SKILLS BOOK ARTISTS NEED

Here are six traits you need to make book illustration a success

1 A diverse grasp of drawing

“Knowledge of composition, colour, storytelling and character design is a must,” says Chris. Even a little knowledge of the inner workings of book publication is recommended.”

2 How art works with design

“The ability to understand layouts and design language is helpful when planning out how illustrations fit on a page, and how the art interacts with text,” says Rovina.

3 An awareness of visual storytelling

“Breaking a story into its basic parts is great for coming up with ideas. The only way to learn that is to read a lot,” says Eli.

4 Good time management

“Master patience,” adds Eli. “Book covers don’t happen overnight. There are a lot of moving parts in publishing. A lot of time you’ll be waiting on people’s schedule to align to receive approval or feedback.”

5 Develop revenue streams

“Develop a multifaceted business strategy,” Eli advises. “I believe it’s a lot of artists’ instincts to throw themselves into a single job, but other parts of an artist’s business need tending to as well. It takes work to drive pledges, sell prints or work on private commissions and that should be done whenever possible.”

6 An approachable outlook

“You need strong communication skills,” says David. “Publishers like to build a ‘list’ so it’s crucial to have a solid, creative working relationship with an editor. One good experience to lead to any number of projects.”