Living My Dream of Being a Children’s Book Illustrator
Posted: Thursday, January 28, 2010
by LeahG Artist
Cartoon & Illustration Services
Cartoon of a sleeping crocodile drawn to illustrate a children's poem
Cartoon drawn to illustrate a children's poem about spiders
At the ripe old age of almost 40 I am finally launching myself towards a dream I had as a child that lady luck saw fit to thwart time and time again. As a result of which I've had a wide variety of career changes and occupations as I never quite liked what I was doing enough to stick with it.
- Hair and Beauty
- Flower arranging
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- English language
- Computer studies
- Animal studies zoo keeping!
- Character analyst
- Stress consultant
- Teaching asst.
Fickle? Yes perhaps. But I never wanted to be any of these things , at least not from the bottom of my soul! I always wanted to be an artist of some sort and just draw.
A career in art is not an easy path as many people even those employed in some other endeavour have a skill at art and so standing out from the crowd and sparkling is not easy. Fortunately I don't wish to stand out in the crowd, I just want to see my art in print while bringing smiles to people's faces. As that is a fairly modest dream it is achievable.
Reach for the stars and you may just catch the moon!
Whatever your dream is, never give up and one day lady luck will smile on you and you should go for it for all it's worth.
Here are two book illsutrations I've drawn to accompany some rather unusual children's stories (children's stories for adults!). All feedback is very welcome.
LeahG Artist and Designer
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
Leah left the retail and health management world a few years ago to become a freelance writer and artist. She now enjoys creating funky vibrant cartoons and illsutrations for websites, promotional materials and as gifts. Leah would love to illustrate her own children's books in the future. Presently she is creating cartoon and cartoon mascots for business clients.
Visit LeahG's Cartoon and Illustration Services website here for updates and latest art work.
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Top-level comments on this article: (5 total)Very interesting. I have a friend who just did the design for the cover of a science fiction book. I think it's a noble profession. I've made a lot of career path changes over the years, too, but somehow returned to psychology. I was an electrician, counselor, electronics technician, computer repair, programmer, carpenter, investment advisor (blah!), insurance salesman (double blah!), landscaper and interior painter. Always had hopes that my daughter would pursue a career in art, but as you say, it's a tough field to stand out in.- GHi G, what is your daughter doing now if not art? Perhaps she'll return to it one day?
I like those Leah. Tell me why you chose the colors and shapes you did for the cows, and please describe the lower one with the girl. I think that one is very cool. Sort of a surrealist cartoon.Hi Kenny, the story re the cows is a science fiction one and as they are singing on the moon I figured there was absolutely no point worrying about making them look like traditional Earth cows, also I like colour and lots of it and with the Earth and sky being quite plain (initially sky was going to be pitch black) I thought I needed to inject colour somewhere.Re ther second one, this is one of two pictures re a story about shattered dreams. The little girl is in an underground cave dreaming of a better world re her magic ball. I changed the colours by removing them with a simple program I have (a child's program called Toonworks) to give this darkened and more creepy effect. It's a digital meets traditional art pic.Interesting.You are a very talented and creative woman.I wish you had drawn those in my teen years when I did LSD...lol ... I could have gotten lost in such images.
I am certain that you can be, or do, anything you put your mind to Leah. In the famous words of Stallone, "Go for it!"Thank you Bobby :)I'm about to draw some crude 'Love is' cartoons, they might look nice on your blog :) A fun addition.
i want to do something different and get happiness that belongs to us onlyHi AileenGo for it, I say!
Hi Leah, love the moon cows singing and the "negative" image, I think you have a very strong style and it is nice to see someone working traditionally as well as digitally.Thank you Grant :)
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