Children’s: A Day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator
I wake up early. Not too early — just when the sun starts pushing through the curtains. The first thing I do is make tea. I can’t start without it. I sit near the window, watch the light move across my table, and quietly think about what waits for me today. Most days, it’s drawings — sketches, characters, unfinished pages — all whispering for attention. That’s life when you’re a children’s book illustrator.
The world outside might look ordinary, but inside my head, there are stories flying around — colors, shapes, faces, and moments that haven’t been drawn yet. Before I touch the tablet or the pencil, I read the story again. Always. Slowly. I try to feel what the writer felt.
Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s warm, sometimes it’s so quiet it almost breaks your heart. That’s the part I love — understanding the story before turning it into art. Being a freelance children’s book illustrator means I get stories from everywhere. Some come from authors halfway across the world, some from first-time writers just trying to share something they love. Every one of them carries a bit of emotion, and it’s my job to give it a face.
The desk, the sketches, and the quiet noise
My desk is never clean. Ever. There’s always a half-open sketchbook, color swatches, old pencils, a few rough doodles lying around. I tell myself I’ll organize it someday, but honestly, I don’t think I ever will. The mess feels alive.
When I start sketching, I forget time. I keep drawing until a character finally feels right. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes a day. I can’t explain how I know when it’s right — I just feel it. That small spark when a character suddenly looks like they’ve been waiting to exist.
Being a professional children’s book illustrator isn’t about making perfect drawings. It’s about giving emotions a shape. Children don’t care about technique — they care about how it makes them feel. If they smile, or feel comforted, or curious, then I’ve done my job.
Color — where the story starts breathing
After lunch, I move to colors. That’s the part that changes everything. The story finally starts to breathe when color comes in. Sometimes I use bright tones that burst with joy. Other times, I keep it soft, calm, full of small silences.
I don’t follow any color rules. I go with what the story tells me. If the character is happy, I let the whole page glow. If they’re scared or lost, I mute everything down. That’s how I listen — not with my ears, but with my eyes.
Being a children’s book illustrator means you start seeing the world differently. Every shadow, every tiny reflection becomes something that might fit into a page later.
People behind the pages
Around evening, I check messages. Working as a freelance children’s book illustrator means talking to people from different places — authors, editors, small publishers, sometimes parents writing stories for their kids.
Feedback is part of the job. Sometimes I get “perfect, don’t change a thing.” Sometimes I get long lists of edits. I take both with a smile. Every change helps me understand the story better.
When someone asks me how to hire a children’s book illustrator, I always say — look for someone who listens. Someone who feels your story like you do. Good art doesn’t come from skill alone; it comes from empathy.
When the day slows down
As the light fades, I start wrapping up. I look at what I made that day — sometimes it feels finished, sometimes it still needs something small. Maybe a line that needs softening, or a shadow that feels too heavy. I fix it quietly, with music playing low in the background.
Some nights, I stay longer than I should. It’s hard to stop when a page starts looking alive. That moment when you realize — yes, this is what I wanted — it’s impossible to walk away from that.
That’s the thing about being a children’s book illustrator — it’s not really a job you turn off. It follows you everywhere. In dreams, in random ideas, even in the way you notice sunlight on a wall.
The night, the pause, the reflection
Before I sleep, I often flip through my old books. Each one feels like a memory — a time in my life, a mood, a version of myself. It’s strange and beautiful to think that somewhere out there, children are holding those books, smiling at those pages I once sat up late to draw.
Being a children’s book illustrator has taught me patience, emotion, and how to see the world softer than before. Every story I illustrate changes me a little. Every color I choose teaches me something new about feeling.
I don’t know how many books I’ll make in my lifetime, but I do know this — as long as there are stories that need pictures, I’ll be here, sketching quietly, cup of tea beside me, waiting for another day to begin.
To know more: www.anantaart.com
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/illustratorananta/
Behance: https://www.behance.net/ananta-mohanta
Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/ananta_mohanta_
Leave a Reply