Children's Book Illustrator

Working Schedule  

• Children's Book Illustrators typically work on a per project basis and have flexible hours. They may need to be available for discussions, meetings, and promotional events, but otherwise can work on their illustrations whenever they want, usually at home.

Typical Duties

• Collaborate with authors, editors, and publishers to understand a story’s themes and characters.
• Research locations and other elements to ensure accuracy in illustrations.
• Study or take reference photos.
• Create concept sketches and storyboard layouts.
• Design visual personalities and attributes for story characters. Revise artwork based on feedback.
• Develop background elements that enhance story settings and context.
• Choose appropriate color palettes and styles to match the tone.
• Prepare illustrations in agreed upon formats, such as for print, digital, or both.
• Take digital photos of completed artworks, using suitable lighting and camera equipment.
• Work with designers and layout artists during book production. 
  Review and proof final layouts to ensure quality.
• Follow production schedules and submit work by deadlines.
• Repurpose art for apps, games, and merchandise, as applicable.

Additional Responsibilities

• Work with agents to explore new opportunities, negotiate deals with larger publishers, manage contracts and finances, submit work to publishers, and manage rights for merchandising.
• Submit queries to small publishers that accept direct submissions.
• Self-publish with co-creators or write stories to go along with their own illustrations.
• Promote work through social media and online portfolios.
• Assist in marketing and promotional strategies.
• Stay updated with current trends in book illustration.
• Explore different media and techniques to enhance illustration skills.
• Engage with readers through book signings and school visits.

Soft Skills

• Ability to follow directions
• Adaptability
• Attention to detail
• Collaboration
• Communication skills
• Creativity
• Organization skills
• Perceptiveness
• Problem-solving
• Time management

Technical Skills

• Knowledge of illustration and general graphic design principles
• Ability to create engaging characters and scenes
• Understanding of color theory and composition
• Applied skills with various artist tools, including pencils, pens, different paint types, and digital tablets
• Familiarity with illustration software (such as Adobe 
  Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, Rebelle 7, Affinity Photo, Krita, Sketchbook, Corel Painter, Clip Studio, etc.) as well as AI programs (like Midjourney, Adobe Firefly, Stable Diffusion, DALL·E, Runway ML, Deep Dream Generator, Artbreeder, NVIDIA Canvas, Clipdrop, and DeepArt)
• Understanding of children’s book formatting, trim sizes, typical word counts/number of pages, etc.
• Knowledge of printing processes and book design
• Knowledge of cameras and lighting for taking reference photos and photos of completed artworks
• Document management and version control

• Publishing houses
• Educational content providers
• Freelance platforms
• Self-employment/self-publishing 

Children’s Book Illustration isn’t a straightforward job. Illustrators often work with agents to find publishers who want to hire them on a per project basis. Thus, they may not have a steady stream of regular income or typical employee benefits.

In addition, their agents are paid via commission, meaning they take a percentage of whatever amount they negotiate with publishers. This percentage may be as high as 10% to 15% or more. An added challenge is that, since agents only get paid if they can find work for their Illustrator clients, they tend to be very picky about who they accept as clients!

Workloads for Children’s Book Illustrators may fluctuate from busy periods with tight deadlines to days or weeks without any assignments. This downtime may need to be used to find other work, such as freelance gigs, selling merchandise featuring your original artwork, or even self-publishing.

This career requires a lot of initiative and discipline to find work and meet deadlines without sacrificing artistic quality. It can be demanding to balance the creative process with practical business matters like publisher negotiations or self-marketing. Illustrators must also constantly improve their skills to stay competitive. 

Digital publishing has opened new opportunities for Children’s Book Illustrators to create and self-publish their work, while social media platforms have allowed Illustrators to showcase their work, connect with audiences, and build a following.

The rise of e-books and apps has increased the need for designs tailored to digital formats. Tools like virtual reality and AI are enhancing how illustrations are created and enjoyed, but traditional artwork remains relevant and hand-drawn illustrations can easily be digitized with cameras.