Levi Pinfold studied at the Falmouth University until 2006 where he developed his aesthetic of stylized realism full of delicate and elaborate detail. He grew up with authors like Roald Dahl and Maurice Sendak, and his artistic development was influenced by the examples of Alan Lee and Dave McKean, as well as the paintings and graphics of Pieter Brueghels. Pinfold primarily works with watercolor, gouache and tempera.
Pinfold debuted in 2010 with the picture book »The Django« inspired by jazz legend Django Reinhardt. It tells the story of the young Jean who meets an unusual character named the Django. Spending time with him is fun and exciting but the Django is always getting Jean into scrapes and eventually he is sent away. Jean misses him but one day discovers that he can feel the Django’s presence whenever he picks up his banjo. Published in 2012, »Black Dog« is about an oversized black dog that appears in front of the Hoop family’s remote, snowy home. Only the smallest member of the family dares go outside and learns that not only fear but also objects (and dogs) are smaller when you approach them. In »Greenling« (2015) a green baby creature suddenly appears on the Barleycorn family’s farm in Australia. By the next morning, fruit and vegetables are growing everywhere and visibly taking over the house and farm. This blessing does not last long, though. The Greenling is a summer creature and disappears in fall, just as all plants wither. Pinfold wrote the text in the form of a poem with a pulsating rhythm, emphasizing the inevitability of the change of season and the cycle of life and death. Levi Pinfold designed the cover for Bloomsbury’s jubilee edition of »Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone« (2017). He has also illustrated »The Secret Horses of Briar Hill« (2016) by Megan Shepherd and »The Song from Somewhere Else« (2017) by A. F. Harrold.
Pinfold has been recognized for his work on several occasions having been chosen as Best Emerging Illustrator in the Early Years in 2010. He was also presented the 2011 Booktrust Best New Illustrators Award, the same year »The Django« won the Best Children’s Illustrated Book Award in the four to eleven age group. Then »Black Dog« won both the Coventry Inspiration Award and the renowned Kate Greenaway Medal for 2013. Pinfold lives in Brisbane, Australia.