Find the Best Children's Book Illustrator Jobs

What does a children’s book illustrator do?

Children’s Book Illustrators create imagery that supports the storyline of a picture book. They interpret the author’s work and collaborate to ensure the story is correctly visualized, using their own artistic style to create a visual world that children will want to explore.

Children’s book illustrators must consider factors such as story purpose, audience age, and how their illustrations will play a role in telling the story. Then they choose an artistic style and medium that complements the tone of the story.

What skills do I need to become a children’s book illustrator?

In addition to the obvious—the ability to draw, paint, print and/or digitally create engaging illustrations—a freelance children’s book illustrator needs to have clear verbal and written communication skills. Also prioritize the ability to adapt artistic methods based on the author’s requirements.

These supplementary skills are important to becoming a freelance illustrator.

• Ability to collaborate with children’s book authors, editors, and publishing houses to create engaging and expressive illustrations that enhance the written storyline
• Ability to provide creative direction and inspiration for the book's visual elements
• Ability to research and develop ideas that complement the book's storyline, themes, emotions, and characters
• Make detailed and thoughtful sketches and drawings
• Incorporate characters, settings, and props in ways that creatively direct the attention of children
• Scan and digitally enhance sketches as-needed
• Experience working with publishing house art directors to ensure that designs align with production needs
• Experience maintaining close communication with and meeting the needs of a book publisher
• Experience collaborating with other book illustrators and production artists to create a final work
• Create an online portfolio of your illustration work, preferably your own website to assist in marketing yourself
• Ability to find and cultivate clients

What are a children's book illustrator’s work responsibilities?

These job responsibilities ensure that children’s book illustration freelancers are able to deliver impactful, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing images to accompany the stories that an author has labored to create.

• Create children’s book illustrations with a wide range of tools, such as pencils, charcoal, pastels, markers, paint (watercolor, acrylic, etc.) or digital software (Adobe Illustrator, etc.)
• Collaborate with the author to represent story elements clearly and cohesively
• Express the style and tone of the book's imagery via a vision board or inspiration board, first drawing on thoughts of the book’s various stakeholders
• Ensure that the illustrations’ content is appropriate for the intended audience of early readers
• Perform research to accurately depict story scenes
• Ensure that all illustrations are delivered on time and according to the client's specifications
• Actively research, identify and explore new artistic styles as-needed, taking art classes as necessary