How do illustrators do it?
That was the question I had as my new friend, Kim, created the cover of my children’s book series “Alexis Ann’s Amazing Adventures”! I was curious, and still am, of the hours of work which must go into the artwork of a book’s cover.
When the first sketch came I thought, what have I gotten into? I just couldn’t see the finish product hidden in the whimsical lines (not seen above).
It actually was my granddaughter, Alexis who is the main character in this book series, who pointed out the boat, ropes and other details. I smile, even until this day, at her innocence in being able to see the artwork which evaded me.
From black and white lines floating on a page, to clearer details and then a wonderful splash of color my book cover was born. I needed a bit of patience and a creative imagination to make it to the finished project.
Some Things to Consider
- Find a reputable illustrator through a place like Reedsy
- Give the illustrator your vision, but remember you are hiring them for their craft and they know what they are doing
- Make sure there is some type of contract stating date deadlines, cost and payment
- Communicate during the whole process which will take about 6 weeks
- Remember the artist is working in stages
- A cover illustrator should give you options early on to choose from which will not be in finished stage
- Use your imagination to envision the final artwork, after all you did hire an artist to do something you can not do
Typical Stages
- Pagination of the text
- Thumbnail sketches of each double-page spread
- Character design and development
- Full sketches for each spread or illustration
- Color studies
- Final sketches/drawings
- Final artwork
Patti Wolf 