Mumsnet Talk

I'm writing some children's stories at the moment and the market wil be under 5s, so I'm hoping to find an illustrator to partner with, as my drawing skills are franky shocking. I can storyboard, but that's the limit.

I don't have a publisher (who I know sometimes pair up writers and illustrators), and I'm also quite interested in collaborating as well.

Does anyone know how I might find an illustrator to work with?

http://www.brighton2011.com/
http://illustration.eca.ac.uk/

http://illustrationcardiff.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/cardiff-illustration-degree-show/
http://prestonillustration.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/preston-illustration-degree-show-2012.html
http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/art_design/illustration_ba.aspx
http://wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/csad/degreeshow/Pages/index.aspx

google illustrator degree shows(hundreds available,don't forget to google the past years one also), flick through the artists work, when you spot someone's work that you like and would suit your work, google them separately a lot have their own web sites, contact them(via the uni or their own site) and propose a joint project,

you will find some of the most enthusiastic talented bunch of people, dying to be asked to do an illustration job,

good luck.

and now with the box ticked, sorry,

www.brighton2011.com/
illustration.eca.ac.uk/

illustrationcardiff.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/cardiff-illustration-degree-show/
prestonillustration.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/preston-illustration-degree-show-2012.html
www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/art_design/illustration_ba.aspx
wwwm.coventry.ac.uk/csad/degreeshow/Pages/index.aspx

google illustrator degree shows(hundreds available,don't forget to google the past years one also), flick through the artists work, when you spot someone's work that you like and would suit your work, google them separately a lot have their own web sites, contact them(via the uni or their own site) and propose a joint project,

you will find some of the most enthusiastic talented bunch of people, dying to be asked to do an illustration job,

good luck.

thank you!

very helpful.

ok,

you need to know what it is you are looking for,

get out winnie the poo ,roald dahl and any other classics,
then get out all the books that are in the same ilk as yours,
then get all the books out your children love to look at,
run a thread, asking which illustrations children like,

this will help get your eye in, simple is often better, if you have some sort of idea in your head what kind of style will suit your work, it will jump out at you more,

when you look through the shows, build a file,

keep short listing, until you have half a dozen,

make a panel of friends(who have art experience)

then approach the last three, see which one you think you might be able to work with.

good luck, one of my neighbours is an illustrator, nearly every child will have seen her work,very popular books she got picked up from her degree show, by someone doing what you are doing, now works for quite a few writers and companies,

don't be afraid to ask to be sent images.

thank you again!

this is really helping me to identify what I am looking for and how to find them!

You really don't need an illustrator when you submit a picture book story, all publishing houses have a ton of illustrators on their books, and if they like your story enough they will find an illustrator that suits your stories. Infact they usually prefer to do it themselves.

So your best bet is to find an agent, (I know easier said than done), and not worry about the illustrating side of things for now.

Good luck with your books!

Did you find somebody?