{"id":14778,"date":"2021-11-04T04:40:38","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T04:40:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.guru.com\/blog\/?p=14778"},"modified":"2022-11-17T10:33:17","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T10:33:17","slug":"types-of-illustration-styles-for-childrens-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qa-wp.guru.com\/blog\/types-of-illustration-styles-for-childrens-books\/","title":{"rendered":"Types of Illustration Styles for Children\u2019s Books"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether you\u2019re learning how to illustrate your own children\u2019s book<\/a> or hiring a children\u2019s book illustrator<\/a> to do it for, it\u2019s useful to be familiar with various illustrations styles common to children’s books, like cartoons and digital art, as well as different mediums for illustration such as freehand, watercolor, charcoal, etc. Knowing these concepts will help you better envision and decide on the right type of visuals for your story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are Children\u2019s Books Illustrations?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Children\u2019s books illustrations are the visual images that accompany the text in children\u2019s books. These usually depict key scenes in the story where the book moves along in it\u2019s plot, usually through the experiences of the main character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Children\u2019s book illustrations bring the plot to life, complementing the words to help readers form clear pictures of the story in their minds. They can help promote visual thinking and improve the literary skills of young readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustration Styles for Children\u2019s Books<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Style is a broad term when it comes to art, and it\u2019s often used interchangeably with the medium or technique in which the illustrations are created. But style refers mainly to the look or tone of the illustrations, which should be created to match the story and theme of the book. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before even creating drafts of your visuals, you\u2019ll need to decide on what style you\u2019d like the images to be created in. This decision can help guide your artistic direction and ensure that you end up with cohesive illustrations. That said, don\u2019t feel boxed into one kind of style. Depending on your book, it might make sense to mix multiple styles to convey the message better. These can include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cartoons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cartoons bear similarities to real life but are portrayed in a more exaggerated way. They can be cutesy, wacky, or even over-the-top, and are typical in children\u2019s books, especially for younger kids. Cartoons often come in multiple bold colors to provide a striking impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Realistic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Though children\u2019s books rarely depict truly realistic images, some are more true-to-life in characterizations. You\u2019ll often find these in books that are set in everyday situations or involve \u201creal\u201d characters. They\u2019re also commonly used in children\u2019s books with more serious, educational, or informative themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whimsical<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whimsical or fantasy illustration styles take on more fun and dreamy effects; often they\u2019re almost comical, and can inspire a more active imagination among readers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lines<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Line drawings are outlines of forms and figures that aren\u2019t typically colored in. They\u2019re normally drawn in just one color (usually black, without any amount of shading), in a consistent line. You\u2019ll find that line illustration styles are quite common in children\u2019s books that double as coloring books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sketches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sketches are rough drawings that don\u2019t seem like finished work. They\u2019re usually hand-drawn and are black-and-white, similar to the initial drafts of a piece of artwork, though some might look more \u201cfinished\u201d than others. Although simple, sketches are often expressive and can be used to convey movement quite well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illustration Mediums for Children\u2019s Books<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve chosen the illustration style that you want to apply to your children\u2019s book, it\u2019s time to decide what medium to create it in. This should depend on both the theme and the style of your book, as some mediums match different styles better. That said, you may also want to consider your own artistic abilities if you\u2019re illustrating a children\u2019s book on your own; but you\u2019ll be limited to the mediums that you\u2019re already good at working in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are the usual illustration mediums for children\u2019s books:<\/p>\n\n\n\n