Magical Realism for Children’s Illustration

Start by getting to know Juanita and hear about her professional background as an illustrator. She shares some of her projects and books, and talks about the artists that have influenced her along the way.

Explore the elements of magical realism and discover how other artists have incorporated them into their work. Gather the main ideas for your illustrations by doing some brainstorming and mind maps, and use them as inspiration for a mood board. Then, see the digital tools Juanita uses to create her illustrations.

Let your imagination guide you through the initial sketch on paper before digitizing it on your editing software. Learn to add dimension to your illustration as Juanita takes you through techniques of value and tone. Get creative with your color palette and choose the colors that convey the mood of your illustration. Then add the finishing touches to your composition by working on detail, light and shadow, which add magic to your illustration.

Explore your options for sharing your work to give it more visibility. Juanita covers the best practices when sharing it on social media and online portfolios, but also goes through ideas like applying for contests or sending it to agencies or editorials to get new clients and illustration projects. You can even take your illustration a step further and create your own children’s book to continue your magical story.