A children’s book is told twice: once in words and once in pictures. When the two work together, young readers can follow the story before they can read every word. Here is how a picture book moves from a manuscript to finished illustrations.
1. Start with the story, not the drawings
Before anyone picks up a pencil, the manuscript should be settled. Read it aloud and listen to its rhythm. Notice where the story turns, where the big emotional moments are and where a picture could say something the words leave out. Illustrations work best when they add to the text instead of repeating it.
2. Break the text into pages
Most picture books follow a fixed page count, so the next step is a page plan: a simple list of which words appear on which page or spread. This shows you where the page turns fall. A good page turn creates a small moment of surprise, so plan your reveals for the right-hand page.
3. Design the characters
Your main character will appear on almost every page, so they need to be recognisable from any angle and in any mood. Illustrators usually create a character sheet showing the character from the front, side and back, with a few key expressions and outfits. Agreeing on this early keeps the character consistent through the whole book.
- Keep shapes and colours simple enough to draw the same way every time.
- Give each character a clear silhouette children can spot instantly.
- Think about age: younger readers respond to bold shapes and big expressions.
4. Choose an illustration style
Watercolour, digital painting, bold cartoon or soft pencil: the style sets the mood of the whole book. A bedtime story may suit gentle textures, while a funny adventure may need bright colours and energetic lines. Look at books your readers already love and collect examples of what you like.
5. Sketch the layout (storyboard)
Rough thumbnail sketches of every page come next. They show composition, where the text will sit and how the eye moves across each spread. This is the cheapest and fastest stage to make changes, so take your time here and review the whole book at once.
6. Final art and colour
Once the sketches are approved, the illustrator creates the final artwork. Colour palettes are kept consistent from page to page, and space is left for the text so nothing important is hidden under the words or lost in the book’s binding.
7. Prepare the files for print
Finally, the artwork is prepared at the right size and resolution, with bleed for printing and a layout that matches your printer or publishing platform. It’s worth agreeing on artwork rights and file formats in writing before the project starts, so you know exactly what you will receive.
A quick checklist
- Manuscript finished and read aloud
- Page plan with page turns marked
- Character sheet approved
- Style and colour palette chosen
- Storyboard reviewed as a whole book
- Final art prepared for print and digital
✦ Ready when you are
Bring your characters to life
Tell us about your story and we’ll suggest an illustration approach, timeline and clear quote for your book.
