Wildlife Illustration for Children's Books

Begin by getting to know Dieter. Hear his story about his love for illustration from a young age, and how he became an illustrator and children’s book author. He also shares his influences and sources of inspiration.

As you work towards creating a double-page spread for a children’s book, explore the different tools that can be used to illustrate. Next, go hunting online for wildlife illustration references before learning about book formats, color palettes and textures. Learn how to create a tiger’s eye with geometric shapes using Adobe Illustrator. Then, sketch out the draft for your double-page spread.

Learn how to turn your sketches into vector drawings using Adobe Illustrator. Dieter shows you how to vectorize your characters and the background. Add textures and gradients in Photoshop to give your drawings the organic look that brings them to life! Finally, bring all the elements together to create your double-page spread.

The adventure doesn’t end there. Dieter gives you an overview of how to create the rest of the book and shares some tips for getting it published. He shares his experience in the publishing world and gives you his advice on how to go about it.