How to Draw for Kids' Books
Many people think that drawing for a children's book is easy simply because the readers are children. This is not true. Drawing for children's books can be even more challenging because each illustration must clearly convey a point in a way that a child can understand, while often injecting humor. It's possible to draw top-notch illustrations that work for children's books.
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Instructions
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Find out what size and what format the finished drawings have to be from the publisher. Many publishers require that the illustrations be digital (either by scanning or photo) and be of a certain resolution.
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Talk with the writer of the book to get a feel for their vision. Ask them how they would like each character to look. In most cases, you are not bound to the writer's opinion, but their thoughts can be invaluable to making a successful drawing.
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Make the final decision on how each character will look. Don't try to start illustrating, though, without trying different sketches first. Character development takes multiple sketches to pin down exactly the best look.
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Draw a sketch of each scene. This will help you to decide on the placement of characters and props.
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Keep it simple and edit out every part of the scene that isn't necessary to the story. Children have very limited attention spans. The image must capture their attention, covey the message and be interesting all in one quick shot.
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Draw your finished concept in the size needed for the publisher. Make sure to keep the shading simple and not too dark.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't switch between styles. A continuous style is a must for any book, and switching styles makes you look like an amateur.
Resources
- Photo Credit Alina Bradford
