So you’ve written a children’s book. Congrats! That’s huge. You’ve got the story, the characters, the world… but now comes the part where many indie authors freeze up: visuals.
“How do I make this thing look like a real children’s book?”
Good news: you don’t need a fancy art degree, a full-time illustrator, or a design studio to pull this off. What you need is some curiosity, a few digital tools, and a playful attitude. In this series, we’re going to break down exactly how you — yes, YOU — can create fun, engaging visuals for your children’s book all on your own.
Today, let’s talk mindset. Because before we dive into brushes, palettes, or layout tricks, we need to get your brain in the right place.
The Myth of “Professional” Illustration
First off, let’s get rid of the idea that children’s books must look a certain way to be valid. Flip through a bookstore and you’ll find:
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Scribbly, crayon-like drawings.
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Watercolor washes with almost no outlines.
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Bold, graphic styles with just three colors.
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Super minimal, collage-style illustrations.
The range is massive. What matters most is consistency and tone. Your visuals should match the energy of your story. Writing a gentle bedtime tale? Soft colors and rounded shapes work great. Got a silly, fast-paced story? Bold, exaggerated characters with wacky expressions might be just right.
You don’t have to draw like a Disney animator. You just have to draw in a way that fits your story.
Play First, Perfect Later
Let’s be honest — the first time you try to illustrate something, it might look… not great. That’s totally okay. Kids are incredibly open-minded. They don’t expect photorealism; they expect fun. So take the pressure off and give yourself permission to play.
Try this: open up any drawing app (Procreate, Canva, even MS Paint if you're feeling retro) and sketch your main character using just basic shapes — circles, triangles, squares. No shading, no colors. Just the idea of the character. Is it a grumpy cat? A space pig? A dinosaur who only eats toast?
Play around. Make five versions. Laugh at the weird ones. Keep the one that makes you smile. That’s the start of your style.
Tools You Already Have (or Can Get for Free)
You don’t need an iPad and Apple Pencil to begin. Here are some accessible tools:
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Canva (Free & Paid): Has kid-friendly fonts, drag-and-drop shapes, and you can build entire illustrated pages using their clip art or your own drawings.
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Krita (Free): A powerful digital painting tool — especially if you have a drawing tablet or stylus.
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Procreate Pocket (Cheap): If you’re on iPhone and want real drawing power in your pocket.
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Google Slides or PowerPoint: Believe it or not, you can make visual layouts for picture books using simple slide tools!
We’ll go deeper into each of these in future articles, but for now, pick one and start experimenting.
You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself (But You Can)
Maybe you want to draw your own characters, but not your backgrounds. Or maybe you're comfortable doing layouts, but not lettering. That’s okay! We’ll talk about mixing your own work with free resources: Creative Commons illustrations, AI tools (yes, they can help without taking over!), and simple photography tricks.
This series is about empowerment — giving indie authors the confidence to experiment and finish beautiful books.
What’s Coming Up
Over the next few days, we’ll explore:
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How to build a visual style that matches your story
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Where to find color palettes that pop
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Drawing tips for “non-artists”
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Making your pages visually dynamic (without making a mess)
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Free resources to mix into your artwork
And more!
Your First Tiny Assignment
Let’s keep it light. Today, just sketch (or collage or drag-and-drop) your main character in three different styles. Stick figures? Great. Geometric shapes? Even better. See which one feels the most fun — not the most “perfect.” That’s your north star.
You’ve got this. And I’ll be back tomorrow to help you take the next step. ✨
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