However, in 1904, a publisher who had commissioned a large quantity of drawings was declared bankrupt and Heath Robinson had to find another source of income.  He turned to the high-class weekly magazines such as The Sketch and The Tatler, who paid well for large, highly finished, humorous drawings, and within a year he was being acclaimed as a unique talent in this field.

During the years 1906-1916 Heath Robinson successfully combined the careers of comic artist and serious illustrator, producing what was to be his best work in both fields.  This was the age of the gift book with its sumptuous binding and tipped-in coloured plates.  His contributions to the genre include Bill the Minder, a children's book, that he both wrote and illustrated.  Other Heath Robinson gift books include editions of Shakespeare's plays, Kipling's poetry and fairy tales by Hans Anderson and Perrault.  His black and white illustrations for A Midsummer Night's Dream rank among the finest produced for any book in the last century.

By the end of World War I the market for lavishly illustrated gift books had all but disappeared.  The gap was readily filled since his talents as a humorist were in ever increasing demand, especially for advertising and occasional commissions for fantasy illustrations. For his own pleasure he continued to paint in watercolours, experimenting with the effects of light and colour.

His importance, as an innovator in the fields of illustration and advertising, and perhaps more importantly as the heir of Rowlandson and Cruikshank in the British humorous tradition, has yet to be fully appreciated as his work is poorly represented in public collections.