10 Best Resources for Aspiring Illustrators

I'm often asked to recommend books on becoming a professional illustrator. Below are my 10 best resources for aspiring illustrators. Knowledge is power, however applying the knowledge creates a professional. The list includes drawing books and business guides I consistently use as an illustrator.

1. The Book of a Hundred Hands (Dover Anatomy for Artists), George B. Bridgeman
2. Dynamic Figure Drawing, Bume Hogarth
3. The Art of Animal Drawing: Construction, Action Analysis, Caricature (Dover Art Instruction), Ken Hultgren
4. Animation (Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Archive Series), Walt Disney Company
5. Cartoon Animation (Collector's Series), Preston Blair
6. Anatomy for the Artist, Jeno Barcsay
7. Best Sketchbook, Use at least one sketchbook to practice the books listed above.
8. How to Write and Illustrate Children's Books and Get Them Published, Bicknell and Trotman
9. Graphic Artist's Guild Handbook of Pricing and Ethical Guidelines, Graphic Artist Guild
10. Your Perfect Home-Based Studio: A Guide for Designers and Other Creative Professionals, Poppy Evans

Mark Wayne Adams

Award-winning publisher of Nicholas, that's Ridiculous! A Story About Being a Boy

How can I find an inexpensive illustrator?

You've found me! 

All joking aside. My illustrator friends and I do offer quality and affordability. Most authors and/or publishers ask: "What's the ball park price to illustrate a 32 page children's book?" A typical response is: "One thousand dollars per page."

The author and/or publisher stumbles backwards, stutters, then mumbles, "I could never afford you!"

This quote is worst case scenerio before I review a project. As a professional I request to read the story, ask for a marketing plan, the budget, and then quote the project. Projects are priced on number of illustrations required not page count.

If a book has a spread, one illustration spanning 2 pages, it's considered one illustration. Therefore a 32 page book may only require 16 illustrations. The book may be 32 pages, however the illustrations don't equal the page count.

This is why my friends and I may be the inexpensive illustrators you're seeking.

Mark Wayne Adams
Award-Winning Illustrator of The Belly Button Fairy