Building Your Children's Illustration Portfolio: A Beginner's Guide
Whether you want to sign with an art agent or start working with real world clients in the children's publishing industry, it all starts with your portfolio!
What will this guidebook include?
I’ll be curating my top drawing tips and career insights to help you:
- Find Your Style (and know what to include in your portfolio)
- Draw Expressive and Believable Kid Characters
- Level-up your Skills in Composition, Color, and Lighting
- Plus plenty of hand drawn diagrams and cheat sheets
- And a Bonus Resources section with a list of books, courses, and directories!
Who is this guidebook for?
Beginners
(who are completely new to the children’s illustration industry)
Self-taught Artists
(who've maybe taken a few online courses, but need help getting their portfolio in shape)
People Making a Career Change
(who want to break into the industry and are looking for quick & easy tips they can apply)
*My Dear LinkedIn Followers*
(who would like a curated collection of my most popular tips in one place)
Who am I?
Hi! I'm Anny Chen, a published children’s illustrator with more than 3 years of professional experience based in Paris, France. Some previous clients I’ve worked with are Scholastic, Friend Magazine, and Rue des Enfants (Miscellane).
I’m represented by my agent, Maggie Byer-Sprinzeles in the U.S. for children’s publishing.
I also write on LinkedIn, where I share weekly tips on how to find your illustration style, creating strong character designs, and the picture book process. With over 5,000 followers, my posts have been described as a “mini masterclass” in all things related to children’s illustration.
More importantly, I was on this self-taught, midlife career change journey not too long ago. It took me two years of wandering aimlessly to finally find my style, build a strong portfolio, sign with an agency, and become a published children’s illustrator. I learned a lot along the way, and now I want to share my tips and insights with you!
Other ways to stay in touch
72 PDF pages (6 chapters) of drawing tips, career insights, and hand drawn diagrams to help you build your market-ready children's illustration portfolio!