Q&A for How to Illustrate a Children's Book

You can certainly use programs like Photoshop to create art for your children's book, but a drawing tablet is really the best option for high quality illustrations.

Yes, you absolutely can.

The brand of colored pencils is very important. Some brands have different sets of colored pencils that allow the illustrations to have different textural uses. Colored pencils can be oil-based or water-based, so knowing how you'd like the flow of color and texture prior to investing in colored pencils may save you time and money. Also, there are tool aides you can use with colored pencils that can blend, erase and more depending on your coloring needs.

Charcoal can be used for creating black-and-white illustrations. It is also great for sketching. You can use ordinary pencil instead, pen and ink, or even chalk pastel.

Scan them using a multiuse printer connected to your computer. Then you should be able to view the pictures. You could also use an online program with a touchscreen device or a drawing pad and drawing pen to draw directly on your device.

The easiest thing is to get down to it and write. Draw inspiration from your favorite authors, but make sure your book reflects you. Use your creativity and imagination. Have your family and friends, as well as yourself, edit the book and make suggestions so all your ideas and visions are clear.

Generally, illustrators are people who know how to draw well. If drawing is not your thing, you don't need to do it. You could ask someone else to do the illustration. Or you can learn how to draw. You can find many articles here that will help you improve your drawing skills, or watch videos on YouTube.

Some form of computer software, like Adobe Illustrator is used to organize and align the text with the images.

The above article gives you excellent ideas for when drawing in black and white. Remember to use shading to make an impact with your illustration.

Use thicker watercolor paper (300gsm or heavier). Stretch the paper by taping it to a board and dampening it slightly. Use less water on your brush to avoid over-saturating the paper. Paint in thin layers, letting each one dry before adding more. Consider mixed-media paper if not using watercolors. These tips will help prevent soaking and buckling.

After finishing your book, edit and format it for print or digital platforms. Create a cover that matches your book's theme. Choose between traditional publishing, where publishers handle printing and distribution, or self-publishing through platforms like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark. For print, books are made in bulk or on-demand. Once published, your book is marketed and sold online or in stores.

Research those that match your art style and check their submission guidelines. Prepare a professional portfolio showcasing your best work and write a cover letter introducing yourself and explaining why your art fits their needs. Submit your portfolio and cover letter as instructed above, whether through email, an online link, or by mail. Be patient, as responses may take time, and tailor your submission to each publisher by closely following their guidelines.

Yes, even if you feel you're not a skilled artist, using quality colors and tools can improve your work. Vibrant markers like Copic or Prismacolor can make drawings look polished, and practicing with simple shapes and techniques can enhance your skills over time. Great art starts with trying, so don’t let self-doubt stop you!

Popular brands for coloring include Copic and Prismacolor for blending, Tombow for bold colors, Staedtler for detailed work, and Faber-Castell for rich, durable colors. Choose based on your needs, like blending or precision.

Yes, you can use felt-tip pens to color your drawings. Use quality pens like alcohol-based markers for smooth blending or water-based markers for bold colors. Test the pens on scrap paper to ensure they don’t smudge or bleed. Start with light colors and add layers for depth. Scan or photograph the drawing carefully to keep the colors accurate. Felt-tip pens are great for adding vibrant color to your illustrations.

Pick a color that complements the book. Then use Figma's color wheel to select a palette type and adjust it to match your chosen color.

That is an easy way of transferring a physical drawing into a form that can be easily inserted into a digital manuscript, whether it will be an e-book or printed.

Children aged 3 to 6 prefer big books with pictures, and not a lot of pages, about 6 to ten pages is enough.

Stick to a single medium when creating an illustration in order to keep consistency. But there are no rules against using various different types of colouring utensils when one creates an illustration. If you are drawing for a client you should check with them first to see if they are opposed to it. But if you are drawing for yourself you have unlimited freedom.

You need to factor in the size as well as the dpi. If you have drawn your pictures at 4” x 4” and they are going to be enlarged substantially, 300 dpi will be too small. DPI should be assigned at the same size that your file will be printed. For example, if the printed file needs to be 10” x 10”, you need to create it that size and no smaller.