Steve McCarthy: Drawing from Life

Green Rebel

On this week's episode, we chat to Dublin-based illustrator Steve McCarthy. Born in Dundrum County Dublin, in 1984. Steve left school at the age of 8, he was homeschooled from then to adulthood. Steve has never sat any kind of exam. His lack of qualifications led to some “creative” methods of securing a place in Ballyfermot college, where he studied animation.

After college Steve went to work in several small animation companies as a character designer, before quickly realizing he did not have the patience for animation and abandoned the vocation altogether. He then spent several years working every odd job in Dublin before venturing into Illustration.

Steve also did a stint in Kilkenny animation studio Cartoon Saloon, as a key background designer for the Oscar-nominated animated feature Song of the Sea. Steve returned to Dublin to focus on commercial illustration, ill-conceived art shows, and children’s books. His first book Sally go round the stars was nominated for the Bord Gais energy children’s book of the year, and his second book A Sailor went to Sea Sea Sea managed to win in 2017. Both books were a collaboration with Sarah Webb. He’s currently working on his first self-written book.

Steve feels totally comfortable writing in the third person, and we have been told via a reliable source of him attempting but seemingly failing to speak in the fifth person.

You can see his art on www.mrstevemccarthy.com

If you ​are enjoying Green Rebel​ please take a minute to give us a review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcast. ​Make sure you subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episodes.​ ​

Presented by Emily O'Callaghan and Irina Dzhambazova. Produced by Irina Dzhambazova. Music by Le Boom.