War and The Second World War as well as motorsport purchased by collectors worldwide. Keith has collaborated with Garth Ennis on WW2 aviation comics for almost a decade and is currently working on more Johnny Red stories. Keith is also happy walking out the front door and painting what he sees.'

Host or Publisher The Salisbury Museum