Q & A with Sophie Cowdrey
Sophie Cowdrey is one of the starring artists featured in ‘Adventures in Time and Space: 60 Years of Doctor Who Art‘ on display at the Museum of Somerset, 15 June – 5 October 2024.
Sophie is an illustrator and graphic designer based in South Wales, she has worked in the art department on film and TV productions across the UK for the past six years. Sophie attended our Sci – Fi Saturdays on 6 July and will be in attendance on 5 October, here’s a quick introduction through some Q & As.
Here’s what she had to say:
How did you come to creating the artwork for Doctor Who?
I used to create fan art as a hobby, and was very kindly recommended to illustrate a couple of pages for a Doctor Who book from the BBC titled ‘The Women Who Lived: Amazing Tales for Future Time Lords’. This led me onto official work with the BBC for their steelbook range. And now I’m delighted to be designing graphic artwork for filming use on the new series with Ncuti Gatwa!
Which artwork has been the most fun to create whilst working on Doctor Who? – And which the most challenging?
The Toymaker’s puppet theatre from the 60th Anniversary special The Giggle. This was a huge challenge because of the scale of the set, and I had the responsibility of getting the artwork printed. It was very fun to draw though, and I was so pleased with how it looked on camera.
Why do you find Doctor Who so interesting?
I simply love the idea that you could go anywhere in time and space with this show. It lends itself so well towards creativity, imagination and story-telling. It has an incredible cross-generational appeal which I think is quite unique for a television drama – my grandparents used to watch the show, so did my parents, and now so do I!
Do you have a favourite Doctor, villain, or episode?
I will always have a soft spot for Christopher Eccleston – he was my first Doctor!
What was your behind-the-sofa moment?
The gas mask child from The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances. Completely terrifying. That one shot where Dr Constantine’s face transforms into a gas mask… aaaghhh!
Meet Sophie at Sci-Fi Saturdays
Don’t forget you can meet Sophie at the Museum of Somerset on 5 October for the final Sci-Fi Saturday. There’ll also be curators tours, and real TV props from Doctor Who on display in the Great Hall – perfect for the Whovians amongst you.
More About Sophie
Sophie has been a hard core fan of Doctor Who since the age of 9. Currently she is an Assistant Graphic Designer for Film and TV, and freelance illustrator providing colourful, stylised design work for clients. The aspects of production design that Sophie enjoys most are the ability to use design to tell stories, weave narratives and build worlds for the screen.
Sophie has worked with Netflix, Disney+, Prime, BBC, CBS, Sony Pictures, Warner Brothers, Bad Wolf, and many more. Some of her most memorable career moments include photoshopping Richard Madden’s arms to appear more tanned, scribbling baby drawings in crayon, and making her way onto Doctor Who.
When not working Sophie is probably found hiking up a mountain with her camera, or enjoying some live music.
Find Out More
Listen to Sophie’s Getting into TV: Graphic Design on Doctor Who podcast (June 2024) about the television industry, providing insights, tips, and advice for those interested in pursuing a career in any aspect of TV production.