Virtually every children’s book requires illustrations. Before picking an illustrator, you need to decide on an illustration style. Depending on the subject and tone of the book, one style might be more appropriate than another. I read a multitude of books, checked out artist websites, and scrolled through portfolios of agencies representing illustrators to figure out what style of illustration appealed to me.
Illustrations play a crucial role in creating a visually engaging and captivating children’s book. They add color and life to the story and help young readers visualize and understand the text. Children’s book illustrations can be created either traditionally (on paper) or digitally. As technology has evolved, it has become harder to tell the difference between the two. Many tools used by digital artists mimic those used by traditional artists, so the creation of digital illustrations doesn’t make the work any less “real” or valuable than traditional art.
Traditional artists use media such as pens, pencils, markers, and paint. When finished, illustrations are professionally photographed or scanned to be placed on the page. Traditional illustration methods can be time-consuming and costly, and changes are not easy to make once the artwork is complete.
Digital artists create illustrations on their computer or tablet using programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Procreate. This method is less time-consuming and costly, which is why it has become a preferred method for illustrating children’s books. The benefit of digital art is that changes are easier to implement. Lines can be moved or redrawn with the click of a button, and colors can easily be adjusted.
Now, let’s take a look at some different styles for picture book illustrations.
Realistic Style: In children’s books, “Realistic Style” means something specific. It’s not hyper-realistic but aims to illustrate things as they appear in real life. This sets it apart from the exaggerated, playful style often seen in children’s books.
The Realistic Style works best in children’s books that focus on teaching or relating true stories. Its attention to realistic proportions and details makes it great for explaining facts and depicting real-life situations accurately.
Cartoon Style: This seems to be the most common illustration style used in picture books these days. The art is colorful and engaging for children. It moves away from strict realism and exaggerates to make the visuals more captivating. For example, animal characters can be given human qualities to make them directly relatable.
The Cartoon Style works well for playful adventures and stories aimed at young children. It conjures a world of innocence and imagination where anything is possible.
In Part 2 of this blog post, I will give examples of the Fantasy or Whimsical Style and the Abstract Style of illustration. Stay tuned!