Kevin Lyons — New York, USA

"A good character design should make you smile. Pure and simple. It is a character you might see every day. A good character blends a lot of characteristics from several strong personalities. A wise guy. A con artist. A hopeless romantic. A practical joker … you can imagine them living around you."

Kevin Lyons's work demonstrates how a simple line drawing can make an interesting character. He lives and works in Brooklyn, New York and has created a series of characters called Monsters, that have appeared on television and on film, as well as being screened onto T-shirts and totes and embroidered on bags, backpacks and hats. They also often appear in print and in artwork and have popped up on such varied surfaces as trash-cans, bathrooms, wallpaper, sneakers, candy, birthday cakes and cookies!