THE CHILDREN'S BOOK ACADEMY
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship

Finding Your Illustrator Voice

2/5/2015

1 Comment

 
For a children’s book illustrator, having a strong portfolio is essential. Most art directors, agents, and editors will tell you that they like to see illustrators develop one signature style. This way, when they have a story to be illustrated, they think about what illustration style would best suit the text. Then they can narrow down their choices to just the illustrators who create art in that style.

For example, Eric Carle and Leo Lionni are well-known for their painted paper collages. Chris Van Allsburg and David Wiesner are known for their realistic, almost surrealist illustrations. David Diaz has more of a bold, fine art style with black lines. Lois Ehlert uses flat shapes and bold colors for her simple illustrations. And Raul Colón uses his signature scratch lines in his soft colored pencil work. Can you identify each of the artist's work below? Take the little quiz here!


Picture
However, developing a signature style doesn’t happen overnight for everyone. It can take time to discover what medium you like to work in, how you want to draw your characters, and what color scheme or “look” to your illustrations best suits you.

Instead of using the term signature style, though, I prefer “signature voice.” The reason is because an illustrator can use different mediums and drawing techniques but still carry some similar quality or aspect across any medium or style. A children’s book illustrator could have one drawing style for educational work, one for mass market books, and one for trade publishing. But the illustrator should use some similarities across the styles – whether it’s the way the artist draws the characters’ eyes, or the textures used, or similar sketchy lines, etc. – in order to have that voice that people will also be able to recognize.

So how can you find your voice? Well, I’m still developing my own. But maybe Adam Levine can help me.


Picture
Oh, wait. That’s a different Voice.

Here’s some advice regarding finding your voice that I’ve heard and read about, Even though these talk more about illustrating, writers can also apply this mentality to finding their voice with their writing:

-     Sketch a lot! Designate a certain amount of time each day to draw

-     Work on consistency when drawing characters in a sequence

-     Learn and practice the basics – study anatomy of people and animals, study and learn about perspective, color theory and lighting/value

-     Study other people’s illustrations and see what styles and mediums you’re drawn to (no pun intended J). Practice making art like some of your favorite illustrators – try the mediums and methods they use. Then see if you can find your own way of working in a similar way that can become eventually develop into your own style.

-     Find something that you can add or use in your illustrations that you can carry over to other illustrations, even if you use a different medium.

-     Be patient – keep experimenting and persevering, and someday something will click.

If you’re really bold, try a different medium or technique that not many people are using in illustrations. This could help you stand out among other artists. And someday soon you could get that call or email that says “I think you’d be the perfect fit to illustrate our book.”


1 Comment
Kirsti Call link
2/7/2015 01:36:37 am

Thanks for the great post, Angela! You've got some greAt tis here!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Meet the Friday Blogonauts

    First Fridays will feature Bryan Patrick Avery, published writer , man of mystery, and professional magician among other things.

    Second Fridays will feature  awesome multi-award winning author Marsha Diane Arnold who will be writing about character-driven and/or nature-based books and/or anything she likes :)

    Third Fridays
    will feature independent Aladdin/Simon & Shuster editor Emma Sector who has helped bring many books into the world.

    Fourth Fridays will feature the great Christine Taylor-Butler who has published over 70 award-winning fiction and non-fiction and nonfiction books including the acclaimed new middle grade series - The Lost Tribes.

    Fifth Fridays will feature the fabulous Carl Angel award-winning multi-published Illustrator and graphic designer.


    Join our Tribe

    and receive 7 Steps to Creative Happiness, access to free webinars, and lots more!

    Your email addresses are always safe and respected with us.
     
     

    Follow our Blog!

    Enter your email address:

    Delivered by FeedBurner

    Archives

    January 2019
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Art Technique
    Authorartist
    Author Platform
    Author Visits
    Bitsy Kemper
    Book Marketing
    Books For Children
    COPPA
    Creative Flow
    Digital Books
    Diversity In Children's Books
    First Voice Multicultural Children's Books
    Illustrating Your Own Story
    Independent Publishing
    Magic In Books
    Marketing
    Maya Gonzalez
    Middle Grade Novels
    Picture Books
    Picture Books And Death
    Print-on-demand
    School Visits
    Self-publishing
    Understory
    Writer Platform
    Writing
    Writing Exercise
    Writing For Children

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Picture
Discover
Why Us?
Courses
Blogfish
Book Shoppe
About Us
Meet the Academy Faculty
Community
Contact Us

Privacy Policy
Join Us
Social Media
Join our Community and receive a fabulous free gift, yummy newsletters, scholarship info, contests, and more!

Like us on Facebook 
Join our interactive FB Group  
Find us on Twitter 
Follow us on ​Instagram  
Look for us on Pinterest
​
Watch us on YouTube
© 2012-2021  All content on this website is copyrighted. Sorry, all courses are non-refundable.
  • Home
  • WRITING
    • Mastering Great Graphic Novels >
      • 2023 Mastering Graphic Novels Registration
    • Craft & Business of Writing Childrens Picture Books
    • The Chapter Book Alchemist
    • New!! Middle Grade Mastery Instant Access
    • 2022 Kidlit Palooza >
      • 2022 Palooza Program
      • 2022 Palooza Faculty
  • ILLUSTRATION
    • NEW!! Craft & Business of Illustrating Children's Books Instant Access
    • Never a Dull Moment Workshop
  • TECH
  • About Us
    • Why Us?
    • Meet the Faculty, Lives & GT Judges
    • Testimonials
    • Books by Students
    • Our Bookshop
    • As Seen In
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Blogfish
  • MN Course Access
  • Community
    • Our Bookshop
    • Come Play With Us!
    • Resources
    • Course Scholarships >
      • Yuyi Morales Picture Book Scholarship
      • Andrea Davis Pinkney MG CB Mastery Scholarship
      • Rafael Lopez Illustrating Childrens Books Scholarships
      • Larissa Marantz Merit & Need Scholarship