Decades later, people still remember a few sensational picture books from childhood. For children, illustrations can really make a story come to life. Whether you are painting funny little animals for a first reader or sketching dramatic scenes for an adventure novel, you will never have a more appreciative audience than when you illustrate children's books.
Instructions
1. Decide on your medium. Some children's book illustrators like the soft look of watercolors. Others like something sharper like acrylic paints. Art markers are also a popular choice, because they are easy to use and adaptable to different drawing styles.
2. Read through the children's book several times. Write down any descriptions of the characters the author put in it. also make notes or quick sketches of any images that occur to you.
3. Divide the children's book up into sections to illustrate. if you are writing a book for very young children, you should have a page of illustrations for pretty much every sentence. For older children, you might want to illustrate a few key passages every chapter.
4. Lightly sketch the first illustration in pencil. Block out where the main shapes are, and draw in basic perspective if necessary. Keep in mind the descriptions the author wrote and any ideas you had along the way.
5. Draw or paint in the main shapes. Going from light to dark, block in big areas of color and sketch in boundaries.
6. Finish the illustration. Add details and correct minor mistakes. Take a step back and let the illustration sit for a bit.
7. Look at the illustration again. If you are happy with it, go on to the next one. If you don't like it, figure out what you don't like and try again.
