Category: Children’s Book Illustrator

Why Beautiful Children’s Book Illustrations Matter for Young Readers 2025
Beautiful Children’s Book Illustrations Matter for Young Readers
Illustrated by- Ananta Mohanta
Hello, I’m Ananta Mohanta. I’ve spent over 15 years as a children’s book illustrator, creating stories for young readers worldwide. I work as a high quality children’s book artist because I believe children deserve the best. When a child opens a book, the first thing they see isn’t the words — it’s the pictures. Good childrens book illustration can grab their tiny hands and say, “Come on in. There’s an adventure waiting for you.”
Why Pictures Come First
Long before children can read, they look. Their eyes look for colour, shapes, and faces. A well-drawn page pulls them in and piques their curiosity. That’s why beautiful children’s book illustrations are so important.
When parents pick up a book in a shop, they flip through it. They check the art first. Many times, they decide right there if that book is worth reading at bedtime. So, children’s book illustrators hold a big responsibility.

My Way of Working as a Children’s Book Illustrator
I work differently from many children’s book illustrators. I never take advance fees. I offer a free demo because I want authors to see my work first. If they like my character design, we move step by step.
This way, authors feel safe. There’s no worry about paying before, they’re sure. And I know my beautiful children’s book illustrations will speak for themselves.
See my portfolio!

Characters That Stay in a Child’s Heart
Think about your favorite story as a child. You probably remember a character’s face or how they looked. That’s the power of good childrens book illustration.
When I draw, I don’t just think about how a character looks. I think about how they feel. Are they friendly? Brave? Silly? A strong character makes the story shine. That’s why I always say my unique style sets me apart as a high quality children’s book artist.

Parents Want Beautiful Children’s Book Illustrations Too
Parents are busy. They pick books that hold their child’s attention. Stories with beautiful children’s book illustrations make bedtime reading special.
Many parents write to me later and say, “My child loves the pictures. They point to them every night.” That’s when I know I’ve done my job well as a children’s book illustrator.

Every Drawing Teaches Something
A child might not notice every tiny detail, but it shapes how they see the world. A kind smile, a bright scene, or a fun animal — these small things add up. A good childrens book illustration makes kids ask questions and imagine new worlds.
I always try to add those little surprises that make a child smile. That’s what beautiful children’s book illustrations should do.

Standing Out as a High Quality Children’s Book Artist
Many people can draw, but not everyone can tell a story with art. I always tell new authors to look for a high quality children’s book artist who cares about the story, not just the drawing.
I listen, I sketch, I share ideas. I want every page to feel alive. I believe that’s why authors trust me as their childrens book illustrator.

No Surprises, Just Good Work
Many first-time authors worry about losing money. That’s why I never take advance fees. I share a free demo first. If they like my beautiful children’s book illustrations, we move forward. If not, no problem — they don’t lose anything.
It’s simple, fair, and honest. I believe that’s how children’s book illustrators should work.

The Magic That Lasts
Books with beautiful children’s book illustrations stay with children for years. They flip through them again and again. Sometimes, they keep them safe and show them to their own kids later.
That’s why I love being a childrens book illustrator. Knowing that something I draw today might be read by another child tomorrow fills me with pride.

Let’s Make Something Beautiful Together
If you’re looking for a high quality children’s book artist who cares about your story as much as you do, I’m here. I offer a free demo so you can see how my style can bring your idea to life.
Together, we’ll create beautiful children’s book illustrations that stay in little hearts and big memories. Let’s bring your story to life, one page at a time.

Thank you for reading. If you’d like to talk about your story, just reach out. I’d love to hear about it.
-Ananta Mohanta (children’s book illustrator)
Contact me for a free demo here!
To know more: www.anantamohanta.com
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/illustratorananta/

July 8, 2025
How I Became a Trusted Children’s Book Illustrator for Hire 2025
Became a Trusted Children’s Book Illustrator for Hire
Illustrated by- Ananta Mohanta
Hi there, I’m Ananta Mohanta. I’ve spent over 15 years helping writers turn their children’s stories into colorful, lively books. When I first picked up my pencil, I had no idea it would lead me here, working as one of the children’s book illustrators for hire that so many authors trust today.
Back then, I didn’t think about becoming a professional children’s book illustrator at all. I just loved drawing — animals, trees, kids playing, and little worlds I imagined in my head. I used to fill old notebooks with sketches when I was young. That’s really where my journey into illustrating children’s books began.
As time went on, one sketch turned into a page, then into a spread, and slowly into whole books. Bit by bit, I found myself working with authors who needed a high quality children’s book artist to bring their ideas to life. And here I am — still drawing, still learning, and still loving every page.
When I first started illustrating children’s books, I didn’t have a grand plan — just a pencil, a lot of passion, and a dream of seeing my characters make kids smile. Over the years, that simple love for drawing has taken me across cultures, languages, and hundreds of wonderful tales waiting to be told through pictures.
In this blog, I want to share how I became a trusted children’s book illustrator for hire, what makes my approach different, and why many authors see me as a high quality children’s book artist they can rely on.
Finding My Passion for Children’s Book Illustration
Like many illustrators for children’s books, I was once just a young artist with a big dream. Drawing came naturally to me as a child. I would spend hours sketching animals, people, and imaginary places. Over time, my love for drawing grew into a calling — creating beautiful children’s book illustrations that bring stories to life.
When I started working as a children’s book illustrator, I realized it’s not just about drawing cute characters. It’s about understanding a story deeply enough to create images that children connect with. Good children’s book illustrations don’t just fill a page — they open a child’s mind.
Why I Offer Free Demos
One thing that sets me apart as a children’s book illustrator for hire is that I always offer a free demo to my authors before we begin. Many new writers are nervous when looking for illustrators for children’s books. They worry: Will the illustrator understand my vision? Will they deliver?
To remove that worry, I give every author a chance to see my children’s book illustrations style in action, without paying anything upfront. If they like my work, we move ahead step by step. If not, they are free to look elsewhere. This open, no-pressure start has helped me earn trust as a high quality children’s book artist.
My Unique Character Design Style
Over the years, my clients say that my character designs make me stand out from other children’s book illustrators for hire. I don’t just draw standard figures. I study the personality of each character — how they talk, how they feel, what makes them special.
When I design for children’s book illustration, I make sure every child and every parent can feel the warmth and charm of each drawing. My goal is to create beautiful children’s book illustrations that stand out in a crowded market.
No Advance Fees – Peace of Mind for Authors
One worry many new authors have when hiring illustrators for children’s books is advance payment. What if the illustrator disappears? What if the quality isn’t right? I understand this fear. That’s why I never take advance fees. Authors pay only when they are satisfied and ready to move forward.
This simple promise has helped me build long-term relationships as a trusted children’s book illustrator for hire. Authors know they are safe working with me — they only pay for what they love. See my portfolio!
Working With Authors Worldwide
Being a children’s book illustrator for hire has given me the joy of working with authors in the USA, UK, Australia, and beyond. No matter where my client is, clear communication is key. I listen carefully to their ideas and keep them updated at every step.
This personal approach is why many writers feel comfortable recommending me when someone asks for high quality children’s book artists. For me, trust and respect always come before the drawing board.
The Step-by-Step Illustration Process
Every children’s book is different, but my process remains the same. Once the free demo is approved, we work on rough sketches. Then, we finalize colors and details. This step-by-step method keeps surprises away and ensures the final children’s book illustrations are exactly what the story needs.
Bringing Stories to Life
Illustrating children’s books is not just work — it’s my passion. Every story deserves pictures that make young readers dream, laugh, and feel something special. I still feel excited every time I start a new book. That excitement is what keeps my children’s book illustrations fresh, unique, and full of heart.
Why Choose Me as Your Children’s Book Illustrator for Hire?
If you are looking for children’s book illustrators for hire, you want someone who cares about your story as much as you do. You want a children’s book illustrator who listens, understands, and delivers beautiful work without risk or stress.
Here’s what I promise:
- Free demo to see my style first.
- No advance fees — pay only when you are happy.
- Unique, warm character designs.
- Clear, friendly communication.
- High quality children’s book artist with 15+ years of experience.
- A partner who loves illustrating children’s books as much as you love writing them.
Final Words
Finding the right children’s book illustrator for hire can feel scary, especially for new authors. My goal is to make it easy, fun, and worry-free. Many of my clients return again and again because they know I genuinely care about their books.
If you are ready to see your story, come alive with beautiful children’s book illustrations, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s create magic for little readers together!
Feel free to visit my website or send me a message anytime — I’m always here to help you bring your story to life with my childrens book illustration services.
Here to click!
Thank you for reading!
Ananta Mohanta — Trusted Children’s Book Illustrator for Hire
To visit more- www.anantaart.com
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/illustratorananta/

If you are finding illustrators for a children’s book, in a world full of children’s book illustrators for hire, choosing the right person matters. Ananta Mohanta stands out among all children’s book illustrators with passion, punctuality, and professionalism. With a strong portfolio of children’s book illustrations, he brings characters to life through his art. For those searching for illustrators for children’s books, his styles offer charm. As a dedicated children’s book illustrator, he understands the magic that each story deserves. Whether you are seeking famous children’s book illustrators or rising talent, or comparing an illustrator’s children’s books, Ananta makes storytelling visually unforgettable.
July 7, 2025
How is AI a threat to Children’s Book Illustrators?2025
AI is a threat to Children’s Book Illustrators
Illustrated by – Ananta Mohanta
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is truly remarkable. I’m Ananta Mohanta, a children’s book illustrator. As a famous children’s book illustrator, I feel directly threatened by AI, and I am quite concerned about the future of Children’s Book Illustration. AI has been producing illustrations, digital paintings, and images with just a click, and many people are using it effortlessly while taking credit for the work. I believe AI poses a threat to children’s book writers as well. Today, I am writing this blog to share with my concerns about the impact of AI, and I want to share it with all my well-wishers, author friends, and colleagues.
Producing all the art forms of a children’s book illustrators:
AI can produce all forms of art, from traditional to digital. It can create various traditional art types, such as pastels, watercolors, pencils, and charcoal. In addition, digital art is also included. Essentially, children’s book illustrators used to create illustrations by hand using traditional methods. Now, all artwork, even that which is carefully crafted by hand, is eventually transferred to a computer. Creative apps like Adobe Photoshop and Procreate have enabled artists to create stunning digital images and beautiful children’s books.
Displacement of children’s book illustrator:
Many self-publishing authors and publishers are publishing their books. They are using AI due to its speed and cost-saving capabilities. AI is already reducing the demand for Children’s Book illustrators. Even in various fields, too.
Ethical concern from a children’s book illustrator:
AI creates anything based on what is available on the internet, including art and craft. It creates an illustration featuring a mix of various artists’ characters, styles, and designs without infringing on their concerns. It reduces an artist’s value.
Reduce the children’s book illustrators’ originality:
AI can quickly generate any type of illustration, from character design to styling and beyond. It reduces the need for original artists to draft, craft, design, and style illustrations.
Price Reduction:
I have recently seen and heard that, by using AI, many people have started to illustrate children’s books at a very low price to attract clients. As a result, professional children’s book illustrators are not getting the deserved price for their hard work.
Flooded the market with AI illustrations:
It has easy accessibility, meaning several new people are illustrating books using its tools and flooding the market with books. It is making it hard for those who are actual, real human children’s book illustrator artists to stand out in the market.
The authors got scammed by a fake children’s book illustrator:
A few of my author friends have shared that fake children’s book illustrators have scammed some of their colleagues. Some dishonest individuals create fake profiles as children’s book illustrators, take orders and advance payments from authors, and then vanish with their content. The most infuriating part is that they publish it under their name or sell the entire content at a high price to others after some time.
Artistic identity at risk:
A few months ago, a trend went viral called “GHIBLI ART.” Now, the question is, what is it? Ghibli is a Japanese animation studio famous for its distinctive animated characters. Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese artist, is the co-founder of this studio. He created and sketched Ghibli characters and continues to design them for his studio.
Suddenly, people began to replicate Miyazaki’s artistic style by using AI in their pictures and started uploading them to the internet. They called it “Ghibli Art,” and it went viral like crazy.
I have noticed that 95% of the people using it were unaware of Hayao Miyazaki or the Ghibli studio.
So, I can easily consider that AI presents a risk to artistic identity.
Failed to make the emotional connection:
Maybe AI can quickly generate an illustration, but it cannot bring the expression and set the tone as a children’s book illustrator does. An AI can never think like a human does. It may fail to establish an emotional connection between readers and the books. Sometimes, the client might overlook this, prioritizing cost over quality, but it does matter.
Final thoughts
Using AI in children’s books has many negative side effects. It could negatively impact children’s books and every creative sector. It would be a lie to say that I am not using AI, but I only use it to get some tips or ideas. I hope someday, there will be some terms and regulations for using artistic things. Perhaps in the future, we will also be able to see artists, such as children’s book illustrators, combine AI with their creative imaginations and thoughts to create more powerful and meaningful illustrations.
-Ananta Mohanta (Children’s Book Illustrator)
If you are finding illustrators for a children’s book, in a world full of children’s book illustrators for hire, choosing the right person matters. Ananta Mohanta stands out among all children’s book illustrators with passion, punctuality, and professionalism. With a strong portfolio of children’s book illustrations, he brings characters to life through his art. For those searching for illustrators for children’s books, his styles offer charm. As a dedicated children’s book illustrator, he understands the magic that each story deserves. Whether you are seeking famous children’s book illustrators or rising talent, or comparing an illustrator’s children’s books, Ananta makes storytelling visually unforgettable.
Hire me!
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/illustratorananta/

July 7, 2025
Tips for Aspiring Children’s Book Illustrators: A Guide from 15 Years of Drawing Stories
Tips for Aspiring Children’s Book Illustrators: A Guide from 15 Years of Drawing Stories

Illustrated by Ananta Mohanta
Hello there!
I’m Ananta Mohanta, and for more than 15 years, I’ve had the joy of working among children’s book illustrators. Every day, I get to help turn words into worlds, characters into friends, and simple ideas into magical pages. If you dream of seeing your art in children’s book illustrations someday, I hope my experience will help guide you a little closer to your dream.
In this guide, I’ll share what I’ve learned about how to grow as an illustrator for children’s books, find your style, build a portfolio, connect with writers and publishers, and get hired as a children’s book illustrator.
1. Fall in Love with Stories and Pictures
The first and most important thing for any aspiring children’s book illustrator is a true love for stories. Children’s book illustrations aren’t just pretty pictures — they’re part of the storytelling.
When I started, I spent hours at the library, studying the work of famous children’s book illustrators. I still do! Look at how different illustrators use colors, shapes, and expressions. Pay attention to the details: the way a character’s eyes show mischief, or how a page turn can surprise the reader.
Some illustrators for children’s books paint in watercolors; others love digital art or mixed media. There’s no right way — only your way.
1. Draw Every Day (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It)
The truth is that children’s book illustrators don’t always feel inspired. But we draw anyway. Sketch your cat, your breakfast, the people you see on the street. Doodle ideas for characters or scenes.
When I started, I kept sketchbooks full of tiny characters. Some never became anything more than a scribble. But sometimes, one drawing turned into a character who found a home in a children’s book illustration years later.
The more you draw, the more confident you’ll become. Your unique style will show itself in time.
1. Build a Portfolio That Tells a Story
If you want to become one of the go-to children’s book illustrators for hire, you’ll need a portfolio that stands out.
A good portfolio doesn’t just show you can draw. It shows you can tell a story with your art. Include different characters, emotions, and scenes. Show how you illustrate action, quiet moments, funny moments, and sad ones.
Put your best work first and last — that’s what people remember most. And keep it updated. Your style will change as you grow.
1. Understand What Publishers and Authors Look For
When someone is finding illustrators for a children’s book, they want more than nice art. They want an illustrator who understands the story and the audience.
Young readers notice everything. If your character has a red hat on one page, it should stay red on the next. Tiny mistakes stand out. So, practice consistency — the same outfits, the same pets, the same world rules.
Also, learn about page layouts, bleed lines, and text placement. A beautiful illustration can lose its magic if the words don’t fit well.
1. Share Your Work (Don’t Be Shy!)
No one can hire you if they can’t find you! One of the biggest mistakes new illustrators for children’s books make is hiding their work.
Build a simple website or online portfolio. Post your art on Instagram or Behance. Join groups for children’s book illustrators. Attend book fairs and workshops.
I’ve met many wonderful clients at tiny local events. You never know who might be looking for children’s book illustrators for hire.
1. Learn to Work with Writers and Editors
Children’s books are a team effort. As a children’s book illustrator, you’ll often work with an author, an editor, and a designer.
Be ready to take feedback. Sometimes your favorite illustration won’t make the final cut. That’s okay — the goal is the best book possible.
Always communicate clearly and professionally. Be on time. If you promise sketches by Monday, deliver them by Monday. This is one reason why publishers love working with famous children’s book illustrators — they know they can trust them.
1. Keep Growing Your Skills
Even after 15 years, I’m still learning. Try new tools, new styles, new subjects. Take classes in storytelling, character design, or digital illustration.
Follow other illustrators children’s book artists admire. Reach out and say hello — most artists are friendly! When I was young, I wrote letters to illustrators I admired. Some wrote back with advice I still treasure.
1. Understand the Business Side
Many new artists forget this part: being a children’s book illustrator is also a business.
Learn how to price your work fairly. Understand contracts — what rights are you giving away? How will you be credited? Will you get royalties or a flat fee?
When someone is finding illustrators for a children’s book, they want to know you’re professional and reliable. A clear contract protects both you and your client.
1. Be Patient and Kind to Yourself
It takes time to become one of those famous children’s book illustrators you admire. I faced plenty of rejections when I started. I still do it sometimes! But each book taught me something new.
Celebrate small wins: your first sketch that feels “right,” your first commission, your first printed page.
1. Remember Who You’re Drawing For
Finally, never forget who all these children’s book illustrations are for — the children!
Kids don’t care about fancy techniques. They care about characters they love, worlds they want to visit again and again. Children may not always remember every word on the page, but they’ll carry your pictures with them for years. That’s the true magic of this work — and why it still makes me smile every time I see a child turning the pages I helped bring to life
Closing Thoughts
If you’re dreaming of becoming a children’s book illustrator, I hope these tips light your way. Keep reading, keep drawing, keep sharing your magic.
There’s always room for one more storyteller in the world of children’s book illustrations. And maybe, someday, when someone is finding illustrators for a children’s book, they’ll find you, ready with your pencil, your ideas, and your heart wide open.
Wishing you all the best on your journey!
Warmly,
Ananta Mohanta
Pinterest: https://in.pinterest.com/illustratorananta/
July 4, 2025
Why Children’s Book Illustrators Bring Cultural Diversity to Children’s Books in 2025
Children’s Book Illustrators Bring Cultural Diversity to Children’s Books

Illustrated by – Ananta Mohanta
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July 3, 2025
15 Famous Illustrators of Children’s Books to Follow in 2025
15 Famous Illustrators of Children’s Books to Follow in 2025

Table of Contents

If you are looking for an illustrator or the best place to find stunning illustration works for children’s books, then you are at the right place! The creative industry is growing each day, and it’s simpler for people to connect and find new talents.
In this blog post, I will shed some light on the topic “20 Famous Illustrators of Children’s Books to Follow in 2025” in an easy yet detailed manner. I will also discuss their popular illustrated works for your reference below.
Gradually, you will get a clear understanding of those leading or famous illustrators and what they are popular for, and decide your illustration styles to get motivated. With the proper guidance, you can also adapt your unique styles and thrive in this highly competitive illustration domain.
Let’s start by exploring the top Children’s book illustrators one by one!
Famous Illustrators to Follow in 2025
The following list that I have crafted carefully is a list of popular illustrators who are highly praised for their remarkable artworks. I would try my best to cover almost all the top artists and their artworks here so that you can follow them for further inspiration.
1. Maurice Sendak

The American author among famous illustrators around the world, Maurice Bernard Sendak, is a very popular name in the children’s book publishing world. One of his timeless creations is ‘Where the Wild Things Are’.
With his playful and emotional illustration, he catches the wild imagination of a child seamlessly. You might get a magical creation of a story with pictures to convey feelings and show creatures. Maurice is highly popular for his detailed and bold style of illustrations, which depicts strong expressions.
He is always an inspiration to young illustrators who want to adapt their style of illustration and become famous in 2025.
2. Eric Carle

Another stunning example of a famous illustrator and designer whose works are highly praised is Eric Carle. This American-origin illustrator and author is renowned for his great work, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar.’
This iconic children’s book artist is highly popular for easy and unique artwork. His bright and colorful illustrations make his paintings capture the attention of young readers. He used hand-painted designs and textured papers to create his unique art, and this made him stand out as the most famous illustrator in America.
His books help kids to count numbers, days of the month, and days of the week, and know about healthy eating habits.
3. Leo Lionni

Leo Lionni is another great illustrator who is famous for his children’s book illustrations. More than 40 popular titles have been illustrated and authored by Lionni. His books are translated into multiple languages to make them easy for readers of different linguistic backgrounds to understand.
His popular illustration style symbolizes rich textures, hues, vibrant colors, tones, different shapes, and collages. The timeless creation of Lionni is ‘Frederick,’ which reflects the life of a poetic mouse. Through the use of animals and nature together, Lionni conveys big life messages to his readers.
Illustrators of these days should admire this blend of illustrations in this competitive landscape of 2025.
4. Vashti Harrison

Another modern and famous illustrator is Vashti Harrison and her most praised work is ‘Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History.’ This has become highly popular among readers due to the tales and illustrations of the world’s most outstanding leaders in a vibrant and catchy manner.
This multi-talented illustrator celebrates the success of 40 history-changing African American women in a more accessible illustration style. She makes use of pastel colors and smooth lines to make those tiny characters and inspire young readers.
Vashti’s work is an excellent example of teaching kids about the importance of history in a more catchy and engaging way.
5. Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein’s timeless themes and bold brand humor have made him popular among children and adults across the world. He is famous for his remarkable illustrations in ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’ and ‘The Giving Tree.’ Silverstein only makes black-and-white illustrations that reflect deep emotions.
This helps children to connect easily with the story. He won popular awards, including the Oscar nomination and the Grammy Award, and this has proven his excellence. One can simply get motivated by his bold black-and-white illustrations in 2025.
Check out Ananta Mohanta’s portfolio for more extraordinary illustrations that help children’s picture books capture young minds!
6. Beatrix Potter

Beatrix Potter is one of the excellent and popular illustrators in the late 19s. Her most astonishing creation is ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit,’ the most loved book by children, and they are based on her pet rabbits. Some other popular works of Potter are ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck,’ ‘The Tale of Tom Kitten,’ ‘The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher,’ and more!
Children who are below five mostly enjoy her work, and she wins to capture their attention perfectly. Her detailed illustrations show a stunning storytelling capacity, which makes all her works classic.
7. Quentin Blake

Quentin Blake is a British cartoonist and famous illustrator who started his book illustration journey at a very young age. He published his first work in Punch Magazine. Some of his most excellent illustrations are Scary Banner, Pantomime Unicorm, and Feline Friends.
He has created a history of illustrating 300+ books, and most of them are very popular among young readers. ‘Matilda,’ written by Ronald Dahl, is one of his timeless creations that captures the attention of children.
If you are up to getting inspiration for your artwork, then Blake’s remarkable artwork should be at the top of your list.
8. Oliver Jeffers

Oliver Jeffers is an Australian-origin illustrator who is popular for his unique illustrations, paintings, sculptures, and book marketing. His popular books are ‘Lost and Found and ‘How to Catch a Star.’ The use of soft hues and shapes has made Jeffers create scenes that are humorous and emotional.
Oliver Jeffers is famous for his excellent illustrations ‘Before My Time,’ ‘Fathom Painting No. 1’, ‘The Substitute Window,’ and more!
9. Ludwig Bemelmans

Ludwig Bemelmans is famous for his timeless creation ‘Madeline,’ the emotional story of a brave little girl who lives in Paris. His drawings are vibrant and moving, with bold lines and appealing hues. He adds a comical touch when illustrating real-life scenes. Young readers love the simple, attractive characters and exciting city scenes.
His illustrations still seem remarkable and inspiring, even in 2025. He highlighted the joy of daily life in an exciting and childlike manner. People who have an interest in traveling must enjoy the artworks by Ludwig Bemelmans.
10. Patricia Polacco

Another prominent name in the world of famous illustrators is Patricia Polacco, and she is praised for her extraordinary work in ‘Thank You, Mr. Falker’. She created history by illustrating more than 100 books.
She used pen, ink, or graphite to make catchy and unique illustrations. She is also famous for using muted colors in her works, and she makes use of vibrant colors to highlight vital subjects in a scene.
11. Priya Kurian

Priya Kurian is one of the famous Indian-origin illustrators and artists who is popular for her remarkable work in ‘Ammachi’s Glasses. This comic book writer won the Big Little Book Award in 2019. More than 100 books are illustrated by her, and she has also illustrated for prominent authors such as Manu S. Pillai, Jerry Pinto, Meera Nair, and Ruskin Bond.
Her other novel works include ‘Drawing the Line: Indian Women Fight Back’ and ‘Poonachi: Lost in the Forest.’ She creates visual moments with her unique style, and this makes an emotional connection between young readers and the story.
12. Amanda Letcher

Amanda Letcher is a freelance illustrator best known for her unique and dreamy illustrations of people, animals, things, and nature. Magical and gentle worlds filled with exciting elements are her best styles. She makes use of pastel hues, soft colors, and moving shapes that raise curiosity among young minds.
Her stunning illustration style continues to capture the attention of young readers, making her a great example which new illustrators should take inspiration from.
13. Clement Hurd

Clement is a famous illustrator for his artwork on the classic ‘Goodnight Moon.’ She has illustrated the books in a straightforward yet attention-grabbing way. From using vibrant and bright colors to simple shapes, Hurd makes bedtime stories extremely catchy and cozy for kids.
Almost 100 books are illustrated by Hurd, and some great works include, ‘The Runaway Bunny,’ ‘My World,’ ‘Run Run Run,’ ‘Hurry Hurry,’ and more!
14. Beatrice Blue

If you want to know about a rising illustrator who has been dominating the world of illustrations in 2025, Beatrice Blue is the name you should think of. Her famous illustration is in the book ‘Once Upon a Unicorn Horn,’ which is full of bright and vibrant colors and attractive character illustrations. Her other popular works include ‘The Sun Room,’ ‘Wonder,’ ‘Once Upon a Mermaid’s Tail,’ and more!
Young readers love to engage with her illustrations, as they are cute and dreamlike creations. She must be the top choice to get inspiration for catchy and brilliant illustrations in 2025.
15. Zebo Ludvicek

If you are searching for a nature-themed illustrator, then Zebo Ludvicek must be your prime pick. His stunning use of humor featuring wilderness scenes and animals has made him the most popular choice for children. He makes cartoonish illustrations of realistic themes.
Young readers are often engrossed by his national art, and this encourages their curiosity to understand nature and the world around them. Zebo’s artworks are rocking the world of illustrations due to their fun and informative touch, and this is the primary reason they are highly praised in 2025.
Final Thoughts,
In summary, the above-mentioned famous illustrators have brought life to mundane stories by adding their unique artworks.
Hoping, I have illustrated all the great and famous illustrators above with their outstanding works. If you follow their artworks in 2025, you can capture the attention of both young readers and creators. These illustrations keep the excitement and joy of learning.
If you are interested in making Children’s book illustrations or you are a book publisher, then you can go to Anantaart.com and connect with Ananta Mohanta and check his remarkable illustrations that make kids love reading books.
Happy reading.
June 26, 2025
How to Illustrate Children’s Picture Books?
How to Illustrate Children’s Picture Books?

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Want to create magical characters to grab the attention of young minds? Don’t know how to bring life to children’s picture books? Making illustrations for children’s picture books is exciting!
To make children’s books more interesting, you need to know the right steps, make appealing illustrations that are bright, vibrant, and filled with emotions.
In this article, I will highlight the topic ‘how to illustrate children’s picture books’ in a straightforward yet detailed manner. I will also state their advantages and key tips and tricks for improvement below.
Eventually, you will get an in-depth idea of how to plan, draw, design, create characters, choose layouts, and choose your best illustrations by the end of this blog post. With the right illustration tips and tricks, you can make highly effective and funny picture illustrations that bring life to boring stories!
Let’s begin by digging into the idea of children’s picture books first.
What are Children’s Picture Books?
Children’s picture books refer to those special storybooks that are made especially for young children for making their reading journey memorable and enjoyable. These books make use of clear words and bright illustrations to convey a story. These picture books are typically short and simple to comprehend.
Pictures are an essential element in books. These visual elements help you define the story and keep young minds interested. Some even convey the entire story with pictures; there are no texts.
Children’s picture books help children boost their memory, vocabulary, and comprehension of emotions. The creativity and imagination of a child will grow eventually.
Parents, teachers, and caregivers often read them to their young kids. Bedtime stories and classroom sessions are even made enjoyable and entertaining with these.
On summary, these specific types of books make learning interesting and engaging while letting kids grow their imagination as well as creativity.
Visit Anantaart.com to get professionally built visual illustrations that help your children’s picture book capture young readers!
Benefits of Children’s Picture Books?
There are some significant advantages of Children’s picture books that you must have an idea of. If you run a publishing company or are an author, you must know such benefits.
Below, I have shed some light on those benefits in simple terms. Let’s get going.
Boosts Imagination: A young mind is inspired by bright illustrations and funny stories. Kids start to make imaginations. They imagine new ideas. As an outcome, their ideas become more innovative and free-spirited.
Builds Emotional Understanding: Books with illustrations reflect more emotions, such as happiness, fun, excitement, sorrow, joy, fear, and anger. Kids will get an early idea of emotions. Character reactions and emotions are clear to them. This uplifts their emotional as well as social development.
Improves Early Vocabulary: Children’s books make it simpler for young readers to learn new vocabulary. They relate pictures to words. This helps in their better understanding of story meanings. It boosts their communication and reading skills at a very young age.
Enhanced Reading Skills: Picture books improve the process of reading. Kids explore and pick up words by integrating pictures. They begin to read alone with ease. It is a great starting place to start reading.
Improves Bonding Time: Great bonding moments occur between parents and kids when they study together. It makes a great bond. Young readers feel safe and cherished. In addition to this, it converts reading into an entertaining and cheerful social activity.
Increases Love for Reading: Kids love books due to their engaging narratives and appealing illustrations. This early joy builds into a love for book reading. They love to read more and start choosing books by themselves.
9 Steps to Illustrate Children’s Picture Books
In this section, I have tried to illustrate all the essential steps to illustrate children’s picture books in an easy yet straightforward manner. Picture book illustrations demand careful planning, sketching, layouting, background designing, final design selecting, and a clear understanding of narratives with the application of appealing illustrations or images.
If you want to start your storybook illustration journey today, this step-by-step guide will help you bring life to your creative stories.
1. Read and Comprehend the Storyline
Kick-start the journey by reading the story and understanding it better. Get the story plot, feelings, and different characters. You must visualize the scene in your mind. Analyze the vibe, whether it is exciting, joyful, or calm.
This helps in making better sketching plans. Your illustrated pictures will get more significance the more you understand the storyline.
Take the necessary time to start. An Outstanding picture book begins with an in-depth idea of the narrative.
2. Split the Story into Pages
Try breaking the narrative down into different pages. Children’s picture books generally contain 20 to 30 pages. Put separate events or sentences on individual pages. This keeps the smooth flow of the story.

To keep young minds interested, place the most exciting part of the story in page-turning sections. Each page must define a different scene. This helps in both picture and text planning.
The book is funny and easily comprehensible, while the pages are correctly arranged.
3. Make a Storyboard
Then, continue making a rough plan for your picture book for young readers. Make use of clear and easy drawings to display what will be happening on every page. This is known as a storyboard.
Making a perfect and polished storyboard is not essential. Just point out the places of action, texts, and characters. This makes it simpler to get a complete idea of what the book contains at once.
In addition to this, problems can also be solved easily. This stage helps you keep your stories simple by saving valuable time and effort.
4. Start Sketching Characters
In the next step, you have to sketch the main characters. Try creating multiple faces and styles. You need to brainstorm the unique looks, their appearance, and how they exhibit emotions.
Ensure all the looks of these characters remain the same on each drawing. They help you manage the consistency of the children’s picture books. Try to draw them in multiple actions and wear different clothes.
Funny and straightforward characters bring life to stories. For kids, keep the illustrations simple, clean, and appealing.
5. Planning the Page Layout
The next step is to plan the complete layout of the page. Set the separate layouts for separate pages. Choose places for images or texts. Think of how eyes move over the pages and focus more on that.
Do not lose the focus of the prime action. Don’t cover the pictures or illustrations to leave space for the wording. Try experimenting with different layouts until one catches your eye. A well-illustrated page is relaxing to look at and simple to read.
It also boosts the storytelling.
6. Pick a Color Scheme
The next step is to pick a specific color scheme for your narrative to make it appealing and engaging for children. Pick a set of different colors that best fit your story. Vibrant colors are best for funny stories and excitement-building.
Soft color fits best with calm and gentle stories. Try to use 3 to 5 primary colors. The book will look clearer and professional due to this color scheme. Ensure that the colors are perfect for each mood and emotion.
A dynamic color scheme makes the illustrations more appealing, exciting, and simple to enjoy.
7. Make the Final Illustrations Ready
Start focusing on the work completed so far. Try using bright colors and clean lines. You can make hand drawings or use digital applications. Make sure that every page has a similar style.
Add details to make scenes catchy and attention-grabbing without making them over-congested. Focus on lighting, depth, and background.
Your primary focus should be on creating illustrations or pictures that are simple, clean, and appealing. Once you are done, check if the illustrations resonate with your storyline. Put your best into creating final illustrations for children’s picture books, only to see whether kids will like them.
8. Adding Texts to the Pages
The story text must be placed immediately. Pick a specific font that is clear and easily readable. Important parts of your illustration must not be covered by the story text. Place it where the background looks simple. For kids, ensure the font size is perfect.
Ensure every page has a consistent text layout. Ensure that your handlettering is perfect and consistent. In order to ensure that all things fits perfectly, read the story with those appealing visual illustrations. Picture and text should complement each another. Both of them need to convey the story in an appealing and engaging manner.
9. Inspect and Finalize the Children’s Picture Books
This stage is your final one. Analyze the page carefully and find out if there are any mistakes in color schemes, texts, and sketches. Check carefully if the main character, along with others, remains the same throughout the narrative.
Ensure the story remains consistent from the beginning to the end. Ask for feedback. Sometimes, even a tiny mistake will catch the eye of the person giving feedback. Do adjustments or alterations if needed.
Once it looks perfect, print the copy or share it digitally. Hurrah! You have just finished making a children’s picture book. It’s time to sell by making kids enjoy reading.
Children’s Picture Books Illustration: Tips & Tricks
There are some practical tricks and tips that an illustrator should remember. I have tried to highlight some of them in the section below.
Improve your Children’s picture book illustrations by using the tips and tricks below;
Draw simple expressions: Ensure the faces of all characters reflect emotions and feelings. It should be concise and easy to see what the characters feel, whether they are sad, happy, or angry.
Fewer texts help kids understand emotions and boost their understanding of the story.
Highlight actions and movements: Display moving characters such as running, jumping, and laughing to make them more lively. Actions and movement keep young readers engaged and give thrills to the pages. It offers life and energy to the narrative.
Use large and simple shapes: Try to avoid adding so many small details. Start using large and clean shapes so that kids can easily perceive and enjoy them. For children, clean pictures are highly entertaining and simpler to decode.
Keep it funny and colorful: Try using bright and vibrant color schemes. Kids love bright and happy colors. Make every page breathtaking. Colors must capture the attention of kids instantly and resonate perfectly with the tone of the story.
Leave a space for text: Always decide where you wish the text to be placed. Avoid making a drawing over a space. Make it simple for kids to understand and read so they don’t get confused by visual illustrations.
Final Thoughts,
Making illustrations for Children’s picture books is a creative and exciting journey. It needs proper planning, time, and a passion for storytelling. Every stage guides you to bring life to boring stories so young readers can enjoy and have fun.
From understanding the gist of the story to making final designs, each section is important. Always keep your illustrations clear, bright, simple, and filled with emotions. Try to think like an innovative and lively kid.
I hope that I have depicted the step-by-step guide on illustrating children’s picture books in the above. I have also mentioned some essential tips and tricks for children’s picture book illustrations for higher engagement of young readers.
If you are interested in bookmaking or running a book publishing company, then you can contact Ananta Mohanta at Anantaart.com and check out the extraordinary illustrations that make children love reading storybooks.
Happy reading.
May 23, 2025
The Ultimate Guide to Digital Illustration in 2025
The Ultimate Guide to Digital Illustration in 2025
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Thinking about how digital illustration is evolving rapidly in 2025? Feeling stuck by all the trending software, trends, and tools? Don’t know where to start and thrive as a digital illustrator?
Digital illustration is rapidly transforming, as is the AI technology. Don’t be worried! This complete guide will help you through your career.
You will find the complete step-by-step guide to digital illustration in this article. This can offer you a comprehensive idea of digital illustration along with its importance, trending styles, most-used tools, and the future of digital illustration.
You will be filled with a constructive idea of digital illustration by the end of this article. This blog post will help you throughout your digital illustration journey and keep you industry-ready.
Let’s get updated with the trending digital illustration styles and thrive in 2025!
What is Digital Illustration?
Digital illustration is the most significant part of the design process, as the majority of brands use well-illustrated logos to showcase their unique products or services and, moreover, their brand identity.
Digital illustration refers to the creation of catchy artwork with the help of smart devices such as a computer, phone, or tablet. Rather than just drawing on paper, you can make sketches on a digital screen.
Some stunning apps such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe Fresco, and Procreate are used. If you want a pencil-like drawing, a digital pen or a Stylus would help.
There is a vast difference between traditional and digital art. Traditional one uses paper, brushes, pens, and color paints, while digital illustration uses digital screens, AI-powered tools, or software.
These illustrations are simple to modify, and you can undo errors and add new layers and colors to your digital art. It is time-saving and cost-effective. Most artists pick digital illustration over traditional art as it is flexible and straightforward to share.
Why is Digital Illustration Crucial?
Digital illustration is more evolving and trending than ever! Brands, authors, and creators use different types of digital illustrations to engage more with audiences visually and funnily.
With the application of proper digital art, things will be highly appealing, engaging, and simple to comprehend.
Versatility: Digital illustrations are widely applied for various media, such as advertisements, websites, games, and publications. You can create anything in any style, layout, or size. This is perfect for both critical business needs and entertaining art.
High demand for books, gaming, and advertising: These days, books for young readers, smartphone games, and digital ads all consist of illustrations. To capture and keep the audience interested, these industries need new and more appealing visuals.
Simple to access: A smart device like a desktop or tablet and an app such as Procreate is all that an illustrator needs. Anyone can start drawing at their own pace using free online resources.
Better emotional engagement: Stunning art triggers strong emotions in audiences. With the application of different expressions, colors, styles, and layouts, you can tell different stories, illustrate emotions, and boost the lasting impression of messages.
Boosts design aesthetics: Designs look catchy, modern, and unique when illustrated well. They provide attractiveness and help in capturing the attention of audiences quickly, whether on a website or products.
Builds brand identity: A unique digital illustration style boosts a brand. It promotes fast brand recognition and improves people’s loyalty and trust in the brand’s message and image.
Improved reader persuasion: Illustrations help people capture ideas more easily. By making the information more straightforward to comprehend and more friendly, digital illustrations help audiences access, define, and engage.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Start a Digital Illustration
To begin your first digital art is not easy, and it can confuse you many times. But stop worrying! This can feel like a cakewalk if you follow the below-mentioned simple steps.
You can make stunning and visually appealing digital illustrations from scratch with the right tool, a pen, and a detailed plan.
Let’s get to know the detailed steps to create a vibrant and appealing digital illustration below;
Step 1: Pick a Digital Art Tool/ Software
If you are about to begin your digital art journey, picking the right tool or software is the first and foremost step. There are some popular tools available in the market that ease the journey of an illustrator with the help of modern technologies or AI integrations.
Adobe Fresco works well on computers or tablets, while Procreate is best for iPad users. Another popular one is Clip Studio Paint. Choose the one that matches your needs without breaking the bank.
Try out the free version of each tool and then choose accordingly. Try the layers and different types of brushes for a different experience. Know how to use those tools before starting to make a drawing. An excellent tool makes this illustration creation process simple and enjoyable.
Step 2: Start Making a Sketch
The next step is to start drawing. Draw your unique ideas with the help of a pencil brush. Make use of basic outlines, layouts, and shapes. Focus on design making, not on perfection. This is your clear and detailed beginner’s guide.
You can start making drawings of basic elements such as animals, humans, and other catchy objects. First, make it clear and catchy. You can undo the drawings if you make any mistakes. Drawings help you build a clear concept.
You can proceed to the next step once you have completed the sketch.
Step 3: Design Different Layers
The next step is to create different layers for your unique drawings. One primary instance is that one layer is added to the background, one layer is added to the skin, and one layer is added to the apparel. Layers allow you to work simply without mixing multiple layers.
One layer can be moved, edited, or corrected without causing any damage to the others. This helps you save valuable time and make clear designs. Try to name different layers to avoid misunderstanding. One of the essential aspects of digital illustration is its ability to use multiple layers.
Step 4: Add Colors
The following step is to choose bright and catchy colors that represent your unique theme and style. Try creating your unique color palette. Make use of a flat brush to fill colors in different layers. Add highlights or shadows after adding base colors.
Take your time and make designs easily. Color tiny parts by zooming in, and you can even undo or ease parts if you make any mistakes. Digital illustrations make the coloring process enjoyable and straightforward. It also helps you make your drawing look bright and funny.
Step 5: Remove the Sketch Layers
Once you have finished coloring your drawings, delete or hide the layers of sketches. This makes your illustrations cleaner and simpler. You can now view the colored sections of your drawings.
Removing or erasing lines makes your sketch a polished and professional one. This simple step can make a huge difference and offer a clean look to your digital illustrations.
Step 6: Final Details Addition
You can now include tiny yet catchy details in your design to make it appealing. Draw small patterns or textures on the background or clothes.
Add highlights to eyes and even hair to create extra appeal. Remove or fix any additional gaps. Make use of light effects to showcase custom styles.
Step 7: Your Digital Illustration is Ready!
Once the art is complete, you can save a high-quality file in formats like JPEG and PNG. Start social media sharing and store a backup. Practice more to create perfect design illustrations and be more creative.
The career in digital illustration has started, and there’s a lot to explore!
Trending Digital Illustration Styles in 2025
The digital illustration industry is transforming more quickly than ever before. Illustrators make use of soft textures, bold lines, motion graphics, and more.
Such popular trends make digital art entertaining, captivating, and connecting. Let’s get to know those trending styles below;
Animated Illustrations: These dynamic drawings have movement. They employ simple motion to bring life to events and characters. They make social media and website content engaging. With little animation like waving or blinking, this art can add excitement and joy.
Children’s Book Trends: Children’s books nowadays consist of different characters, bold lines, and bright colors. Storytelling and making connections are the prime focus. Traditional and digital art are combined here.
They foster a sense of curiosity in children, and they feel a strong emotional connection with the story.
If you want to create vibrant and colorful digital illustrations for young readers, then Anantaart.com is your prime choice to capture children and engage them highly.
3D Art: 3D art is another phenomenal artwork that is creating hype over digital platforms these days. They appear like objects are coming out of the screen. It offers higher authenticity and richness.
This style is very popular among advertisements, games, and apps. It catches the attention of audiences really quickly and offers a simple yet modern look.
Tactile and Textured Looks: Due to the soft and rough look of these digital illustrations, they feel ‘touchable.’ Digital brushes are employed by illustrators to add textures to paper, paint, or fabric. It offers the artwork a familiar, handmade vibe. Digital illustrations get warmth and appeal from this trending style.
Flat Illustrations: Simple and easy shapes are used in Flat illustrations. They don’t use any shadows. It is contemporary, clear, and simple to comprehend. This is very popular among apps and websites.
Due to its fast loading speed, it is perfect for digital screens. These are the most used due to their friendly and straightforward feature.
Essential Tools or Software for Digital Illustration
If you plan to start your professional career in the digital illustration industry in 2025, you need appropriate tools or software. In this highly demanding and competitive digital world, different options are beginner-friendly and simple to apply.
You can create a stunning digital illustration right at your own pace using very few elements.
Software: There are some popular and trending software or apps that a digital illustrator uses, such as Adobe Fresco, Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, Clip Studio Paint, Krita, and Affinity Designer.
They all provide different brushes, layouts, colors, and effects. Some have paid pricing plans, and some are open-source and free. These tools help an illustrator make drawings, fill colors, and modify them as per requirements.
Hardware: There are some popular hardware such as Wacom, a drawing monitor, or iPad Pro, which are very beneficial for making digital illustrations. A stylus is also used. Such smart devices can help you draw directly on the screen with proper control.
Additional Accessories: Some additional accessories that help you with your digital illustration creation journey are a Stylus glove, a screen protector, stands, and backup drives for a better setup.
Final Thoughts,
Digital illustration has become very popular, and you can see it everywhere! These dynamic illustration trends are predicting the future of the illustration industry and related industries such as the advertising industry, the book publishing industry, entertainment, and social media.
Being a digital illustrator or an art enthusiast, you must follow this complete guide to start your journey in this highly popular digital illustration industry.
I hope I have covered all the essential topics to comprehend digital illustration in this blog post above. From stating the concept in detail to a step-by-step guide to creating a digital illustration, along with its benefits has been mentioned. I have included trending digital illustration styles and some must-have tools in the sections above.
If you want to make visually appealing and engaging digital art for children or Children’s book publishing, just get in touch with Anantaart.com and create stunning and vibrant illustrations to grab the attention of young readers.
May 14, 2025
Top Trends in Children’s Book Illustration for 2025
Top Trends in Children’s Book Illustration for 2025

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Have you ever thought of how Children’s books are so exciting and appealing these days? Illustration trends are transforming more rapidly than ever! Catchy colors, styles, and ideas make a page visually appealing.
Being an illustrator, author, or publisher, you must have in-depth knowledge of these changing trends. Young readers connect easily with vibrant images, and the proper illustration can do the cakewalk!
This is the reason why book illustration trends are so important in 2025!
In this blog post, I will cover 12 exclusive trends in Children’s book illustration to keep you active and updated in this quickly changing book publishing industry. I will also shed light on the concept of book illustration below.
By the end of this article, you will have a complete idea of the latest trends in book illustration. This will guide you throughout your book illustration journey and keep you updated. You can always keep yourself updated with the latest trends and practices of illustration to stay on top.
Let’s dive into the popular Children’s book illustration first!
What Do You Mean by Children’s Book Illustration?
Children’s book illustration is a type of graphic or illustration that conveys the narrative of a book. Young readers can better understand the story due to these catchy pictures. Illustrators add vibrant colors, thrills, and emotion to the book.
Kids can not read long sentences; that is why illustrations are the best for them to have a clear understanding of what is happening in the story! Moreover, well-illustrated images express emotions, behaviors, and even insights.
Based on the narrative, the plot might be entertaining, soft, serious, or even bright. At times, the pictures even express a significant part of the story without using any words. To leave a long-lasting impression on kids, illustrations play an important role!
Beatrice Alemagna’s “A Lion in Paris” is a prime example, as the catchy illustrations accurately show the animal’s experience.
12 Illustration Trends to Look for in 2025
The Children’s book publishing industry is rapidly growing and transforming. You will get to see a range of book illustration trends, starting from AI-integrated illustrations, comic book art, and doodle art to interactive books, character-centric illustrations, and more!
If your story doesn’t follow these book illustration trends, there might be a chance that you lose your potential young readers!
Let’s find out each trend and think about how you can benefit from such art themes in your illustrative way.
1. Minimalistic Art Styles
Simple colors and lines are the main elements of the minimalistic art style. Any extra detail that lies in the art is removed. This specific book illustration style is trending in the book publishing industry due to its simplicity and easy-to-comprehend manner.
It helps young readers to focus more on emotions and the storyline. Its modern look captures the attention of parents, too. This art style also goes well with screens, hence this is best for digital books. This art style is very popular due to its modern and straightforward illustrations.
One popular example of this is Cori Doerrfeld’s “The Rabbit Listened.”
2. AI-Powered Illustrations
AI tools play a crucial role in illustration. AI is used these days to make AI-integrated images. They provide unique styles and create illustrations in just a few seconds. Due to its unlimited creativity and time-saving nature, this trend is creating a buzz in the Children’s book industry.
AI can mix textures, different hues, and ideas that a human illustrator may not even think of. The majority of indie illustrators are picking this style due to its quick graphic making and cost-effectiveness.
One most popular instances is Ammaar Reshi’s AI-illustrated “Alice and Sparkle,” which owns the hearts of millions of children.
3. Comic Book Art
Actionable frames, bold lines, vibrant colors, speech bubbles, and panel layouts are the most significant features of a comic book illustration. It brings excitement and interpretation to stories. Kids love to see lively visual storytelling, and this makes comic book art a popular one among other book illustration trends of 2025.
Comic art makes use of catchy pictures to help children understand stories or big paragraphs. They also add excitement to learning. Many educational institutions are using comic books to engage children in reading and increase their reading habits.
Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” is one of the great examples of comic book illustration. This is popular for its blend of brilliant comic art and humor.
4. Doodle Art
Doodle art is a type of illustration that comes with messy sketches with playful drawings. This art creation is full of excitement, fun, and free energy. This illustration style is very popular among kids, and they think they can easily make doodles by themselves. This increases the relevancy of the book and builds an emotional connection with the children.
Moreover, Doodle art breaks the traditional illustration norms, fostering originality. Parents and educators prefer this highly as it boosts imagination and creativity in children.
One great example of doodle art illustration is Mike Lowery’s “The Doodle Adventures.” This offers magical doodles with an exciting story that captures the attention of young readers.
5. Colorful Abstract Illustrations
Bright hues, unique shapes, and unusual patterns are all essential elements of colorful abstract art. Real-life rules are not followed by this type of illustration. It is trending as it captures the attention real quickly.
Stories feel dreamy and mysterious as they are portrayed in colorful abstract art. Letting kids imagine without any restrictions also boosts their creative thinking. Abstract illustrations are also an excellent fit for digital books due to their easy, screen-fit nature.
One popular and excellent colorful abstract illustration example is Jillian Tamaki’s “They Say Blue.” It reflects the usage of abstract art forms, hues, and colors.
6. Cartoon and Comic
Cartoon and comic style is another popular trend in book illustration that engages children in funny, playful, and dramatic stories. Funny expressions, bold lines, large eyes, and bright colors are all common features of such kind of art.
This trend is rapidly increasing as it brings life and emotions to narratives. Young audiences immediately connect to the cartoon and funny characters of the stories. This type of illustration trend is best for quick and humorous storytelling.
Early readers and adults are the prime choice for book publishers when they are publishing children’s books containing this specific illustration style.
An excellent illustration of a cartoon and comic is Ben Clanton’s “Narwhal and Jelly.” It catches the attention of young readers by featuring a cartoon-style style cute sea animal.
7. Character-Centric Illustrations
Character-focused illustrations are currently at the top of children’s book illustration trends. This type of art mainly focuses on the adventures and emotions related to the main character.
The background is plain. Due to kids’ emotional connection with the main character, this illustration trend is booming. Young readers are more attracted to characters when they connect with them and want to know more about them.
Popular brands also develop games, TV shows, movies, cartoons, and toys around those characters. This illustration style makes it simpler for kids to know and relate to the story.
If you are looking for stunning character-centric illustrations, then Anantaart.com is your first choice to grab the attention of young readers!
8. Textured Illustrations
If you are amazed by the creative works of illustrations and want more? The textured illustrations are for you! Textured art uses techniques like rough fur or smooth water to create an appearance that feels real to the touch!
Illustrators can use layers of different colors or even real items and brush strokes. This trend is currently trending as it adds depth and realism to your artwork. This grabs the attention of children with the use of vibrant hues and colors. Children love this art style due to their richness and detail orientation.
Moreover, textures boost higher engagement from kids, especially primary readers. They have a feeling that they have access to your page.
One stunning and popular example of textured illustration is Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” which features different colorful illustrations.
9. Interactive Books
Interactive books are currently on trend. This type of book illustration helps children to move, touch, or modify parts of the pages according to their mood and desire. There are different flaps, sliders, and textures to keep children interested.
Some use animated QR codes and even music to make it highly interactive. Due to the playfulness and exciting elements of additional nature, this type of book illustration is in high demand. Young readers are highly inspired and engaged in stories by this.
It is the most preferred choice of educators and teachers for early learners. In fine motor skills building, you can not find an alternative to this!
An outstanding example of an interactive book is Harve Tullet’s “Press Here.” Childrens need to tap the dots to make interactions happen on every page, and this keeps them highly engaged.
Another example of an interactive book is Bill Cotter’s “Don’t Push the Button,” which makes the reading experience enjoyable, playful, and lasting.
10. Surrealism
Surrealism or Surreal illustrations is another trending book illustration style that young readers are currently enjoying. Both the imaginary and real world are combined in this art. This is trending as it gives rise to deep thoughts and curiosity.
Surreal illustrations bring life to stories and make them more interesting. It helps children to boost their creativity and imagination, leading them to ask “what if” type of questions. Most of the authors use such illustrations to analyze emotions and essential concepts in a very innovative manner.
The book named “The Red Tree” by Shaun Tan is another outstanding pick for a surrealism illustration. Here, kids get to know how powerful emotions are represented through surreal art.
11. Eco-friendly Art Themes
Eco-friendly themes are another dynamic one that is trending as people are becoming more environmentally conscious. This theme mainly focuses on animals, nature, and earth-saving. This illustration shows blue oceans, deep green forests, and clean air.
This specific trend is booming as it offers knowledge about the planet and Earth; thus, it is highly valued by educators and parents. This type of art is often created using recycled paper or eco-friendly materials.
Zoe Tucker’s “Greta and the Giants” is an excellent illustration example of eco-friendly art themes. It helps children take care of the environment they live in.
12. Hand-Drawn and Organic Art
Hand-drawn art is another popular illustration form that offers an honest and raw feeling. It was not only developed by computers but also by hand using paper, pen, and pencil. This is trending due to its warm and personal touch.
For children, this hand-drawn and organic art is comforting. That’s the reason parents prefer this type of illustration over others.
One excellent example of hand-drawn and organic art illustrations is Matt de la Pena’s “Last Shop on Market Street.” All the hand-drawn illustrations are by Christian Robinson.
Final Thoughts,
Nowadays, modern illustration trends are reflected everywhere! Know that these popular trends are just the future predictions of the book publishing industry. Some trends have been creating buzz in the market for a decade, and some fail to capture young readers!
As an illustrator or book publisher, you can follow these trends and make something visually catchy that leaves a mark on young readers for longer.
I hope that I have mentioned all the popular trends in Children’s book illustration above. I have also added some details about what book illustration is in unambiguous terms. I have also tried to mention some examples of different illustration trends above to boost your understanding.
If you are interested in making catchy illustrations for young readers or a book publisher, just connect to Anantaart.com and create visually attractive, colorful illustrations to capture young audiences.
Happy reading.
April 29, 2025
How to Become A Children’s Book Illustrator?
How to Become A Children’s Book Illustrator?
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Do you love drawing and want to bring life to boring stories? But confused about how to convert your passion into a profession? Many famous children’s book illustrators feel frustrated here. Not knowing where to start is a serious issue!
But don’t worry! With the right step-by-step guide, you will thrive as a Children’s book illustrator. Just be more consistent with your artwork.
In this article, I will discuss how to become a Children’s Book Illustrator to keep kids engaged in a straightforward yet creative way. I will also mention the essential skills a book illustrator should have, along with the roles and responsibilities.
I will also mention some popular tools or software commonly used by illustrators to help those who want to start their career in book illustration.
You will get a complete knowledge of how to start, from installing the software and getting enrolled in a course to portfolio building and networking in this blog post. With the right illustration skills and knowledge, you can make visually attractive and engaging illustrations and make those boring designs lively.
Let’s begin by knowing about the book illustrator first!
Who is a Children’s Book Illustrator?
A children’s book illustrator can draw pictures and illustrate for children’s books. These illustrations will offer you a catchy and engaging story. Illustrators make books funny and entertaining to read and comprehend.
Book illustrators work collaboratively with authors and book publishers. Most of the time, their drawings or illustrations are based on the creative narratives of authors. Sometimes, they even plan an entire storybook.
Different catchy illustration styles are used by illustrators. The most basic resources are pencils, fine liners, sketchbooks, paints, and advanced digital software. A book illustrator is responsible for bringing life to boring stories with the help of colorful and vibrant visuals.
All you need to know about the trending topics and preferences of kids is to be in first place in the book publishing world. Use vibrant colors, clear illustrations, and creative visuals.
Skills Needed to Become a Book Illustrator
If you are planning to start your career as a Children’s book illustrator, you must have some essential skills to get the attention of authors and book publishers.
Here, I have covered those major skills straightforwardly and straightforwardly. Let’s get to know them.
Visual Communication: As a book illustrator, you should know the proper use of visual elements to convey stories. Your illustrations must reflect your thoughts, actions, and emotions.
Children should comprehend the story even without reading. Strong visual communication helps to capture the attention of readers and makes them feel connected.
Graphic Design and Illustration: Know more about the basic elements, such as color, hue, balance, and layout in design. This gives your page a clean appearance.
If you know different illustration styles, you can easily match the tone of your story. It offers your artwork a more professional look.
Drawing Skills: You must be able to draw effectively. Practice illustrating actions and expressions more. This helps you to make illustrations lively. An excellent drawing skill helps you create engaging and entertaining stories for children.
Creative Thinking: You should have practical, creative thinking skills. Apply entertaining styles and trending ideas. Being creative makes it simpler to develop scenes and characters that kids are going to remember. It also offers exciting solutions to design issues.
Technical Drawing Skills: Having technical skills, such as familiarity with trending illustration tools or software, is essential. Know the editing and scanning process. These skills make it easier to prepare your illustrations for printing and publishing digital books.
Familiarity with the Book Publishing Industry: Know more about the distribution and publishing process of children’s books. Know more about printing rules, deadlines, and different formats. This makes it simpler for you to team up with authors or book publishers to meet their expectations for your artwork.
Problem-solving Skills: It can be challenging sometimes to create a layout or draw a scenario that is hard to understand. These should be fixed in the first place. Practical problem-solving skills can help you meet your deadlines and stay consistent on your illustration journey.
Team Collaboration: Book illustrators often collaborate with editors, writers, or art directors. You must take criticism naturally while sharing your unique ideas. Good collaboration helps you complete the book quickly without any hassle.
How to Become A Children’s Book Illustrator: Step-by-Step Guide
I have tried to cover the basic steps to becoming a Children’s Book Illustrator in the section below. Children’s book illustration requires you to be highly creative, organized, a planner, and a dynamic storyteller.
If you are planning to step into the Children’s book publishing world, the steps that I have mentioned below will guide you through your illustration journey. You will be able to bring life to different narratives and capture the attention of your readers.
Let’s get going.
1. Conduct Market Research and Watch Latest Trends
You can start by researching more about the Children’s book market. Find out what styles and layouts are used mainly by publishers. Go to bookstores, online websites, and libraries to know what kids read.
Find out the bestselling books and note different art styles. Track the latest trends and color usage. Having a clear understanding of the industry will help you make illustrations that keep kids interested.
2. Install the Right Software and Practice
Install applications like Sketchbook, ProCreate, Adobe Illustrator, or Adobe Photoshop. You can make high-quality graphics with this advanced software. Explore different types of layouts, effects, and brushes.
Learn how to make vibrant and clear illustrations. The quality of your completed artwork is highly impacted by the software or tool you use. It offers your illustrations a clean, professional, and publication-ready finish.
3. Enroll in a Course or Degree
You should think of joining a Graphic design or illustration degree program. Various online resources offer easy sessions. If you need more information, full-time degree programs are also there.
Getting illustration lessons from industry experts will give you helpful suggestions. You can build good working habits with the help of such courses or degree programs.
4. Build Your Unique Style
Don’t try to copy others’ works. Instead, try to build something unique, and that will be your style of illustration. Your unique style will make you stand out from the crowd. Pay attention to your unique style while drawing different characters, using vibrant colors and narratives.
Are you a publisher looking for unique illustration styles? Then, Anantaart.com is your top pick to engage young audiences more!
5. Practice Your Art Work
Practice daily, as it keeps your skills polished and makes you perfect! Enjoy sketching funny scenes, backgrounds, characters, and animals—practice illustrating different emotions and behaviors. The more you practice, the better illustrations you make. Daily practice improves your skills quickly.
6. Get Your Illustrations Seen
You can post your artwork on online platforms to gain more attention. Try sharing them on websites such as Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and even on your website.
The more people see your illustrations, the greater the chances of hiring you. Use relevant hashtags while posting. Join online art contests and get noticed.
7. Start Networking
Try connecting with popular authors, book publishers, and other book illustrators. Join Facebook and Instagram communities, Online forums, and local art groups. Join workshops and go to book fairs as much as you can.
You might get more opportunities with better networking. You can also learn from other’s mistakes and experiences.
8. Boost Your Portfolio
Build a strong portfolio showcasing your best artwork. Highlight different characters and styles. Add your complete samples of work to your portfolio. A catchy portfolio shows publishers your stunning artwork. Keep it updated and improve your portfolio often.
9. Share Your Artwork
Try sharing your art samples on popular websites like Dribble, Pinterest, Godly, SiteInspire, and more! Make short videos that reflect your making illustrations. People enjoy how the illustration is created.
Daily sharing helps you keep your profile active with people and helps to boost their trust in you. This also enables you to reach popular book publishers looking for a newbie.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Book Illustrator
A book illustrator has some jobs to complete before publishing a children’s book. Below, I have stated the key roles and responsibilities of a Book illustrator, so that you can have a detailed understanding ahead.
Make illustrations that fit better with the character, mood, and settings of the narrative and help kids connect more with the story.
Collaborate with authors and publishers to know their objectives and satisfy them with appealing illustrations.
Make characters with emotions and attributes that are persistent throughout the book to manage a simple yet strong visual storytelling.
Pick vibrant colors, designs, and simple layouts that reflect the story’s message.
Maintain book publishing schedules and deadlines to guarantee on-time delivery of your creative illustrations.
Use the usual media or digital software to make final illustrations, which are ready to print and publish.
Reviewing illustrations depending on feedback received from authors or editors to make them better and children-friendly.
Researching the current trends in the Children’s book industry to make your illustrations trending and fresh in this highly competitive book publishing industry.
What Tools and Software Does a Book Illustrator Use Often?
A Children’s Book illustrator should work with multimedia development, graphic design, technical graphics, desktop publishing, and other specialized digital tools. They should have a detailed understanding of layout publishing to create catchy illustrations.
Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Photoshop is the most widely used software for illustration, editing, and painting. It offers a variety of brushes and advanced tools for finer artwork. This software is great for adding textures, effects, and colors. Due to its dynamic editing feature, most illustrators are using it.
Abode InDesign: InDesign enables the layout of text and pictures in a book design. Layouts and complete book design are its most frequent uses. It promotes a clean and simple illustration layout. It is crucial for getting children’s books ready for printing and publishing.
Corel Painter: Another excellent software that helps in real painting is Corel Painter. This software comes with different types of brushes that offer effects like watercolor, oil, and pencil. This is very popular among illustrators for its fresh and natural hand-drawing features. This software is recommended for artists who love traditional art forms.
Sketchbook: Sketchbook is another popular and beginner’s pick for fast illustration ideas. It has a user-intuitive and straightforward dashboard. This application provides a clean user interface and a range of drawing tools. Most of the illustrators are using it for sketching and rough illustrations.
ProCreate: ProCreate is another excellent application that offers a smooth workflow and multiple brushes for catchy illustrations. It is very popular among illustrators. You will be able to sketch, paint, and even make animations. It is most picked by illustrators on the go, due to its high portability nature.
Adobe Illustrator: Adobe Illustrator is mainly used for generating clear and scalable illustrations. It is popular due to its vector graphics, as they help your illustrations be sharp at different sizes. It’s best for strong lines, flat images, and forms. Most of the book illustrators are using it to make comic-style books.
Final Thoughts,
Being a Children’s book illustrator is an entertaining and fulfilling career. You don’t have to be perfect initially—all you need is strong passion and patience for your illustration practices. Enrol in a course, learn skills, create your unique style, and keep making different artworks daily.
Build your portfolio, share your artwork, keep networking, and boost your work opportunities. Just know that every popular book illustrator was once a beginner!
Hoping, I have stated all the necessary steps to become a Children’s Book Illustrator in this blog post. I have also covered the key skills for a book illustrator to thrive in the book publishing industry. The roles and responsibilities are also mentioned above.
I have also tried to highlight some of the basic tools and software that book illustrators are mostly using effortlessly.
If you are an author or book publisher looking for catchy illustrations for young readers, just connect to Anantaart.com and make attention-grabbing illustrations to engage young minds.
Happy reading.
April 26, 2025

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