I have ideas and thoughts, but no illustration skills! If I'm writing a picture book, the illustrations are just as important as the book itself. Truth be told, you DO judge a book by its cover ... especially a picture book. When I embarked on this project, I knew that I wanted to publish this book and I wanted to do this right. I could not subject my little Super Obi to "just Ok" artwork, so after research, reading, and seeking advice on this topic, I understand the following:
What style of artwork was I looking for (i.e., cartoony, realistic, expressive, etc.)?
What type of illustration layouts would be ideal for my story (i.e., full-page, free form, multiple spots, etc.)?
Where do I even find book illustrators and what kind of services do I need (i.e. front and back covers, book design, book layout, etc.).
Thankfully, I have requested a Super Obi test sketch from 3 very talented illustrators. Finding them was no small feat because I had to be wise on the type of help I commissioned and from where.
I found Alina by looking up the name of an illustrator on a book whose illustrations I liked on Amazon because I was able to review and verify her work. I even got a personal recommendation from the author about how great it was working with her. Eva was referred to me by a woman through an author's/publisher's Facebook group. The woman recently used Eva for a project and sent me her information when she learned I was looking for a book illustrator. And Nadia was found by happenstance on a Google ad and I was very impressed with her portfolio.
I look forward to seeing the test sketches from these ladies sometime next week and I am hoping to be able to make a decision on the illustrator by then. Stay tuned for the announcement with the person I choose for this project! Please subscribe to my website to get all the latest updates on my project and to see what happens next.
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