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Book Illustrator

Everything you need to know about the job of a book illustrator including required skills, responsibilities and salary.

Mentor work by Eric Wilkerson

What does a book illustrator do?

Book illustrators work to a brief from a publisher or author to create images that accompany a story or text. Depicting characters and worlds based on descriptions, a book illustrator must think in terms of visual storytelling and forge a creative connection with the author. This role can be separate from a book cover illustrator, which is often a job on its own.

The input for a book illustrator can be minimal, in the case of educational materials that require graphs and charts, or a major part of the work in the case of children's books or graphic novels. 

Invariably Book Illustrators will train as digital artists as book production is computerized. In the case of illustrations being created with physical materials such as crayons or watercolors, the artwork must always be scanned as digital files and finished using software.

Book illustrator job description

The role of the Book Illustrator is to work alongside the author to create the artwork that will accompany the book. Most illustrators work as freelancers and pitch for projects. A well-known illustrator may be commissioned to produce illustrations. Some writers work in collaboration with illustrators on numerous publications, especially in childrens’ publishing. 

The Book Illustrator must be able to imagine characters and worlds from descriptions, think in terms of visual storytelling and find a creative connection with the author. Depending on the publication illustrators can have a lot of creative input in the book, in the case of a graphic novel, or they can have minimal artistic engagement, in the case of an educational textbook that requires graphs and charts. 

Most illustrators will specialize in certain book genres and build up a clientele over the course of their careers. Professional relationships with editors and publishing houses is also key to attaining commissions and recommendations for work. 

Role and responsibilities of a book illustrator in publishing:

  • Liaise with the author, publisher, editor regarding the brief for the project
  • Design with audience in mind, have a basic understanding of the text
  • Present a series of drafts of the illustrations for approval
  • Collaborate with author regarding the style and look of graphics
  • Work to a schedule
  • Ensure illustrations meet quality print standards
  • Deliver professional, appealing designs
  • Supply final artwork to set specifications
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How much does a book illustrator make?

The average wage of a book illustrator runs between USD $53,000 for a junior position to USD $89,000 for a senior position. Source: Glassdoor 

To learn more about this field, visit: What is Digital Illustration? or What is Concept Art?

$53k Jnr. Illustrator
$89k Snr. Illustrator

Skills required to become a book illustrator

The skills of a Book Illustrator include the ability to visualize story, to give graphic form to elements of a text and an instinct to bring a book to life. They must have a talent for interpreting a brief or a text, and strong conceptual skills. 

Publishers may look for the following skills when hiring a book illustrator:

  • Training in fine arts, illustration, graphic design
  • Talent for visual communication, strong drawing skills
  • Understanding of visual storytelling
  • Familiar with color correction for print
  • Able to work creatively with an author
  • Knowledge of book genres
  • Familiarity with publishing industry
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Adaptable to concept and graphics changes, able to see the big picture and work collaboratively
  • Skilled in producing graphs, charts, maps, icons, logos, infographics, diagrams, tables, schematics, plots, flowcharts, etc for educational, scientific, corporate, etc publications
  • Solid understanding of visual language - texture, color, dimension, scale, perspective, shade, composition, depth of field, proportion, spatial awareness, etc
  • Good communication skills, ability to explain concepts and support artistic choices
  • Skilled in technical drawing
  • Ability to adapt to various visual styles and genres
  • Passion for latest trends and techniques in design
  • Disciplined in delivering deadlines 

What software and tools do book illustrators use?

Book Illustrators will work with desktop publishing, graphic design, multimedia development, technical graphic, specialized graphic software. They must know about publishing layout to be able to produce graphics that work within it. 

photoshop
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Adobe Photoshop is a raster graphics editor developed and published by Adobe for Windows and macOS. It was created in 1987 by Thomas and John Knoll

illustrator
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Adobe Illustrator is a vector graphics editor and design software developed and marketed by Adobe

indesign
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Adobe InDesign is a desktop publishing and page layout designing software application produced by Adobe and first released in 1999

quarkxpress
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QuarkXPress is desktop publishing software for creating and editing complex page layouts in a WYSIWYG environment

corel
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Corel Painter is a raster-based digital art application created to simulate as accurately as possible the appearance and behavior of traditional media associated with drawing

autodesk-sketchbook
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Sketchbook is a raster graphics software app intended for expressive drawing and concept sketching also for making animations

How to become a book illustrator


Download software 

Download free digital art software like Gimp, Krita, Sketchpad, FireAlpaca, and ArtWeaver to start practicing. 

Practice 

Sharpening your skills helps you grow and become more confident and reliable. 

  • Develop a solid understanding of art fundamentals—line, color, light, values, shape, composition, and perspective.
  • Be observant of real-world references like people, creatures, and places which you can use as inspiration. 

Build skills

Build the skills companies are listing on job sites. For more support, enroll in a reputable course. CG Spectrum’s illustration courses include mentorship from award-winning industry pros, an industry-led curriculum, and career services. 

  • Learn how to interpret a brief and execute feedback
  • Regularly practice art fundamentals and digital painting techniques

Watch trends

Online tutorials, webinars, etc., can keep your skills fresh. 

Attend conventions 

Use conventions to network, meet likeminded people, and be inspired. This is how award-winning Illustrator Eric Wilkerson got his first professional book cover illustration commission after college graduation. 

Network

Networking is vital to getting your name and skills recognized and meeting experts who can offer advice or even jobs. Familiarize yourself with the industry and build your community—publishing houses, authors, and illustrators. 

Share work

Social media is great for showcasing work, building an audience, having your work shared by others, and seen by potential clients and collaborators. 

Presentation

Your portfolio is how you will market your services. Make your work presentable and user-friendly to impress prospective clients. 

Collaborate

Know someone designing a game who needs character art? Collaborating with your peers is not only fun, but it can also help you create more polished work for your portfolio. 

Intern

Internships at VFX, game, or publishing studios can help you break into the industry. It’s one way to gain hands-on experience, network, and experience studio life. 

Join competitions

Practice your skills and create portfolio pieces by participating in contests on platforms like The Rookies and ArtStation.

For further info on the skills and qualifications that will help you become an illustrator, why not check out our comprehensive guide?

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Ready to Start Journey into Illustration?

Download our course guide to see how we can help you on your pathway to your dream career.

Tips to break into the illustration industry

Your portfolio should show you understand the foundations of art while also establishing your own personal style. According to professional Illustrator Eric Wilkerson, your portfolio needs to demonstrate consistency while ensuring it’s tailored to the right audience.  Other tips include: 

  • Quality over quantity! Revise older work to meet your current standards
  • Only include your best. Work in progress is fine
  • Seek inspiration from professional artists’ portfolios
  • Center on one art genre for cohesion
  • If using a PDF, add chapters for easy viewing
  • Use a platform that allows you to update your work easily (e.g., ArtStation, The Rookies, or Behance)
  • Aim for a clean, intuitive, gallery-style website with enlargeable thumbnails
  • Don’t overcrowd your homepage —5 images max
  • Optimize your images and ensure they load properly
  • Present each piece with a brief explanation (concept, rationale, brief)
  • Show process, sketches, roughs, and reference
  • If necessary, create mockups of how your art would look in various formats
  • Triple-check for errors (layout, framing, spelling, etc.)
  • Get feedback from at least 3 mentors or industry pros before publishing
  • Feature both your commercial and personal art
  • Keep your ‘about’ page concise; it can be less formal
  • Share your finished portfolio on your social channels


Additional resources to help you get started as an illustrator:

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Industry Pathways

Tyler James, Curriculum Manager and Mentor of Concept Art & Illustration at CG Spectrum talks about his 18-year journey in the game industry. Passionate about fantasy from an early age, Tyler tells us about his early roles as a 3D character artist, to concept artist, and art director on projects like Neverwinter Nights 2, Hunted: The Demon's Forge, Rift, and Hex. Tyler also shares invaluable insights about building characters, facing imposter syndrome, and collaborating with world-class teams. !