I do (cards, prints, murals, etc...you name the application and I'll illustrate)! My minimum fee for custom work is $500, so let's schedule a call and I would love to hear more about your project!

I almost exclusively use Lisa Bardot’s awesome brushes for Procreate. Her company is called Bardot Brush. Not only do they create amazing tools for drawing on your ipad, she and her husband Geoff create the best YouTube tutorials out there for illustrators using Procreate on the iPad. I give Lisa credit for teaching me what I know about the fun world of illustration :)

"...and I wanted to see if you would illustrate it for me..."

If I had a nickel for every time I got a message that started out like this… First, I’m flattered that you would consider asking me to help with your project. And this is a type of work I would love to do. However, if you haven't, I always suggest that people do their own research about the publishing world before jumping into self-publishing.

Here's how the traditional publishing process works: if you have written a children’s picture book (a manuscript), you first pitch it to a publisher (side note - many publishers don't allow for unsolicited submissions meaning you have to have an agent to submit your manuscript).

From there, if the publishing house wants to take on your project, they will select the illustrator they think would best visually tell your story.

The publishing house has book designers who will handle the layout of the pages and get everything set up for print. And there may even be someone else brought in to do the cover.

The "royalties" people are so interested in don't start rolling in until the advance money given at the start of the project has been made back in sales...

Whew... that's a lot, right? So, if you are looking to self-publish instead of going the traditional publishing route, and you are interested in hiring an illustrator like me, there are several factors to consider (Do you need illustrations only? A book designer? Cover art? How much do you plan to sell the book for? Do you already have a platform and marketing plan? Do you have published work already out there? etc). These projects can take several months to complete, so before you are taken aback by the dollar signs, just keep in mind all the work that goes into a huge project like this!

The Graphic Standards Guild has been putting out a book for decades outlining the industry standards for payment, so these numbers don't come out of nowhere. You may not be looking to make money off of your project, maybe you just want to have this as a memory for your friends and family. If that's that case, I am not the artist for you.

But... if you do decide to hire someone who will charge less, I encourage you to not perpetuate the "starving artist stereotype" and affirm (with your dollars) how much work goes into the production of a picture book. Thanks for listening to my TED Talk!

Zeelool bebe! Yes, they are real. Yes, you can add your prescription. Yes, they have bluelight blocking. No, they are NOT subtle :)

Not yet ;)