Finding an Illustrator to Bring Life to My Character
Finding the right illustrator was a lovely experience. It felt super overwhelming because I had no idea where to begin, but my excitement to see Siona come to life kept me going. I did a LOT of research and started to imagine Siona in different ways depending on the illustration style of the artist. I found so many incredibly talented illustrators on Instagram, and I engaged in relevant Facebook groups to learn more which lead me to different professional illustrator databases.
It’s a crazy world out there so I’ve included a couple of links in case you’re an upcoming author and this helps you to get started:
- Facebook Groups: Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, Indie Children’s Book Authors and Illustrators, Children’s Book Illustrators
- Instagram Accounts and hashtags: @childrensillustratorsart #childrensbookillustration #childrensbookillustrator – you’ll enjoy the exploration and go with the flow you’ll eventually find an illustrator you like and they usually have a way to contact them if they are available for commission.
- Global Freelancing Platforms; Fiverr and Upwork; great for finding different illustrators but you can find lots of different professionals in there like editors, designers etc.
- Online portfolio and open directory sites where you can find illustrators who focus on children’s books; ChildrensIllustrators, Women Who Draw, Illustrator Hub
After shortlisting, I wrote several emails to illustrators I wanted to connect with. I wasn’t entirely sure what information to include but in hindsight, I recommend the following:
- A short description of where I found them
- Book title
- Short description of the book (short synopsis; picture book, picture storybook etc.)
- The age range of my target readers
- Approximate number of illustrations
- Target release date
Once we established interest in the project we arranged for a video call. This was especially important to me so I could explain the project and understand their creative process. I had no idea how these conversations normally go, so I read previous posts and reached out to Facebook Illustrator/author groups to prepare for these calls.
I asked questions about fair compensation, what to discuss in initial calls, Non-Disclosure Agreements, next question… what does one even look like, would people be offended if you asked them to sign one etc. (I’m happy to write the answers to these questions in a separate post if you’re interested… let me know in the comments).
One thing I knew from the start was that I wasn’t just looking for someone who could draw beautifully but also someone I could connect with. Someone who loved the story and understood all the little details and humour I wanted to shine through in the illustrations.
Finding the Right Illustrator
I was actually extremely lucky, I came across very genuine and talented people and the main thing stopping our collaboration was timing. Due to the contemporary nature of the story, I wanted to aim to get the book out by the end of the year.
As a novice my selection criteria was very simple:
- Can I work with this person? Do they seem open, willing to take on feedback, collaborative?
- Do I feel they have some connection to my story and its messages?
- I commissioned two illustrations from them; Siona’s character and a scene from the book. With that, I focused in on whether they captured the humour I was trying to convey in the illustrations? How does their depiction of Siona’s character make me feel?
- Do they seem excited by the project? What kind of vibe am I getting from them?
Remote working is hard enough as it is so I felt it was really important for me to feel comfortable when deciding who to work with on this project.
I started working with a specialised company to support my self-publishing journey. They had a pool of illustrators they normally work with and are normally the conduit between the author and illustrator. We started the creative process and after about two weeks … several illustration sketches and some back and forth … I realised that I wasn’t connecting with the sketches and illustrations.
I kept telling myself, it’s your first time so perhaps it’ll turn out the way you want when colour is added or maybe you could suggest this or this to align to your vision. But after a couple of days, I received an email with the latest illustration updates and I didn’t feel excitement. I felt worried and uneasy about what I would now say if I didn’t like it.
I sat with it and thought to myself, OK this isn’t personal… it’s just that I have a very specific experience I want children to have when they read my book and I knew in my gut that I wouldn’t get that if I stayed on this same track. I decided to share these thoughts and it turned out that it was the best thing for my book because once I put my true feelings out into the universe I was introduced to Alexandra. I believe at this moment our stars magically aligned because this was the exact day she finished another project.
Creating a Good Working Relationship
Alexandra received the manuscript and started with a few sketches. As I mentioned I didn’t have direct contact with Alexandra, I hadn’t met her… yet she was working so closely with my story. I had shared the key details about the story with my contact but I felt a disconnect between Alexandra and me. I felt uneasy giving feedback to someone who I hadn’t met. Perhaps this is very particular to my personality but I hadn’t even fulfilled my own basic criteria of how I wanted to work. I followed someone else’s flow and it prevented me from putting all my trust in the artist.
So I asked to have a call with Alexandra to get to know her and vice versa and also to put a face to the person dedicating so much time and effort to bringing my story alive. Something I know from my humanitarian work is the importance of putting basic things in place when building a new and unfamiliar team in a short space of time:
- A shared vision
- Common understanding of the context (and in our case the little details about diversity, strong and creative female characters etc.)
- Connection and positive vibes
Honestly, all it took was a 1-hour video call for me to feel Alexandra’s warmth, hear the connection she did have with my story and see her reaction to what I was saying about my motivation for the story etc. She nodded, smiled and asked questions. Truly, this was all I needed to put my trust in her creativity.
Illustration Process
From that point forward, everything was much smoother. Alexandra captured all the little details I was looking for in my initial reviews. The process went much faster and most illustrations only required small edits. I had very vivid images for each page and I captured the notes in the manuscript. But what’s amazing is to see how your ideas transform into a real image, sometimes you nail it and other times when you see it drawn you might feel that the initial idea doesn’t fit the flow of the story. Thankfully, Alexandra was happy to accommodate those changes.
It’s such a special feeling when you see a rough sketch come to life when the watercolours find their place on the page. In that moment I imagined a child holding the book and enjoying the soft colours and Siona’s vibrant spirit.
This book was made with love, creativity, respect and appreciation and Alexandra and I hope that it emanates through to you and the child in your life.
I’m so pleased to share that all the illustrations are now complete!!!! We’re ready for formatting and layout! I can’t wait to see it all together!!!
Leave me a comment if there’s anything more you’d like to know. I’d be happy to share more details about finding an illustrator or my experience in the illustration process.
Linda xx