A TERRY Pratchett fan and student illustrator has made a huge impression at the latest Discworld convention.

Saoirse Towler, from Canford Heath, was thrilled to land a commission designing a series of DiscWorld stamps.

Her break came after a birthday visit to the Cunning Articifer's Discworld Emporium shop in Wincanton, Somerset.

"My dad took me to the shop as a birthday treat and I got chatting to the owner and artist Bernard Pearson," explained the 20-year-old.

"I told him I was an illustrator and he asked to see my work, and soon I was working on the Discworld designs."

Bernard Pearson's shop mainly sells Discworld-related merchandise, including a range of the hugely popular stamps. He is a personal friend of Terry Pratchett whose Discworld fantasy novels have sold millions.

Saoirse, who is in the last year of an illustration degree at Kingston University, said: "I am a real fan of the Discworld novels so it was really exciting to be working on these illustrations."

The former Bournemouth College of Art student also created a range of Dragon race illustrations for the Discworld convention and a range of postcard illustrations to raise cash for the Alzheimer's Society.

She added: "I'm planning to illustrate a graphic novel based on a character I came up with through my dragon illustrations."