Children's Book Illustrations - Freelance Cartoonist Portfolio
As a children’s book illustrator, I am excited and challenged each time to not only illustrate the author’s story but also to illustrate to the different target audience ages. Most experienced children’s book illustrators know that when it comes to children’s books, there are actually two target audiences for each book with a vast difference in their ages; adults who buy the books, and children of a targeted age who read the books. Children’s book illustration is a form of fine art with a purpose. When it comes to being a freelance children’s book illustrator, several skills come to mind that are needed:
Conceptualize Author’s Story
Freelance children’s book illustrators must be able to read the story, interpret the story, and use their own imagination and intuition to conceptualize the story in a series of illustrations. Other knowledge and skills needed include the ability to dramatize the story, making it more interesting, and bringing the story to life for the child.
Children’s book illustrations need to add visual appeal for all target audiences, and illustrate the scenes in a way that also helps the child understand the words, concepts, and message of the story.
Character Designer
One of the most important considerations when illustrating children’s books is designing the characters appropriate the target audience. A character designed for a preschool audience will look extremely different from a character designed for a tween audience. This is because different age groups will respond to different cartooning design styles. It is worth stating again that when illustrating children’s books for children, both younger and older, the characters are also being designed for their guardians or parents.
Another important consideration when illustrating children’s books is the ability to illustrate the character in a multitude of emotions and body language to accurately convey the story to children so they understand the story and their messages.
I have provided character design services throughout much of my career. You can view numerous characters I’ve designed which are broken down into categories such as Cartoon Adults, Cartoon Kids, Cartoon Animals, Anthropomorphic, and Sequential Art on my Freelance Character Designer page. You can view specific children’s books I illustrated below.
Children’s Book Illustrator
Part of being a freelance children’s book illustrator is more than the ability to pose a character or paint a background. It takes the creative skills and experience of a seasoned children’s book illustrator to “tell a story on each page”. Beyond depicting the environment, layout and composition includes drawing an interesting perspective while instantly conveying each character’s actions and emotions through body language and facial expression; in essence, conceptualizing the author’s words to visually “tell the story” at that moment in time on each and every page.
The Children’s Book Illustration Portfolio below will show you several pages from featured children’s books. Click on the different filter buttons by book.
Freelance Graphic Designer for Book Layout
Being a professional graphic designer for hire, my role as a freelance children’s book illustrator includes the experience to design, layout, and compose the author’s story into an actual book. This involves choosing the fonts, fitting and arranging text to pages, and embedding the completed children’s book illustrations. Additionally, my children’s book illustrator services include designing and illustrating the book’s front and back covers, front matter, back matter, and custom end sheets if desired. And finally, the end result of exporting a printer file that allows a commercial printer to print the children’s book at the highest quality possible.
If you already have the story written and the illustrations created and just need the book layout, I can help you with that. I do offer book layout as a separate service offering. You can see some of the book layout projects I’ve done for clients on my “Books, Booklets, and Brochures” page. Or better yet, just give me a call and let’s work together to create your next book!
