What is children's book illustration？
Children's book illustration are books that contain images or decorative elements, to allow younger audiences understand the context of the book better, by combining text and visual elements it effectively tell a story.
Picture books and illustrated books are overlap or combined, they are essentially books with images within, but there are some main difference in the function they serve between the two:
- Picture book uses sequential imagery with small amount of text to tell story, the visual text plays more important role.
- Pictures in illustrated books, are there to enhance the narrative and assist with story telling.
Illustrations within books are fundamental to the development of children by giving them first impressions of how the outside world are formed.
The intentions of creating children's book illustrations can depend on the temperament and personal impulses of individuals, according to Joanna Carey.
One might use illustrations to record their youthful sentiments and childhood memories, whilst the other might use different animal forms like toucans and polar bears, to articulate the subtle feelings of parental affections they received in their childhood.
Being a children's book illustrator can be very flexible, it's doesn't necessarily mean you have to be specialised in the field of "children's book illustrations", back then, there wasn’t much barrier between books for children and books for adults, many illustrators come from different backgrounds.
In the early days, many book illustrators begin their career as apprentices in painter and engravers. Today, to be children's book illustrator, you are expected to held a least a bachelor's degree by the employer, as well as having creativity and artistic skills alongside. The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) states that while talent is important, a student will not succeed in visual arts without education and hard work.
What inspire people to create illustrations for children's book?
Image credit - Esmé Shapiro
How to be a children's book illustrator?
History of British children's book illustration
How to be a children's book illustrator
Interview with Illustrator Aymen
11 beloved children's book illustrators
Children's book illustration with Teresa Martínez
Children's illustration report
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Children's book illustration with Nia Thandapani