Cartoon network

Professional cartoonist and caricaturist SIMON ELLINAS introduces his latest artistic project that combines his love for drawing with the London Underground

Iwas born with a pencil in my hand and am always drawing. Faces are of particular fascination, and when I am not commissioned to draw people as gifts to give one another, I am very interested in portraying celebrities.

The London Underground project had its genesis in a Christmas gift I was given at the end of 2018 - an ordinary A5 desk diary. I had the flash of inspiration not to WRITE a diary, but to DRAW it by caricaturing a celebrity born on each and every date. This ended up with 365 drawings by the end of 2019 and I wondered what I could do next (as well as fitting in paid commissions).

As a Londoner with a keen knowledge of the Underground system and a love for the trains and the entire network, I decided to find out which famous people were associated, in whatever way, with each and every Underground station. And so, the project came to life and ended at the end of November with 268 caricatures drawn.

Aside from the vocational aspect of enjoying drawing, the aim is to make a publication or exhibition out of it. My next project? Probably the occupants of the House of Commons! (650 caricatures.)

My entire collection of London Underground caricatures is available online at www.londoncaricature.uk

1. Northern Line: Elephant and Castle

Actor Michael Caine was born and brought up in Elephant and Castle.

2. Central Line: Stratford

Olympic athlete Christine Ohuruogu was born in Stratford, East London.

3. Victoria Line: Brixton

David Bowie is well-known for having been a local to Brixton for many years.

4. Piccadilly Line: Barons Court

Indian lawyer, politician and social activist Mahatma Gandhi lived in Barons Court while studying Law in London.

5. Circle Line: Ladbroke Grove

Chrissie Hynde, the lead singer of The Pretenders, lived for a long time in London’s Ladbroke Grove.

6. District Line: Ravenscourt Park

Political activist, conservationist and fiancée of the Prime Minister, Carrie Symonds was a pupil at the private Godolphin and Latymer School, near Ravenscourt Park station.