Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by 1106 Design on January 23, 2010 at 12:52pm

Hi Cindy:

I would start on Google or Bing to review portfolios of individual freelancers to see who's a good fit for your book. Then, when you have accumulated a few possibilities, consult with your book cover or interior designer to make a final choice. The book design should actually be worked out first, and then the illustrator chosen to provide the artwork, not the other way around.

This method will take advantage of your book designer's art direction skills and ensure that the chosen illustration style will be appropriate for the final design. Your book designer can also weigh in with opinions about whether the illustrators are indeed skillful, and then work with your chosen illustrator to make sure that the files are created with the proper software and to the proper proportions.

Sometimes, authors unwittingly hire an illustrator who isn't very skilled, or who doesn't provide the artwork in the right resolution...then the book designer has to work around these problems and try to make lemonade out of lemons. We've received horizontal artwork for a vertical cover, for instance, and this severely limits the design.

Good illustrators don't come cheap, because quality illustrations take a lot of time to plan and execute.

You'll also want to carefully review the illustrator's contract as it pertains to rights. Some illustrators convey all rights to the work in perpetuity, basically a "work-for-hire" agreement. Others convey rights only for one use...for example your book. Then, if you want to use the artwork again on coffee mugs or other items, an additional fee is requested. Knowing which arrangement you prefer at the beginning is important.

Hope that helps,
Michele

Permalink Reply by Dan Kohan on January 25, 2010 at 11:47am

Cindy, the best places to see portfolios of professional illustrators are http://www.theispot.com and http://www.folioplanet.com. You can browse the work of hundreds of illustrators, from the famous to the obscure, and sort by various criteria, such as style or medium. They also have stock images, but these tend to be small images, best for spot editorial use.

Of course, what Michelle said about letting the designer drive this part of the process is very true.

Hope that helps,
Dan Kohan, Sensical Design