Illustration for books of any kind
My illustrated work is detailed, varied, and typically realistic.
The approach I take toward book illustration is holistic, considering the design and production phases, not just the picture on the page.
Design and illustration go together
I can produce illustrations for work designed separately, but I will require the exact measurements before work begins. I encourage reading both the illustration and design sections of this site, even if illustration is the primary inquiry.
Explore the site for information or ask a question right here.
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Browse the list of services or request your own tailored quote here.
Book Cover Design and Illustration
I can illustrate the entire book or just the cover.
With both traditional and digital illustration skills, there are numerous cover possibilities.
One-off or Single Internal Illustrations
Already have a cover? Not a problem, I can work solely on internal illustrations.
Black -and -White Illustrated Books
Full-service design and illustration for black-and-white internals with a colour cover.
Children's Illustrated Picture Books
Full-service design and illustration for 24-page or 32-page children's illustrated picture books.
I can quote for work that sits outside of these parameters.
Let me know budgets, I will let you know what I can do within that price range.
To start a tailored quote, please use the book illustration questionnaire.
All quotes are always free.
Although I am pricing for illustration, illustration and design almost always go together. So please expect design to be brought up early in conversations about illustration.
How have these prices been calculated?
Working as an illustrator/ designer for many years now, I have tracked my time and taken averages as to how long each stage of a project takes to produce.
These averages inform my price guides and hourly rate.
Also taken into account are the Australian Society of Authors' rates of pay.
Up to 30 minutes online via video call.
An obligation and cost-free first meeting is encouraged.
An obligation and cost-free first meeting is encouraged.
The meeting runs for a maximum of 30 mins and can only be completed via video call.
The book illustration questionnaire must be filled out before this meeting.
When starting a design or illustration project for the first time, there is a lot of new information to take in. I try to keep this website updated with relevant information.
Reading my Articles is a great place to begin.
Up to 1 hour of face-to-face time online or in person.
Most first-time book creators don’t know where to start.
Making a book, especially as a self-publisher, can be confusing. Starting with an information session like this one can help reduce overall costs in the long term and give book projects direction.
Before a meeting, I ask clients to provide me with as much information as possible so that I can prepare the appropriate resources.
Reading the Articles section before this meeting is a great place to begin.
Payment in full is to be made before the meeting.
The three pages of a book cover are designed as one. Front cover, back cover, and spine. The illustration and graphic design layout are integrated and typically cannot be separated.
This price is for the design and illustration of these three cover pages, not the internals.
Please be aware that I will need the final, accurate measurements of the book before illustration work can begin.
Included in these cover design packages:
Consulting
Deliverables
Why is the cover more expensive?
The cover sells a book so should have more time and therefore money invested into it. The cover also requires more concept changes and therefore more work.
Detailed illustrations for a book cover require many hours of work and the cost therefore reflects this.
Covers as part of packages
I can usually charge a consistent rate for covers integrated into larger book projects. The pre-existing elements of the book can usually be incorporated into the design. If a special illustrated cover is requested to accompany the internals, then this is reflected in the price.
How long will it take to create?
Design timelines vary depending on the job. This is a guide, not a set timeline.
A minimum of three months should be put aside for a cover design.
Design production begins when the completed content is delivered, and the first invoice is paid. Initial consultation phases are not part of this production timeline.
How will the final work be delivered?
The final internal and cover files will be delivered to the printer as an industry-standard print-quality PDF.
Ebooks will be delivered as EPUB files and pre-validated for compliance.
Social media images will be delivered as PNG and/or JPEG files, depending on context.
No open files are offered.
One-off or single internal illustrations.
Illustrations for print in colour, black-and-white, or tonal.
Please be aware that I will need the final, accurate measurements of the space the illustration will take up before illustration work can begin.
Included in these cover design packages:
Consulting
Deliverables
How will the final work be delivered?
The final files will be delivered as either an industry-standard print-quality PDF of TIFF file.
Social media images will be delivered as PNG and/or JPEG files, depending on context.
No open files are offered.
Internals and cover - full service
Black-and-white internals typically come with a colour cover.
Defining the offer
What books fall into this category?
This is a very flexible project type. Typically, books in this category have fewer illustrations with longer passages of text.
Junior fiction, intermediate readers, chapter book illustrations and design are all examples that fit into this category
Research time is needed for these illustrations, such as the research time for character development and environment design.
The price will vary depending on image complexity.If more illustrations are to be added to or taken away from this service, this can, of course, be arranged.
Design and illustration go together
I can produce illustrations for work designed separately, but I will require the exact measurements before work begins. I encourage reading both the illustration and design sections of this site, even if illustration is the primary inquiry.
Starting at $3000 – $9000
This is the price for a holistic design and illustration service.
Individual illustrations can be commissioned at a lower price (please refer to the Internal llustration item).
For a tailored quote, start with the book illustration questionnaire.
Included in this package:
Consulting
Deliverables
How long will it take?
This varies depending on complexity.
Please consider a 6-month starting point.
As an example: A job with approx. 200 pages, approx. 20 illustrations, an illustrated cover, and page details can take around 6 months.
Design production begins when the completed content is delivered, and the first invoice is paid. Initial consultation phases are not part of this production timeline.
How will the final work be delivered?
The final internal and cover files will be delivered to the printer as an industry-standard print-quality PDF.
Ebooks will be delivered as EPUB files and pre-validated for compliance.
Social media images will be delivered as PNG and/or JPEG files, depending on context.
No open files are offered.
Internals and cover: full service for 24-page or 32-page children's picture book + cover pages
Design and illustration go together
I can produce illustrations for work designed separately, but I will require the exact measurements before work begins. I encourage reading both the illustration and design sections of this site, even if illustration is the primary inquiry.
Defining the offer
Children's book illustration is the most highly requested item I quote for.
I offer a holistic approach that considers design, production, and illustration of the work.
Children's books are expensive. I understand that these prices are out of reach for most people.
However, I would encourage reading through this section, as it’s not only here as a price guide but also an educational resource.
How long will it take?
My full colour book illustration process usually takes a minimum of 12 months for full production.
Design production begins when the completed content is delivered, and the first invoice is paid.
Initial consultation phases are not part of this production timeline. Taking this timeframe into account, the cost of producing this can be broken down into month-by-month payments. This is a collaborative process in which the author and I will work together over a long period of time.
All book illustrators work to different timeframes, so this shouldn't be taken as industry-standard practice.
What is involved in creating a picture book?
This process involves client collaboration. In a large publishing house, the author may not be involved in this process. This is not an industry-standard guide, but rather an overview of my personal procedure.
Overview
Before any visual design begins, a meeting to discuss the goals of the project is required.
The meeting runs for a maximum of 30 minutes and can only be completed via video call.
The book illustration questionnaire must be filled out before this meeting.
When starting a design or illustration project for the first time, there is a lot of new information to take in. I try to keep this website updated with relevant information.
Reading my Articles is a great place to begin.
During the initial meeting, the following points will be covered: Most of these points are available to read at any time in the FAQ section on my website.
Along with discussing the goals of the publication, we will also cover the following topics.
After the first meeting
A description of the proposed project is emailed with accurate pricing and specific dimensions.
Need more time?
Sometimes after this initial meeting, some aspects of the project need to be rethought or finished.It’s perfectly OK to stop here and get back in touch later for a fresh meeting.
Moving forward
If the project does move forward, the process of client onboarding is finished and a verbal agreement written.
What is the verbal agreement?
A verbal agreement is where and when the design will be used is specifically stated in plain English.A description of the proposed project is laid out in detail with accurate pricing and specific dimensions.
Verbal agreements also typically state the timeline and scope of the project. Writing this agreement is a two-way discussion to ensure each party is satisfied with the parameters set.
What is onboarding?
Onboarding is just a corporate word that I feel accurately describes the process of taking on a new client. Administration and the first payment are all part of this process. I work to make this process as smooth as possible.
The design price for a children's book is the lowest part of the cost. The illustration is the main cost. Although simpler than other product types, design is still an important first step in any project.
The concept I submit to clients will outline my design rationale.
Above: A plan for a 24-page saddle-stitched book.
Quality reference imagery is essential for a quality outcome. Depending on the subject matter, if there isn’t any credible reference imagery to work from, the project may not be able to go ahead.
A great deal of thought goes into each image created.
Above: Above: Sketches and colour studies.
Character design and development can sometimes take longer than the final illustrations. This differs depending on the subject. This stage is intertwined with research.
Above: Early expression sketches that informed the final image.
Once the previous set-up phases are complete, the book moves into image production.
Each page will move through all these phases to reach the final product.
Above: In the images above, you can see these phases of image production. Progression from tonal sketch to finished, fully rendered illustration.This isn’t a commercial work. It is here only as an example.
Let's break down each stage in image production
Thumbnail sketching
Thumbnail sketches are small drawings that quickly and roughly plot out image ideas. These ideas go to the client for approval before any detail is put into the images. Thumbnail sketching is also associated with the research phases of the work.
Typographic integration
I feel typographic integration is intertwined with thumbnail sketching. The way the words are laid out in a picture book is just as important as the words themselves.
Sketching
Thumbnail sketches will move into a more detailed sketch with typography included in the layout. The sketch will not include the final detail.
Sometimes this is referred to as “roughs”.
Tonal studies
Producing tonal studies allows for the work to take on volume without adding colour. Many compositional issues can be troubleshot at this stage.
Tonal studies provide opportunities for changes.
Colour studies
Conversations about colour will happen early on in the consultation process. This part of the process allows for further exploration.
Colour studies provide opportunities for changes.
Line work
My line work plan is clean and transparent. After the line work has been agreed upon and “signed” off on, there are no further opportunities for changes without extra cost.
Final work
This refers to the final rendering of the artwork on each page.
Although consulted on early, the cover is typically produced last in my process. The cover sells the book and is therefore not just considered an artwork but a marketing tool.
Above: Illustrated cover design from the book Arki and the Cursed Caves. Written by T.J. Lloyd and Illustrated and Designed by Lillian Webb.
I print dummy books through the process to test how the compositions and typography work in a physical format.
Above: An example of a dummy book with its working sketches.
Written by Mike Manefield, illustrated by Tallulah Cunningham and designed by Lillian Webb.
The printer's proof should be a near-perfect replica of the final product.
Above: Open book demonstrating printers proof quality.
From the book Arki and the Cursed Caves. Written by T.J. Lloyd and Illustrated and Designed by Lillian Webb.
File submitted
Illustrations can be made for print and or digital output in any file type.
The final print-ready files are now ready to be sent to the printer.
Above: Finalised books demonstrating final production quality.
From Arki and the Cursed Caves. Written by T.J. Lloyd and Illustrated and Designed by Lillian Webb.
Most common picture book types requested
24 internal pages is typically the minimum number of pages a children's picture book will have.
Please be aware:
Not all binding styles or cover types will work for 24 pages.
32 internal pages is the industry standard for an illustrated children's picture book. 32 pages can use smyth-sewn or section-sewn binding style and a case bound or hard cover.
For a tailored quote, start with the book illustration questionnaire.
For a 32-page standard picture book, the Australian Society of Authors recommends $6,000 to engage the illustrator in the process, leaving the rest to the individual's discretion.
Other picture book types
Board books and non-fiction illustrated titles have their own specifications, which will be addressed here at a later date.
Payment structure
For most work, I ask for half of the full cost upfront and half when the job is complete.
For children's illustrated book projects, payments are staggered in monthly instalments with the option to stop at any time. For example, with the full cost of, say, $10,000 for a 32-page book, which takes 12 months production time, the cost on average would be $830 a month.
Simple illustration prices
If a book is created with minimal illustrations and detail, I am open to providing a lower-priced version. Let me know approximate budgets, and I’ll consider what I can do at that price point.
The answers to these questions help me quote the job and set the job's time frame.
For a completely accurate quote, I will need to assess the book's content.Please feel free to contact me at any time if there are any questions.
Feel free to contact me at any time with questions.
These FAQs relate to information pertinent to working together.
Much of this information will be discussed in the first meeting.
Reading through these FAQs before the first meeting will assist in understanding the process.
I’m always here to help and will be happy to answer questions regarding any of these topics.
Before submitting writing for design, it is best to have it professionally edited.
Writing must be completely finished before design work begins.
Small spelling and grammatical changes are OK, but large changes to passages of text, once designed, are considered design changes and will incur an extra fee.
Please submit writing in a free-flowing text document. MS Word, Google Docs, and Apple Pages are all OK.
PDF, screenshots or any static text will not be accepted.
PDF is good as a reading-only document for drafts but cannot be used for design.
A guide document containing both text and images in the order appearing in the book is helpful.
Please submit spelling and grammatical corrections in the format as follows:
Page number the mistake appears on,
line number the mistake appears on,
original text as it appears,
correction to insert (ready to copy into the document).
Please note that to minimise mistakes, I avoid retyping any text manually. Corrections need to be ready to be copied and pasted into the final document.
Is assistance required for understanding how to submit text for design or corrections?
I am here to help any time throughout this process and will gladly walk a client through these steps.
Images are easiest to submit as JPEGs.
Image files must be submitted individually as separate files (not as a part of any other document). They may be included within the body of a separate document as a reference, but must also be submitted separately and named.
Ensure images are set to maximum quality (resolution).
Images must be at least 300ppi (pixels per inch) to come out clearly in print.
If the image is 300ppi but it is blurry, it will be blurry in print too.
Please name all images before submission.
If possible, please follow the naming convention below.
Include page numbers only if relevant.
nameofimage_pagenumber
Example: happyface_P18
Is assistance required for separating or naming images?
I am here to help any time throughout this process and will gladly walk a client through these steps.
When submitting measurements for books, it is best to work in millimetres.
Books are small items and a few millimetres can make a big difference in the product outcome and the cost of the product. If the use of a general paper sizing system is wanted, then the International Standard Paper Sizes can be helpful.
(International Standard Paper Sizes A4, A3, etc.)
Skilled guidance in choosing the size of the book will probably be necessary for this process.
Please reach out and discuss the best size for the book project.
Please ensure the manuscript has been edited and proofread before submission.
Different writing styles require specific grammatical expertise, so it's important to consult a professional.
The book design process cannot be started until the writing and editing are complete.
Spelling and grammatical errors will be picked up throughout the book-making process, but the majority of this should be completed before the project begins.
Structural editing, copy editing and line editing should all be completed before design and final production begin. Final proofreading is the exception and should be completed toward the end of the design process.
Is assistance required for finding an appropriate editor?
I am here to help any time throughout this process and will gladly help make recommendations.
In Australia, copyright is automatically assigned to an author’s IP (intellectual property) as soon as something is created.
Quoting from IP Australia
Copyright protection is free and automatic. It protects your original expression of an idea as soon as you document it.
This is subject to change if a contract is signed that says anything to the contrary, or by working in a different country under different copyright laws.
Typically, a licence is what is granted to a client when commissioning an illustration. A licence gives clients the right to use illustrated work within agreed-upon parameters. I don’t sell the copyright to my illustrations, but rather license them.
The verbal agreement is the way I specifically state where and when an illustration can be used in plain English.
I want my clients to be able to use the illustrations created as much as they need. Writing this agreement is a two-way discussion to ensure each party is satisfied with the parameters set.
If the need for usage expands beyond the original agreement, this can be organised.
At the time of writing and releasing this (2026), any type of AI-generated visual art or creative writing is not eligible for protection under Australian Copyright Law.
Quoting from the Australian Copyright Council
Artificial Intelligence & Copyright fact sheet (2025): Under Australian copyright law, a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work, that does not have a human author is not protected by copyright.
For commercial work, I offer digital illustration.
Although my work starts by hand, the final rendering will be completed digitally.
I paint in Adobe Photoshop using a Wacom Intuos Pro Tablet.
Adobe InDesign and/or Adobe Illustrator are used for design output.
I do not use any form of AI in any part of my creative process.
My skill set as a graphic designer means I can integrate illustrations into production for print and digital seamlessly.
When I work traditionally, I like to use graphite, charcoal, and watercolours. To keep costs down, I try to emulate this as accurately as possible in the digital space.
Please be aware that I ask for half the full cost of the project upfront and the second half when the job is complete.
For larger amounts, staggering payments over three or four instalments can be discussed.
Please contact me if there are further questions.
Any major alterations due to a change of mind made after the concept is agreed upon will result in an extra fee.
Correcting spelling and grammatical mistakes are not considered changes.
Rewriting whole paragraphs or deleting a paragraph are changes.
Moving an image a few millimetres is not a change.
Adding an extra page of images is a change.
Changes that must occur due to an unforeseen circumstance are taken into consideration and not treated the same way as a change of mind.
The hours I charge for are less than the time allocated for the project.
The hours involved in a project may be 48, yet the timeframe allocated to the project is two weeks.
This time difference is due to a few factors, mainly the waiting time that occurs when working on creative projects.
For clients, this may be the first time they have had to make these kinds of decisions about their work. Although I do set timeframes for receiving feedback, I try not to rush this process as much as possible.
I account for this time within the project scope but do not charge for it.
Who am I interested in working with?
Those who have generated ideas through research, work, thought, and study rather than relying on ideas and output generated by AI (artificial intelligence).
This isn't to say that AI tools haven't assisted the creator in some way throughout this process (e.g., data collection, spelling corrections, etc.). I am aware it may soon become impossible to separate modern work output from AI completely.
Please read my stance on AI usage here. If there are any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Follow this Instagram account for children's book illustration content.