My brush with greatness: Oor Wullie statue artist hails hospital’s young heroes

Cartoonist Neil Slorance is one of the artists that has designed an Oor Wullie for the Bucket Trail. Neil has been drawing patients and workers at Glasgow's Children's Hospital onto the statue

Oor Wullie’s antics have already inspired generations of aspiring artists and cartoonists to pick up a pencil.

Now, The Sunday Post icon and his forthcoming Big Bucket Trail are providing them with a blank canvas as they design their fundraising Wullie statues. Illustrator Neil Slorance is one of the artists tasked with designing one of the sculptures and he’s covering it with the faces of the patients and staff he’s met at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow in tribute to their bravery.

Neil, 32, from Glasgow, said: “This is such a humbling and inspirational thing to do. The children have incredible tales to tell.

“Being in hospital has become a big part of their lives, but they’re so brave. They are, in effect, their own superheroes.”

Neil has been keen on art since he was at school. Now his portfolio includes everything from DC Thomson heroes to Dr Who.

“I used to cover my jotters in doodles,” he said. “As I got into my late teens I started taking it a bit more seriously, doing paintings and canvases. And that developed into illustration and comic artistry.

“Somehow I’ve managed to turn it into a full-time job – and it’s the best job in the world.”