Break Into Children's Illustration

Making magic Julia Sagar dives into the burgeoning world of children’s book illustration to find out what it takes to make it as an artist.

- Jonny Dudle

Magical lands, swashbuckling adventures, tall tales conjured with wonderful  breaches of logic… the lure of children’s  book illustration is clear. Who wouldn’t  want to spend their days crafting stories of courage, loyalty and bravery?

Children’s book publishing is booming. In the UK, the market grew more than seven per cent in the first quarter of 2016, according to Nielsen Books, following a 5.1 per cent growth in 2015. Unsurprisingly, it’s competitive, and for many artists a tough field to crack. Even Dr. Seuss creator Theodor Seuss Geisel was rejected by over 30 publishers before releasing his first book. So what does it take to make it in the wild world of children’s book illustration?

For author and illustrator Jonny Duddle, the first key attribute is an active imagination. “Whether you’re writing and illustrating your own books or illustrating another author’s text, you need to create original, inspired artwork to capture a child’s imagination,” he explains. “You need to be passionate about your vision, and make sure you have the style and technique to pull it off.”