Have you explored The Art of Time Travel?

By John Freeman on December 2, 2025 • ( 0 )

The Art of Time Travel by Peter Mckinstry

Concept artist and illustrator Peter Mckinstry’s stunning concept art and illustration is collected for the first time in The Art of Time Travel, out now from BBC Books, a visually captivating book that takes you behind the scenes of Doctor Who, showcasing the intricate and imaginative artwork that brings the Whoniverse to life.

From the TARDIS to the Daleks and much more, The Art of Time Travel offers a treasure trove of never-before-seen concept art, sketches, and designs that offer a unique glimpse into the creative process behind the iconic show – including comments and notes from showrunner Russell T. Davies, as well as original works of art from the modern era of Doctor Who.

*Concept Artist (and, clearly, Dave Gibbons fan!) Peter Mckinstry*

Peter Mckinstry is a concept artist and illustrator who has worked in film, television, VFX and video game art departments for over 20 years. In addition to working on Doctor Who between 2004 and 2010, he also created concept art and designs for Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman, Snow White and the Huntsman, and three of the Harry Potter films. Clients include Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Pictures, Amazon Studios, Warner Brother Pictures, HBO, Netflix and many more.

While most of his work now involves digital drawing and painting, often incorporating a range of 3D software, Peter still grabs any opportunity to return to my roots with pencil and paper. “This traditional skill has distinguished my work and proven invaluable on many projects,” he says.

“This hardback volume collects the five years of concept art and design work I did for the show itself, along with an archive of illustrations from the many varied Doctor Who projects I’ve had the pleasure of working on since then,” Peter says of his new book, an artist captivated by the art of visual storytelling through films, TV, comics, and video games from a young age. “I rediscovered sketches and designs I thought were long lost – pieces that have never been shared before – and they’re all gathered together here for the very first time.

“Alongside my own commentary, I’ve also included email exchanges between myself and Showrunner, Head Writer and Executive Producer Russell T Davies. These reveal a detailed and unique look at the creative process behind every design.

“But this is more than just another ‘art of’ book,” he emphasises. “It’s also my own personal story: a young fan who grew up drawing monsters and spaceships, only to find myself doing the same thing on the very television show that inspired me to get creative in the first place.”

• The Art of Time Travel by Peter Mckinstry is available now from all good bookshops | ISBN: 978-1785949692 | 324 Pages | Buy it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

• Peter Mckinstry is online at petermckinstry.net

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.