Information about illustrating children’s picture books from illustrator Jim Harris. Illustrator biography, tips for student illustrators, advice and techniques for illustrating picture books. Jim Harris Children’s Books Home Page Tips and Techniques for Student Illustrators about Illustrating Children’s Picture Books Frequently Asked Questions about becoming a children’s picture book illustrator. Tips for students and information on life as an illustrator from best-selling illustrator Jim Harris Email Jim Harris. Contact email for teacher information requests, student illustrator queries, and just saying howdy. Link to Information about Jim Harris Fantasy Art, Caricatures, and Portrait Art. Jim Harris – Biography of a Children’s Book Illustrator. Information about becoming a children’s book illustrator. Advice for Students from Author and Illustrator, Jim Harris A Day in the Life of a Children’s Book Illustrator. Information for students about the day to day life of an illustrator creating picture books. Illustrating a Picture Book, Start to Finish. The step by step process of illustrating a children’s picture book. Advice for students about the skills required in the illustration process. Activities for Kids. Student writing and math activities based on writer and illustrator Jim Harris’s children’s books.

Jim Harris shares tips for illustrators from Three Little Dinosaurs – Information for students interested in an children’s book career about illustrating with oil and acrylic.

The Three Little Dinosaurs

 

Tips for students from the children’s book Petite Rouge – Read a story by illustrator Jim Harris about going on location for creating children’s picture books.

Petite Rouge

 

Just in! Another Jim Harris’ wiggly-eyeball book. Ten Little Puppies who can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

Ten Little Puppies

 

Illustration techniques for students from The Trouble with Cauliflower – tips for students about how to use texture to achieve variety in children’s book illustrations.

The Trouble With Cauliflower

 

Jim Harris gives tips to students from The Three Little Javelinas – about the jokes illustrators play with their readers. Illustration techniques for young illustrators to use and enjoy.

The Three Little Javelinas

 

Illustration advice by illustrator Jim Harris from The Treasure Hunter -- tips for students about using overlapping to make paintings and drawings look realistic.

The Treasure Hunter

 

Illustration techniques from The Three Little Cajun Pigs – tips from illustrator Jim Harris on illustrating a picture book using visual rhythm and diagonal lines in artwork.

Three Little Cajun Pigs

 

Tips by illustrator Jim Harris from Slim and Miss Prim – about using parody in children’s books. Information for young illustrators about famous illustrators’ spelling woes, too!

Slim and Miss Prim

 

Jim Harris gives information for students interested in an illustration career from Towns Down Underground. Details of Jim’s path to an illustration career.

Towns Down Underground

 

Jim Harris gives tips for illustrators from Jack and the Giant. Funny comments about the process of writing and illustrating a book for children.

Jack and the Giant

 

Check out the art in ‘Ten Little Dinosaurs.’ Artist Jim Harris gives some tips for working with an unusual illustration problem in a wiggly-eyeball picture book.

Ten Little Dinosaurs

 

Every job has its headaches. Just ask Jim Harris. Too much advice makes an illustrator want to, well, turn off his cell-phone! Jim tells just how bad it gets in his comments about illustrating ‘The Bible ABC.’

Bible ABC

 

If you need some pointers about illustrating kids’ books, read Jim Harris’s techniques for illustrating ‘Tortoise and the Jackrabbit’ with bright saturated colors and his tips on using frisket for clean, crisp backgrounds.

Tortoise and the Jackrabbit

 

Here’s another Cajun version of a classic fairytale by writer Mike Artell—this time it’s Jack and the Beanstalk who turn up down on the Louisiana bayou! Detailed watercolor illustrations by artist Jim Harris.

Jacques And De Beanstalk

Portfolio Reviews

“Is my art good enough for me to be a professional illustrator?  And if so, how do I get work?”

If these two questions just happen to be the main thoughts surging around in your mind, you might consider a portfolio review. 
My portfolio reviews cost $150.  This is for a 30-minute telephone review focused on your art (which you send me in advance) and on questions you have about becoming a professional illustrator.  
Alternatively, I charge $95 for the exact same information in a written portfolio review (which I email  you).  Again, this is based on the illustration samples you show me and the questions you have asked in your portfolio review questionaire. 
This is basically how I approached my mailbox when I was starting out as an illustrator. If, by some chance, there was an illustration order amongst the hardware and grocery store flyers, I pretty much danced all the way up the driveway to the house. --Mort at the Mailbox, from The Trouble with Cauliflower, illustrated by Jim Harris

 

This is basically how I approached my mailbox when I was starting out as an illustrator.  If, by some chance,  there was an illustration order amongst the hardware and grocery store flyers, I pretty much danced all the way up the driveway to the house.  --Mort at the Mailbox,  from The Trouble with Cauliflower, illustrated by Jim Harris

 

 

 

 

What does a portfolio review include? 

*my comments about your art – such as...   strong points, weak points, how to improve your art’s saleability,  anything you can do to make your art more professional, etc.

*answers to your questions about anything related to an illustration career and/or your artwork

*my recommendations on where to advertise  your style and subject matter (whether that be children, animals,  landscapes, robots, or cartoons, or all of the above) 

*ideas on effective marketing   (i.e. I live in PODUNKVILLE... how is anybody in New York or Honolulu ever going to HEAR about me??? )

*how to price your illustrations for various clients

*which of your pieces to mix and match in different  portfolios for different types of customers

*answers to other questions you ask me in the portfolio questionnaire.

How do I show you my art?
You can send images by email or you can direct me to a website where you have your art posted

How soon can you do a review?
For phone reviews...   check here.  
For email reviews ... I respond within 48 hours.  (72 hours if it’s over a weekend).

What if I have more questions than you can answer in 30 minutes?
If you’ve chosen the email review option, there isn’t really any time limit; I just write answers and comments until I’m done. 
By phone, 30 minutes is usually about right to discuss a portfolio and answer a typical amount of questions.  If we get into deeper discussion and need more time, we just work out a mutually agreeable arrangement on the phone.  Something like 10 bucks for another 15 minutes or something like that.

How do I set up a portfolio review?

  1.  You choose a phone review (and time) here  or pick the email review option here and pay by PayPal.
  2.  You email me your art samples (3 pieces or 53, whatever you would like to send).  It often helps if you give each sample a name or number... like “Tommy and Spot Chasing Seagulls” or “Ilustration 12.”  .
    OR...  you can point me to a website where you have your art posted, and I can look at it there.
  3. Use the portfolio questionnaire here to tell me about your art and ask questions 
  4. For Telephone Portfolio Reviews –-- I will call you at the beginning of your scheduled time

For E-mail Portfolio Reviews –-- I’ll  email you my review and answers to your questions within 48 hours (72 hours if you catch me over a weekend ). 

What kind of people ask you for reviews? 

What kind of questions do you answer in a portfolio review?
Here are some common ones:

The whole point of a portfolio review is to get answers to your individual questions about your art and how to use it to create actual income. 
If this sounds like it would help you, just click below and I’ll look forward to meeting you and seeing your art.
I’m in...    I’d like a review!!

 


 

Images and Text © 2009 Jim Harris. All Rights Reserved