There are plenty of children’s illustration portfolios out there that look polished. The technique is strong, and the style is appealing. But sometimes, even when all the “right” boxes are ticked, something’s still missing. And that missing piece is often “authenticity”.

Drawing for 10 minutes daily, helps to build confidence, spark ideas, fight procrastination, and develop your unique style amongst other things. Little daily efforts slowly grow into a confident and successful creative habit .

Find out what those ten reasons are here.

Have you ever been told, “Just keep making work and your style will come”? I have. I clung to that advice for a long time. Five years, actually. I drew constantly, tried everything, experimented and ended up completely stuck and burn out.

Here are three things I wish I’d known sooner.

I used to believe that I would never succeed as an illustrator because I didn’t think I had any style. I saw others post their art on social media and I was always in awe , and envious of the success they seemed to have. I tried to emulate others style in order to have that same success, and I did manage to successfully copy other artists as a means of experimentation, but i could only copy a particular piece of art. That’s until my brain realised that style and voice are two separate things that are equally important for an illustrator.

To enhance your art, gather diverse reference images, prioritize stock photos, and make quick observational sketches to identify key details. Use your sketchbook to compile and remix elements from multiple sources, avoiding over-reliance on a single image. This approach develops your unique style and deepens your understanding of subjects.

Most picture books have 32 pages, a standard based on printing efficiency and suitable for young readers' attention spans. This article explores the reasons behind this format, its variations, and tips for writers and illustrators to plan effectively within this structure, ensuring a balanced and engaging storytelling experience.

Picture books are concise yet impactful tools for storytelling, often spanning 24, 32, or 40 pages, with 32 being the standard. After reserving space for front matter, approximately 28 pages remain to deliver a compelling narrative arc. Each page or spread must serve a clear purpose, captivating readers from the start.

This is the second part of a very long article about how to illustrate a children’s book. You can read the first article here.

Now that you have understood the story, researched, did some character design and started your first pass at thumbnails and layouts and refined a few sketches, you can start to experiment with color.

Illustrating children's books is a magical journey that combines art, storytelling, and imagination. Your pictures will help bring characters to life, create moods, and captivate young readers. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, illustrating children's books can be rewarding and challenging at the same time.

Creating a vision board is a fun and creative way to visualize your goals and dreams. It’s like making a collage of everything you want to attract into your life! Here's a simple step-by-step guide to help you create your own vision board.

A strong children's book portfolio should showcase a range of skills while also highlighting your unique style. Here is a list of some of the essential elements it must include.

Vision boards can be a powerful tool for illustrators, though they’re not essential for everyone. Whether an illustrator needs one depends on their creative process and preferences.

Building a lucrative creative career is a dream for many, but achieving it requires a focused approach. Here’s a guide to help you thrive while doing what you love.

A lucrative creative career is possible, but it definitely is hard work. With unwavering dedication and the right strategy and approach, you can turn your creativity into a sustainable business.

As artists and illustrators, having a positive mindset is like having a superpower. Between procrastination, imposter syndrome and comparing our art to others, there’s a lot we need to deal with in order to move forward. If you have a positive mindset, you’ll look at everything that comes your way as opportunities instead of obstacles. Let’s develop this a little more.

Working from home as a freelance illustrator can be both rewarding and challenging. You have the freedom to set your own schedule and work on projects that inspire you, but staying motivated without the structure of a traditional office can be tough.

A unique selling point (USP) for a children's books illustrator is a distinctive feature or quality that sets them apart from others in the industry. Looking at other children’s books illustrators out there, here are a few examples of compelling USPs I have found.

In my quest to finding focus and motivation in my freelance children’s books illustrators career, I have found myself asking this question : how many goals should an illustrator have every year? After all, life as a freelance illustrator is quite different than anything else. All the articles I have read online were very generic.

Are you familiar with the term procrastination? I heard it many times in my years as an artist and illustrator, but never learned to identify it until recently. Procrastination is a common challenge, but understanding the reasons behind it can help artists find ways to overcome it and keep creating. So why do artists procrastinate?

For years, my ultimate goal was to become a children’s books illustrator, but I struggled to make it happen. The loneliness of working from home and the fact I had no anchor to make sure I was on the right path, just didn’t help . It’s only when I found an accountability buddy that things started to change.

Are you familiar with the infamous Impostor syndrome? That niggling voice in your head that says you are not good enough? That feeling that you will never amount to anything? It’s a challenging opponent to any artist that dedicates himself to his or her art.