For other posts in this series: part 1 | part two | part three | part four …
My experience illustrating children’s books has been a joyful one, though there have been times when it’s tested my mettle. This job is very time and labor-intensive, and you must check your artistic ego at the door. It’s an experience many artists haven’t faced before – someone else being the “boss” of your artistic work. You must remember, this is a business and your artistic vision and output must jibe with the interests of the book publisher. In many ways, you are still the master of your own artwork, but you must be able to compromise and follow the advice/direction of the people in charge. If this situation is something you don’t think you can accept, I’d suggest you find a different venue in which to share your art. All in all my experience illustrating children’s books has been absolutely rewarding and I look forward to many more assignments – maybe even a story or two of my own!
I hope this peek into the world of children’s book illustration has been interesting and helpful to you. If you have questions or comments, please use the contact feature of the website or leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to respond.
Detail from Forty Winks
Best wishes!
~Diane