by Oliver Skehan

One could say there will always be a need for children's book illustrators. This is simply due to the amount of children in the world. All children should like books. Most children, like some adults, find reading text more taxing than looking at the pictures. This is where illustration and illustrators come in.

For some reason, pictures are more appealing to people than text. This is hard to fathom. There is so much more to learn and experience in text. But still it is pictures that get all the accolades. True. They are shiny and bright while text is black and dull. But still this is no reason for abandoning text. No reason for adults anyway. Children can be excused - simply because they are children and know no better. For hundreds of years there have been illustrations in children's books. Those who started out illustrating books did so from a base of having a basic skill or ability to draw and enhance a dull page of text. But nowadays it is different. While you can still be a very accomplished illustrator with no training more and more people are doing courses in illustration and design.

Like any aspect of the visual arts a core passion for what you are doing is essential. Children's book illustration is no different. Because it is not a recognized line of work it is harder to stay focused. Many would do it maybe as a second source of income. They would see it as a pastime or hobby. But others see it as something a little bit more important. They see it as their calling and will devote themselves to it. Now, children's book illustrators will maybe not go as far as cutting off their ear to prove their ability but there is still a lot of passion involved. Children's book illustrating is all about ideas and style. It is also about grabbing a child's attention and holding it. Captivating them in other words. Proper illustration can help children to develop. Because they are vulnerable it is important to conjure up the most appropriate images. Images that must compliment the already existing text. Children's book illustrating is not rocket science but it is the fact that you are dealing with such simple subjects that makes it challenging. You must be able to put yourself into the mind of a child and try to figure out how they would see and interpret the images. Sometimes this can be very demanding. There are very few children doing children's book illustrating.

A lot of devotion and enjoyment must go into illustration but when illustrating for children's books there must be a greater quantity of enjoyment. After all children know little about devotion. Children's book illustration must be fun for the child but first of all it must be for the illustrator. Children's lives are about fun! And every adult is a child at heart!!!

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