Schoolboy has 'doodles' of fun as talent is discovered in US and in book deal

  • Video report by ITV News Correspondent Stacey Foster

A 10-year-old, commonly known as Doodle Boy, has now become famous across the globe for his wonderful drawings.

Joe Whale used to get into trouble for doodling in class at St George's Junior School in Shrewsbury.

But when his teacher shared photographs of his sketches on Instagram they caught the eye of a restaurant owner, who then asked him to decorate their walls with his doodles.

Now he's flown to the United States to illustrate a set for a TV show and is just about to sign a book deal.

The youngster told ITV News: "My dad asked if I wanted to do it and I was like 'Dad, of course I want to do it' and since then that's pushed me to do what I love and I think that's sort of what I'm going to do."

He adds: "I just keep telling myself, do what you love, do what you love, doodle."

"I don't really think about what I'm doing, I just go ahead with it and just create from my mind. I don't really plan, I just do what I'm feeling," he said.

Joe has been asked to doodle in a restaurant in his hometown Shrewsbury. Credit: Handout

Joe also described what it was doodling during classes, saying: "I wouldn't doodle on my books, I doodle on a whiteboard once I've finished my work, but my teacher would go 'Joe, no' and hand me a detention, which I found really annoying."

During the coronavirus lockdown Joe launched a YouTube channel to help teach other kids how to doodle and his dad has been filming all the videos.

His dad, Greg Whale, said: "He definitely doesn't get it from me, I've always loved art, I'm fairly good at art but only on a realistic scale, the imagination is more from his mum's side."

Now Joe has offers from people who want to animate his work, including a commission from ITV News of presenter Mary Nightingale.