In this edition of the 5×5 series, we’re talking to real illustrators who are putting their work on the forefront for authors to choose from, creating memorable artwork for engaging books. Our five illustrators, who are here to talk about their careers, passions, and how they got to where they are today, touch on their abilities, their favorite color palettes, and more.
The Illustrators
Zoe Saunders
Zoe Saunders is a picture book illustrator based in Cheshire in the UK. She has illustrated for authors in the UK and further, and loves drawing traditionally and digitally. Zoe has also done work for billboards, pet food packaging and does accept commissions!
Olga Urbanowicz
Olga Urbanowicz is a Polish illustrator who lives in Canada. After obtaining her degree in design, she worked on video games for fourteen years. Some of her previous clients include Disney and Popcap. Her career took an interesting turn when she decided to do children’s book illustrations.
Evgenia Penman
Evgenia Penman is a children’s book illustrator based in the UK, with roots in Kazakhstan. Her journey began as a graphic designer, where she learned to harness the power of visuals. After serving as an art director in an international advertising agency, she recognized that her true passion lay in storytelling through illustration.
In 2008, she made the pivotal decision to move to the UK, embracing new opportunities to connect with audiences. This summer, she participated in the Advanced Track at the Picture Book Summer School in Cambridge, pushing the boundaries of her craft. Evgenia is dedicated to creating heartwarming stories that resonate with both young readers and their parents, believing that every book can inspire imagination and foster joy.
Nicholas Child
Nicholas Child is an illustrator based in Cheshire, England. His clients include Paperchase, Sainsbury’s, TKMaxx, and Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, on her second edition of Manners Begin at Breakfast. He is a top 30 illustrator on www.reedsy.com.
YoungJu Kim
Born and raised in Busan, South Korea, YoungJu Kim’s childhood was filled with folktales, books, drawing, and daydreaming. After initially pursuing a career as a schoolteacher, her passion for visual storytelling guided her to the Savannah College of Art and Design in the US, where she honed her skills to become an illustrator.
The Questions
1. At what age did you get to know you wanted to be an artist, and what spark of inspiration pushed you to become a book illustrator?
Zoe: From a very early age, I’ve always loved drawing, however the responsibilities of adulthood meant that art slowly slipped away from me, and I didn’t draw anything at all for over ten years. Then, after my children were born, I felt the urge to start drawing again. I painted cute watercolor pet portrait commissions for people and sold them online and after a few years, saved up enough money to invest in an iPad Pro, along with the app, ‘Procreate’.
Then, a self-publishing author reached out and asked me to illustrate their picture book series about ponies. I was very unsure but decided to take on the project – after all, I do love to draw ponies. I was a little unaware of the sheer time and effort this project would turn out to be, but even so, a spark was ignited.
I worked hard to learn all I could about illustrating picture books and took time to improve my skills and became knowledgeable about the self-publishing process. I even wrote, illustrated, and self-published a couple of books of my own, learning from my own mistakes and experiences along the way. It wasn’t long before another picture book opportunity arose, followed by another… and another. With each book I illustrated my experience and skills grew. Now, eight years later, I’ve illustrated around sixty picture books(!) with more on the way.
Olga: I drew a lot as a child, mostly in secret, because art was not encouraged much in my family. I was a dreamer as a child and very sensitive. I wanted to spend my days in the garden collecting bugs and observing plants and animals, but instead was often tasked with house chores and helping my grandma. My artistic abilities lay dormant throughout my teenage years, and I suffered from severe art block. I would feel strong anxiety when I would sit down to create.
Sometimes I could push through it and be able to paint something beautiful, but most times the anxiety put me in a frozen state and I felt unable to calm myself enough to put something down on paper. It wasn’t until my early twenties, after completing an illustration program at a local college, that I felt that being an illustrator was a possibility.
Evgenia: The first drawing I remember vividly was a comic strip capturing the glorious chaos of my grandfather assembling furniture. My mum still has it somewhere in her archive. Granddad was so occupied by the process, so focused, expressed all spectrum of emotions, and even said a few words that were not suitable for a little girl’s ears. I was fascinated. The whole family including grand dad laughed at that strip, it was the moment when I realized I want to make people laugh. And this is my way of doing it. I was about six years old.
Nicholas: As a young child, I had an utter love for Disney. I would spend hours drawing every different character. I loved how creating and coloring drawings made me feel. I was commissioned by a family friend at the age of 10 to draw a poster of Disney’s Snow White and The Seven Dwarves. I think I was paid £50.00 back in 1993 – I thought this was incredible!
I also completed an illustration diploma for The Morris Course of Journalism, London where I created a character, Bamfy the Sheep, and developed a short story based on this. I carried on my high-school years studying art, graphic design textiles and I loved the English Language. I left all this behind to go to Leeds to study a BPA in Contemporary Dance — that’s a story for another day!
My illustration passion was sparked in 2013 when I suffered from depression — I returned back to sketching drawings of my 3 pugs and a miniature schnauzer — which in turn launched my own greetings card business The Grumble & Co. From there I was approached by an author at a greetings card exhibition to illustrate her book — and the rest is history!
YoungJu: I grew up in a big family with grandparents, uncles, and aunts who were full of books and crayons. As far as I can remember, I was reading, drawing, making stories for my paper dolls, or listening to folk tales from my aunts. After initially pursuing a career as a schoolteacher, my passion for visual storytelling guided me to art school. Thus, I became an illustrator. After that, when raising my child, I wanted to be a picture book illustrator as a mom and teacher.
2. What is it like working with authors and bringing their words to life in illustration? What’s the creative process like between you and the writer’s vision?
Zoe: I mainly work with self-publishing authors and independent publishers, so, a lot of these stories are deeply personal. This can feel like a lot of pressure, but it also makes the end result so much more meaningful. I always feel very privileged to be a part of someone’s author journey, and it never ceases to bring me joy when an author gets to finally hold their very own picture book in their hands.
Ultimately, the end result of the illustrations must always be what the author desires. This is my job, and I aspire to please every author and ensure that their book turns out exactly how they dreamed it. But I also endeavor to still be true to my own style and will always guide and advise the author as to the best way to make the illustrations work.
Olga: I feel lucky to read through an author’s text and have the ability to illustrate the images that appear in my mind. I imagine it being similar to alchemy – transmuting words into images – and then both mediums coming together to create an original form called a picture book. It’s like magic! I love it when a collaboration with an author feels symbiotic, where I can share sketches and ideas, and have them evolve with the author’s feedback. The more early feedback I receive from the author, the more precise the characters and the world become, and the more trust we build into our collaboration.
Evgenia: I am not so good at promoting myself. Authors, bless them, find me through what I can only imagine is sheer determination (and Google). I take a picture book as a project and do everything from storyboard to print-ready PDF. The partnership is collaborative yet guided — I am both the architect and tour guide. We work together through online whiteboards and video calls, but ultimately, it is my task to take them through the process, ensuring their vision is respected while giving the story a new — visual — Dimension.
Nicholas: I feel truly honored when I get approached about illustrating a book for an author. There is a wide ocean of incredibly talented and super illustrators — and for them to approach me I am always so grateful.
With each client, the creative experience is different. Some clients say I have total creative freedom with the creation process and there are some who have their own vision and work closely together to bring this to life.
This is discovered from an in-depth initial discussion with the client – always get as much info as possible at the very start; if they have any specific ideas on the aesthetics, character, atmosphere of the book. The more you can gather at the start, the easier the creation process (and the less chance of revisions at sketch/color stage!) This also builds a wonderful rapport between the client and yourself, one that you cannot put a price on! It builds trust and confidence between the pair, and if the client is a first-time self-publishing author, they can feel daunted and apprehensive about the process, If you can put them at ease and make the process fun, right from the start, this will give them a wonderful experience – which is what it’s all about for me.
YoungJu: A picture book is an art form that combines pictures and texts, and many parts, like an author, editor, illustrator, designer, art director, and marketing manager, collaborate. As an illustrator, I participated in the book project as one of the parts. I visualize the author’s untold stories and envision and personally love that part. If I collaborate, I will initiate the process by creating idea sketches tailored to the manuscript and reference images. Feedback is crucial to ensure that we are on the same page. Once we agree on the color theme, size, medium, and other elements, I will complete the final illustrations by the due date.
3. Is there another illustrator who has inspired you to actualize your own dreams? If so, who and what work of theirs had the most impact on you?
Zoe: Growing up, I always loved Quentin Blake’s illustrations in Roald Dahl’s books. I adored the scratchy lines, splashy watercolor, and hilarious expressions of the characters. It’s difficult to say which work of his impacted me the most, but if I had to choose, I would have to say that his illustrations in Matilda had the most impact on me. Of course, there was the usual humor and hilarity, but there was also a gentleness to the character of Miss Honey that really appealed to me, too, and I always wanted to live in a little house just like hers.
However, I wouldn’t say my own work is heavily inspired by Quentin Blake, my style tends to be more sweet than hilarious (though, I do love it when I get a chance to be funny with my drawings).
Olga: There are so many incredible illustrators I could mention here but I will stick with the three that still ignite a creative bonfire in me.
Felicita Sala: I am really drawn to Felicita’s hand painted illustrations. The innocence of her art style and the simple details in her illustrations are so incredibly charming! Her character designs are also very unique and child-like. One example I can think of is the dad in If You Run Out of Words. I fell in love with his larger than life personality and his bright yellow pajamas.
Rebecca Green: Not only is Rebecca’s art style remarkable, but also her illustrations are hand painted. She generously shares her process and thoughts every month on her blog. It’s a treasure trove of information and inspiration that has allowed me to stay motivated and feel confident as an illustrator.
Julia Sardà: It’s hard to put into words why I am so mesmerized by Julia’s art style. There is something so unique and distinctive in her illustrations, and she is not afraid to explore new visual styles with each new book project. My latest favorite is her debut author picture book, The Queen in the Cave, where the children are incredibly charming, yet the story and art are just a bit spooky.
Evgenia: There are so many amazing illustrators who teach me that there’s no one way to see the world, and that each of us carries our own magical lens. They’ve left their fingerprints on my work in ways I may never fully understand. To name a few—Sir Quentin Blake, of course, with his wonderfully chaotic lines; Tony Ross with his playful mischief; and Tove Jansson’s quiet, thoughtful worlds. Wolf Erlbruch’s quirky characters, Evaline Ness’s masterful combination of drawing and print techniques, May Miturich’s unmistakable watercolors, and Lisbeth Zwerger’s clean, elegant compositions have all influenced me. I also draw inspiration from modern illustrators like Beatrice Alemagna, Manon Gauthier, Benji Davies, Oliver Jeffers, Pam Smy, Victoria Semykina and many many others.
Nicholas: As for many of us illustrators, Oliver Jeffers paved the way for all the aspiring illustrators. I actually received his picture book Lost and Found as a birthday present in 2014, which subconsciously planted the seed to move from illustrating greeting cards to illustrating picture books. When I was growing up, The Giraffe, Pelly and Me by the beloved Quentin Blake was my go-to bedtime picture book. His use of color, humor, and the layouts of his illustrations always enchanted me as a child.
YoungJu: Many artists and illustrators have inspired me, but I love Barbara Cooney, a Caldecott winner and American illustrator, and her books, Eleanor, Miss Rumphius, Roxaboxen, Ox Cart Man, etc. Her painterly style, simple but live characters, and color palette inspired me the most.
4. What is your favorite part about illustrating children’s books? Why does it spark joy for you?
Zoe: In a practical sense, illustrating children’s books is a way for me to work and contribute to my household in a meaningful way. It is very much a full-time job, but one that allows me flexibility around family life, too. I also have type 1 diabetes, which is sometimes challenging and often tiring, so being self-employed makes this easier to manage, too. This all sounds very boring, but the ability to make a secure living from my art and be a dependable provider for my family, is something I feel grateful for every single day.
Practicality aside, children’s book illustration is also something that I am deeply passionate about. I believe picture books are incredibly important; they are often the first art that a child ever sees. I adore the whole process of creating picture books, from meeting new authors to brainstorming ideas, sketching characters, and painstakingly drawing and coloring each page, designing the interior page layout and covers, and I even love spending hours pondering over which fonts to use… But nothing beats holding a brand new book in your hands and seeing your name displayed on the front cover. Even after sixty books, this is still something that brings me so much joy, and I expect it always will.
Olga: Nothing makes me feel as playful and creative as when I am working on a kid’s illustration. It brings me back to my own childhood when I would feel so much curiosity, awe and wonder. The world appeared so vast and wonderful, and I couldn’t wait to spend time outside exploring with friends. I do hope that when children see my illustration and read the text they get to feel those things too. But also what motivates me about illustrating a children’s book is knowing that often the book will be read by an adult to a child. I feel inspired to think that I could maybe instill a little bit of play and wonder into an adult’s life, and to make them see, even for a brief moment, through the eyes of their inner child.
Evgenia: Children’s books are pure magic—you get to create silly, playful worlds that make both kids and parents smile. I especially love books with no agenda, just funny, lighthearted stories. Like one of my recent books Jock the Croc, written by SM Roberts.
I can just picture mums and dads turning the pages, reading it out loud, and everyonelaughing together at the text and illustrations. That’s what truly sparks joy for me—bringing those moments to life.
Nicholas: The timing could not be more perfect to answer this question — as I began typing my answer, I received an email from a new client, Crellyn Watkins. We are In the rough color stage of her beautiful story — Maybe I Met a Giant and her response is my favorite part of my job.
“You are so very wonderfully creative, Nicholas!!!!! Highly creative!! Perfect!! Such brilliant ideas and creative thoughts…your interpretations filled with wonder and magical excitement…”
Receiving feedback like this is why I love this job beyond anything I have ever done. The sheer joy and happiness of hearing that a client loves what you have created with their words is just magical.
YoungJu: My favorite part is the idea sketches for the given manuscript. It’s the most creative and personal process for the illustrator. When the author or client loves my sketches and expresses that they match one’s envision, I am thrilled and enjoy it. Also, drawing and painting parts make me joyful, too. The more I do, the more I enjoy my job and grow as an illustrator.
5. What advice would you give aspiring artists looking into illustrating picture books?
Zoe: I think the best advice I could give to aspiring illustrators is to build yourself a really comprehensive portfolio, with not only a variety of characters, but also a variety of backgrounds. Be patient with yourself, allow yourself to experiment, change and grow, until you find a style that’s really yours, and then build your portfolio around your signature style.
Be sure to challenge yourself and draw those characters and backgrounds which don’t come naturally to you. For example, I love to draw animals and natural backgrounds with foliage and trees. However, I also spend a significant proportion of my time drawing classrooms, busy towns with shops, vehicles, and lots of people. When you’re a picture book illustrator, you can’t just stick to drawing what you want, you need to be able to draw whatever the story needs, so make sure you take the time to become competent in these areas too. It’s important that potential authors or agents see your full range of skills, and a good portfolio can get you noticed.
Olga: If you feel an intense warm and fuzzy feeling in your chest, and you get glimmery eyes when you read or illustrate a children’s story, you know you are on the right path. My best advice is to try to learn as much as you can about the creation process and the industry, and ask for a lot of feedback on your portfolio. Don’t get discouraged because it will most probably take some time. Keep going!
Some of my favorite information sources when I got started were Anoosha Syed’s YouTube channel — she is so generous with the information she provides about the children’s book industry, her illustration process, contracts, pricing, how to get contracts, etc.
Its Me’s mentorship program — it’s not a free option, but it’s a very hands-on learning experience while getting professional feedback from agents and directors working in the industry. I would recommend this option when you have a little bit of work in your portfolio already.
Evgenia: It is a very competitive niche. I know how exciting it is to find the first request in your inbox. However, listen to your gut and only take on projects that ignite your creative spirit and joy. If you’re not feeling the joy, neither will your readers. Also you need confidence, and the way to get it is by planning the whole process in advance. Think through every step — how you’ll work, when things are due, and what you’ll need from the client. Break the project into clear stages. It makes everything feel more professional and gives you control. The more prepared you are, the less scary it’ll be! And for the love of all things holy, never work without a contract or deposit. This is the industry, even if everyone around thinks that you are having fun. Yes, that is right, we get paid for having fun, why not?
Nicholas: Number 1. Draw what you love, not what you think is trendy. If you have a love for drawing animals, focus on that. Put only what you want to illustrate into your portfolio. For example, don’t promote illustrations of people if that is not your strongest. Show your best work. And in the background, behind the scenes, focus on improving your weaker areas to become a well-rounded illustrator.
Number 2. This takes time to develop your weaker areas – so do not stress! Just make sure every week or month you are doing something to improve your weakest strengths – which we all have!
Number 3. Join www.theaoi.com and www.scbwi.org. They are wonderful associations that can help with all areas of publication and illustration. If finances don’t stretch, YouTube is a great source of illustrators starting out.
Number 4. Get to your local bookshop (you are probably already there if you want to be a children’s book illustrator!), but dive into the wonderful new books that are on the market to see what trends are trending.
YoungJu: I am still determining if I am the right person to reply to this question since I still have weaknesses. Again, a picture book is an art form with images and words. You must convey your thoughts, ideas, and skills to visualize the texts and create visually attractive art. You should read a lot, experience a lot, and practice your instruments/skills, like drawing a lot. It would help to have a unique style, consistent character movement throughout the book, and a great portfolio.
Bonus Questions
What is your favorite color palette to work with when creating your art? Do you have any style preferences?
Zoe: I adore natural, autumnal colors, especially rich reds, oranges, and golds. I’m also very partial to pretty sunset colors. My favorite style is traditional pen and watercolor, which I emulate in my digital work.
Olga: My color palette changes like the seasons, but it’s hard to say when or why it shifts. Sometimes I get cravings for certain colors, and I can’t get rid of the feeling until I feel completely satiated by them. I went through a turquoise and purple period, and even when I was consciously trying to steer toward a new color combination, my color palette kept shifting back to turquoise and purple. Until one day, the feeling has passed, and now I am starting to crave very bright and warm colors. As for the art style, I love when I can add a bit of texture to my illustrations. Sometimes, I fall in love with a brush, and that will impact my art style for a while. It’s hard to describe, but I tend to go with what feels really good to my eyes.
Evgenia: I like colors that whisper rather than shout—earthy tones that feel like they’ve been plucked from an old forest. But there’s always room for a spark of brightness, a mischievous little pop of color to keep things interesting. As for style, I strive for a certain playfulness, a sense of spontaneity, as though the artwork simply happened with minimal effort. A delightful illusion, of course.
Nicholas: I frequently check www.colorhunt.co for the latest color palette trends.
YoungJu: I usually work on the wood grain, so I like the mid-century color palette, but I also follow the client’s requests or current color trends.
If you weren’t a children’s illustrator, is there any other type of media you’d be interested in dabbling in?
Zoe: If I wasn’t a children’s illustrator, I’d love to be an equine artist, perhaps using acrylic or oil on canvas. This is something I’d love to explore more in the future when I can find the time.
Olga: My dream would be to write and illustrate my own picture books. I have a lot to learn about writing still, but it does not feel unattainable. For the time being I am focusing on building a strong illustration portfolio and learning as much as I can from working with authors before attempting at writing my own picture book.
Evgenia: I would definitely still be drawing and painting in some way. I’d love to explore illustrating non-fiction or science, creating patterns for fabrics and wallpapers, painting wall murals, or designing and making toys. There are so many exciting avenues for creativity beyond children’s books!
Nicholas: I feel that as illustrators, we are always putting ourselves into a box – and that we can only work in one medium or one field of illustration (maybe that’s just me!), but I am now learning to try different mediums, whether it’s traditional art or digital — we have the freedom to try any style we like! I would love to learn more about Editorial Illustration. Illustrating picture books is a lengthy process. For me, it can be between 12 and 16 weeks, so working with a strict and fast turnaround and deadline seems challenging, but it is fun!
YoungJu: I was also interested in editorial illustration or fine art. If it’s not the case, I would be an art teacher.
Illustration is taxing but a rewarding medium. Each of our illustrators are immensely talented, and we hope readers enjoy learning more about their work. Thank you to our five illustrators for participating!
Check out Zoe Saunders here.
Check out Olga Urbanowicz here.
Check out Evgenia Penman here.
Check out Nicholas Child here.
Check out YoungJu Kim here.
Check out our 5×5 about Banned Books here.
Browse a selection of children’s titles in our Bookshop here.
