Classic & Sports Car - December 2015 UK

StefanMarjoram

Workingwitha famouscar-lovingartcritic

December 2015 Classic&SportsCar 45

ThelateBrianSewellwasa lifelong
carenthusiast.Whenhewrote
a children’s historyonthelifeof
HenryRoyce,hestruggledtofind
therightillustrator– untilhe
discoveredStefanMarjoram.
“OutoftheblueI receivedan
e-mailfromQuartetBooks,soI put
together someroughideas,” recalls
themulti-talentedartist,photo-
grapherandfilm-makerwholeft
AardmanAnimationstojointhe
BloodhoundLSRteam.The
artworkwaswellreceivedandhe
gotthejob,butwhenhelearntof
Sewell’s seriousillness,thepressure
wasontogettheillustrations
completedin a month.
“IlovetheEdwardianerabut
hadlittleexperiencesketching
Rolls-Royces,”heremembers.“As
a schoolboyI’dborroweda bookon
Roycebutit wasverytechnical.
Brian’s storywasmorehuman.
“Iposteda Facebookmessage
askingaboutearlycarsintheBris-
tolarea,becauseI liketosketch
fromlifewheneverpossible.Robin
Batchelorwasa greathelpwiththe
aviationreferences,particularly
Royce’s ballooningexploits.Look-
ingat oldmapsandphotoalbums
helpedtocreatethemood.I’dlove
tohavevisitedP&AWood’s work-
shop,butranoutof time.”

Marjoramhadlittlecorrespond-

encefromSewell,butthiswasn’t

surprisingconsideringthecritic’s

condition.“AllI heardwasthathe

likedtheinitialsketchesofthe

Wrightaeroplaneandthe20hp

racingintheTT,” hesays.“That

encouragedmetocontinue.The

firsttwoaremyfavouritesbecause

theywerequickideasandIwas

workingwithoutthetext.‘Justdraw

whatyoufancy,’ washisonlyguid-

ance.Hisbeautifullywrittenstory

helpedto settheatmosphere.”

Thepicturesstartwitha tradi-

tionalpencilsketch,butthisis

scannedonceMarjoramis happy

withthecompositionanddetails.

Fromthere,heswitchestoPhoto-

shop:“Igettoopreciouswith

watercolour, butwithdigital

brushesyoucangobacka fewsteps

ifitdoesn’t work.Briannever

requestedanychanges,though.”

MarjorammetSewelljustonce,

whenphotographinganInvicta

BlackPrince:“Heturnedouttobe

charminganddidn’t evencomplain

aboutdoghairsin ourfood!”MW

TheManWhoBuiltthe BestCarin

the World is publishedby Quartet,

priced£11.99.ISBN 978 0 7043

7360 0. To see Marjoram’s otherwork,

visitwww.stefanmarjoram.com

Clockwise,fromleft:

HenryRoyce fettleshis

10hpDecauvillein1903;

earlyMarjoramsketch

ofthe20hponthefirst

TT; workaholicRoyce

andaristocraticRolls

indiscussion;testing

theDecauville– Royce

andfriendswerenot

impressed;SilverGhostat

speedontheAlpinetrial