CHILDREN’S BOOK ILLUSTRATION

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK ILLUSTRATION

If you are publishing a children’s book and looking for a top-notch illustrator, then you’ve come to the right place! Not only can I help bring your vision to life with beautiful high-quality artistic illustrations, I have also developed a straightforward, organized, and efficient process to take care of everything from A to Z. Scroll down for more detailed information. As an experienced graphic designer, I also include professional layout and book design into my services, so you will not need to hire a separate designer for that, saving you money in the long-term. In the end, you will be provided a high-resolution printer-ready pdf file of your book as well as high-resolution images of the separate illustrations, which I will provide an exclusive commercial-license for you in our contract to use them anyway you wish in order to promote your book.

As you search for an illustrator, keep in mind two things: the skill level of the artist and more importantly, their know-how for illustrating children’s books. The requirements for good children’s book illustration is very different to other forms of fine art and not any artist can do it well. While I have a B.A. in Art, it took me several years to unlearn what I was taught and reteach myself how to draw engaging, fluid, story-driven and sequential art for children’s books well. My more than 10 years experience as a graphic designer also gives me an edge in that I have kept up with current trends and styles across many design and artistic fields, which do carry over even into children’s book design (i.e. typography, color palettes, patterns, artistic style, etc.), so I am capable to create a book for you that is in line with current and future trends. Be sure to check out my BLOG, where I’ve written several posts with helpful information for illustrators and self-publishing authors.

ILLUSTRATION PRICING

The below rates are general estimates only. Prices can vary down or up depending on the simplicity or complexity of each illustration, the number of characters, the number of illustrations, and overall project requirements. I will work with you to determine the best layout and type of illustration needed for each page or spread. As an experienced graphic designer, I also include professional layout and book design into my services, so you will not need to hire a separate designer for that, saving you money in the long-term. You can read more about my process below to learn how it all works and how to get an official quotation for your book.

Concept art – $150-300 USD (credited back to the author upon contracting an entire book)

Single page illustration and/or design – $150-250 USD

Double page illustration and/or design $200-300 USD

Front and back cover illustration and/or design – $250-350 USD

**A standard children’s book usually has 32 interior pages, plus end papers, and a front and back cover. Most of my clients usually spend between $3500-$4800 for a 32-page book. Prices may vary below or above these figures depending on if royalties will be taken or based on the complexity of the project, the detail required for each illustration, and other factors. However, for my signature style and complexity you see in my portfolio on this website, this gives you an idea of my fees. I can also work with you to create a payment plan that is economical for both parties with payments spread out over several months.

ILLUSTRATION PROCESS

1. Creative Brief

First, I have any potential client fill out my Creative Brief. It’s a simple questionnaire to get to know you, your story, and for you to share your vision for how you would like your book to look. I also use the Creative Brief to determine if I am a good match for you. I know my strengths and weaknesses as an artist and if I feel another artist would serve you better, I am more than happy to point you in another direction. To get started, please download the Creative Brief HERE and email it back to me at natalie@nataliemerheb.com.

2. Determine Quantity and Style

During this step, I determine the style and quantity of illustrations that might be needed by splitting up your text into pages and making notes as to what might be on each page, such as single page illustrations, a vignette or spot illustration, or a double page spread. I might also make notes as to how complex the illustration for that page might be if there would be a unique cost associated with that page. For example, an illustration of a detailed classroom with 20 children will cost considerably more than an illustration of one student sitting at a desk. I use this to estimate the cost of the entire project so that the contract can be written. Keep in mind that any changes to the style, complexity or quantity of illustrations during the project may affect the contract and final amount due, however, no changes will be made without the author’s approval.

3. Contract

I use a very thorough and detailed standard legal contract that includes info regarding grant of rights, sale and purchase, royalties, schedule, delivery dates, copyright, credit, promotion, failure to deliver, cancellation, warranty, publication, assignment, and much more. I do not work without a contract, as it protects both the author and the illustrator, and is essential to the success of the project. In general, I require a 25% advance payment to book your project into my schedule, with a payment plan (typically 3 additional monthly payments of 25% each during the project) for the remaining amount due. You can download a Sample Contract HERE.

4. Text Layout and Storyboard

I draw sketches for each page or spread to create the initial storyboard. The storyboard helps us to visually see the flow of the story from page to page. During this step, I will usually roughly layout the text and look at options for typography, so I know where the text will be and how much space it will take up, so that I’m able to draw the illustration around the text.

5. Character Development

Developing the main character is a crucial step to picture book illustration. Sometimes, I will do this before the text layout and storyboard step to make sure that both the author and I are on the same page before we get any farther into the process. I sketch a number of character options using info from the creative brief and manuscript as well as from my own imagination and expertise, refining it with feedback from the author. The character development step allows us to test and establish the personality, look and role of the main character and will create a guideline for any other characters in the book.

6. Black and White Drawings

In this stage, I sketch more refined black & white drawings, revising them with feedback from the author. It’s important that the author is happy with every detail prior to the start of the coloring step. Depending on how detailed my initial sketches were in Step 4, occasionally we can skip this step and move right into the final paintings and coloring step. It varies from project to project and page to page.

7. Coloring

Finally, the drawings start coming to life in this step as I begin the final paintings of the illustrations. I will do one complete painting to make sure the author is happy with the overall style, aesthetic, and colors. After that I move on to painting the remaining illustrations, usually working on several at one time to ensure consistency from illustration to illustration.

8. Cover Design

I will usually create a few different sketched options for the book cover and/or dust jacket illustration and design, following the same process as outlined above from sketch to final painting.

9. Book Design

Now we get into the graphic design step of the process. Each page of the book will be designed down to the last pixel, including final the placement of the text on all the pages as well as any extra graphic design that might be necessary to bring it all together. During this step, we get the final book formatted and create the final printer-ready PDF file of the book, as well as an e-book-ready pdf file.

10. Deliver Final Files

Your final printer-ready PDF files and hi-res illustration images will be sent to you in a Dropbox link for you to download and save. All final payments must be made before any hi-res or final files will be handed over to you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT KIND OF PROJECTS DO YOU LIKE TO WORK ON?

My process works best for those who are passionate about their book project, yet approach it like a business. I love variety in illustration and work on all different types of stories with all different kinds of authors all over the world. However, my strengths and interest lie heavily in doing nature, outdoor settings and animals (as well as kids of course). Books with only interior scenes do not play to my strengths. I book a limited number of clients each year to make sure each project gets the love it deserves. Therefore, I strive to find clients who are a good fit for me as well as me being a good fit for them.

WHAT IS YOUR AVAILABILITY?

In an effort to offer my clients an exceptional and personal experience, I only accept a limited number of clients every year oftentimes booking projects months 1-6 months in advance. Please inquire as to my current queue and book your project as early as you can.

DO YOU HAVE SET BUSINESS HOURS

Yes. I believe very strongly that good work-life balance is key to running a successful small business and a joyful, simplified life. This balance is all that harder to maintain when your office is in your home. Out of respect for the personal time of my clients and that of my family, I have set working hours. Business hours are Sunday-Thursday from 9am-5pm GMT +4 (Dubai/Abu Dhabi time zone). I typically respond to all emails within 1-3 business days during business hours and email is my preferred method of communication, as it’s extremely difficult to keep track of requests and details through social media.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ILLUSTRATE A BOOK?

Typically, it takes me 3-4 months to finish a book project. Every book project is a bit different and will depend on many varying factors. My schedule may be more or less busy at different times of the year as well. It can be done in 2-3 months, but it could also easily take 6 months for complex projects. I would need to have you fill out my Creative Brief and send me your manuscript before I can give an estimate of both time and cost.

CAN I HAVE THE COPYRIGHT TO THE ARTWORK?

I maintain copyright of my artwork and the illustration, however, I do issue an exclusive commercial license, as is standard practice in the publishing industry. This basically allows you to use the artwork in anyway you wish in order to promote your book. You can print flyers, postcards, stickers, bookmarks, posters, flyers, t-shirts, stuffed animals, promotional items and anything else that you want to sell yourself. Don’t fret. Just because I maintain the copyright does not mean that I can use the artwork or characters in other work. There is a competitor clause in my contract to protect you. Copyright ownership simply protects me from having my artwork sold to a third party without being compensated for it. A good example of this is how the well-known Llama Llama children’s picture books were recently made into an animated cartoon series available on Netflix. The illustrator deserves compensation for this and had she sold the copyright she would have lost out on a lot of income! Maintaining copyright ownership also allows me to showcase the artwork in my portfolio or to sell the “original art” as the one taking credit for creating the art. For a traditional artist, this implies they can sell the canvas or paper the art was painted on and art prints. For a digital artist, this implies art prints. It would be very expensive to buy the copyright for the illustrations, as I would have to estimate the potential future income that could be lost, if it were to become a hit success. Maintaining the copyright also allows me to protect myself from anyone else trying to pass off the artwork as their own. There really is no need for the author to own the copyright to the illustrations, nor to waste their money on it. The commercial license offers you everything you need and protects you in every way. Once our project is complete, the artwork is, in almost every essence, your artwork. You can download a sample of my typical contract HERE.

WHAT ARE YOUR BILLING AND PAYMENT METHODS?

I invoice my fees and services through Paypal invoicing, a secure online payment method. You do not need to have a Paypal account to make payment through Paypal, but simply a credit, debit card or bank acount. In some circumstances, I can accept bank transfer into my bank account. A 25% deposit is required to book your project into my schedule with the remaining amount split into equal monthly payments. The final payment must be made before any final hi-resolotion files are delivered.

CAN I PAY ILLUSTRATION BY ILLUSTRATION?

This might sound like a pretty fair deal on the surface, however, there is a lot of research, concept development, sketching, re-sketching, starting over, sketching again, revisions, and a lot more behind the scenes work that takes place to even reach the point of coloring a final illustration. By the time I get to that stage, I’ve already put in about a third of the hours for the entire book project. A book can take easily take hundreds of hours to complete, so I do have to protect my time and make sure I’m being paid for it as we go. I have, however, come up with a fair payment plan, where the illustration fee is spread out into equal monthly payments over the course of the project timeline.

DO YOU TAKE ADDITIONAL ROYALTIES?

This is decided on a case by case basis. Some first-time or “passion project” self-publishing authors do not sell enough books to the point where any royalties would exceed my illustration fees or “advance payment”, as it is usually called. Nor do I want to be bothered with collecting royalty statements every quarter from all my past clients. However, I will sometimes negotiate for a standard 5% royalties fee from self-publishing authors who have a history of selling more than 5000 books or projects where I believe more than 5000 books will be sold. In such cases, royalty payments do not kick in until the advance payment is recouped by you, the publisher. You are welcome to send me a bonus, however!

IS MY DEPOSIT REFUNDABLE?

In most cases, deposits are non-refundable, as it is your way to secure a spot in my schedule, which helps me to make sure that I give each client the proper amount of time and effort their project deserves. I book projects months in advance and with that, often turn away potential clients who require a quicker time frame. If you cancel your project, it leaves an empty space that could have been given to someone else. Only in the certain circumstances, if I am unable to finish a project or I choose to cancel a project, would any refund be considered.

WHAT DOES CONCEPT ART INCLUDE?

Concept art is done for a prospective client who would like to try me out, to see how I might interpret their character and to see how my style will look paired with their story. Sometimes a client will commission concept art from their final two or three choices for illustrator to help them make the final decision. The scope of the concept art is agreed upon between myself and the client beforehand. It usually consists of either a character development sheet (multiple sketches of the same character interpreted and shaped in different ways, usually with one of the character sketches fully colored) or a one page full bleed illustration of the main character and simple background to test out color palette and any important secondary elements. Concept art includes one round of revision to do some tweaking, but any further development to the character design or concept art would have to take place after the project is booked. It is more a a “taster.” Should the author contract their entire book with me later on, the concept art fee is credited back to the author. I do not do concept art for free, as it takes many hours to do it the right way, and given that I have a single signature artistic style, a prospective client can have a great idea of what their final artwork will look like by familiarizing themselves with my portfolio. My process is very thorough, which you can read more about above, and I have never had a client less than thrilled with their final artwork.