Illustrations for Children’s Books
What greater joy is there for an artist than creating a few illustrations for a children’s book?
It truly takes me back to my days as a student at the art academy, when we were tasked with illustrating an engaging storyline.
Let me tell you why this is such a unique field for me. As a parent, I know how vital it is to spark children’s interest in reading. Yet, it’s no easy feat to hold their attention on something that isn’t a smartphone. Thankfully, there are still kids who genuinely love flipping through captivating books filled with beautiful illustrations. As a parent, it warms my heart to see my own children engrossed in a book.
Watercolor Illustrations for Children’s Books
This is perhaps the most beloved technique—for both artists and children alike. Maybe it’s because watercolor illustrations turn out so airy and delicate. For the illustration below, created for the book “The island”, my task was to depict a handsome boy dreaming of becoming incredibly strong. To be honest, I used my son as the model. I had him do a one-handed push-up to show me his strength. He succeeded—and I managed to sketch him, later turning that sketch into an illustration for the book.
Digital Illustrations
Another type of children’s illustration is the digital kind. In the example I’m sharing with you, I was tasked with drawing two women and a man who find themselves stranded on a deserted island. The story follows these three strangers, shipwrecked and forced to survive through a series of adventures and challenges. That’s what makes children’s books so exciting, isn’t it?
Black-and-White Illustrations
Lately, black-and-white illustrations have been growing in popularity. They’re perhaps better suited for teenagers, though they can work for younger readers too. By the way, the most challenging illustrations are those done with pen and black ink—there’s no room for error. An eraser is useless in this case.
Illustrations for the Littlest Readers: Use Colored Pencils
Whenever I get such a commission, I reach for my colored pencils. Every child under five loves drawing with them. And honestly, the results can be stunning. For one of my recent books, I even included an illustration drawn by my 12-year-old son, who’s already quite talented at drawing.
My Approach to Creating Children’s Illustrations
I always start by reading the entire story to get a feel for its theme and a clear sense of the narrative. Then, together with the author, we identify the parts of the book best suited for illustrations. Once we’ve settled on those, I begin sketching the initial drafts. After the author approves them, I move on to developing the characters’ appearances and personalities. The next step is coloring, and finally, I place the finished illustrations onto the pages using Photoshop to ensure they pair seamlessly with the text.
This is my process for illustrating children’s books. If you like my approach or find the illustrations appealing, feel free to reach out—I’d love to create something together!
