Candace Rardon

Candace Rardon – Designer

I’m an illustrator with a passion for creating whimsical illustrations, illustrated covers, and hand-drawn maps with a vivid sense of place.

Overview

Hello! My name is Candace, and I'm a professional illustrator with a passion for creating unique illustrated book covers, interior illustrations, and hand-drawn illustrated maps with a strong sense of place.

I’ve illustrated book covers for publishers such as Penguin Random House and San Francisco-based Travelers’ Tales, as well as for independently published titles for clients across the world. As a freelance travel writer, I’m especially drawn to projects that include an element of travel or adventure — if your story includes a journey, chances are we'll work well together.

I look forward to helping you bring your stories to life!

** Client praise **

“I commissioned Candace for BBC Travel’s Words and Wanderlust column on the recommendation of highly acclaimed travel writer Don George. As soon as I saw her whimsical, atmospheric and evocative sketches, I knew that they would be perfect accompaniments to the wonderful travel narratives and essays we were profiling. They bring the stories to life magnificently, helping to transport the reader to the destination. Candace was wonderful to work with, always coming up with excellent ideas and delivering the assets on schedule.”
— Ellie Cobb, BBC Travel editor
Services
Non-Fiction
Art Biographies & Memoirs Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits Design History Travel
Languages
English

Work experience

Self-employed

Jul, 2013 — Present

Candace is an award-winning travel writer and illustrator who has spent the past fifteen years traveling through 50 countries on six continents. Her stories and sketches have appeared on Longreads, the Calm meditation app (which has over 20 million users), National Geographic’s Intelligent Travel site, World Hum, and in Lonely Planet literary anthologies, and her illustration clients include:

- BBC Travel
- Calm
- Google
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art
- Penguin Random House
- Princeton Architectural Press
- Travelers’ Tales
- Uber
- Vanderbilt Magazine
- Yahoo

Originally from the state of Virginia, she is currently based in Uruguay’s beautiful capital city, Montevideo.

Portfolio

Humane Home: Easy Steps for Sustainable & Green Living

Lozanova, S.

Kindness Across America - In Search of the Meaning of Kindness Along the Railroads of America

Joel M.

One sunny August morning, author Joel Malard set out from his home in Fremont, California, to begin a 20-day train journey across the length of the United States and back again. With him, he carried a notebook and one question he would ask over 45 strangers he... read more
Indian Cooking

Kulminder B.

From my kitchen to yours! Learn to cook healthy Indian Food with my simple to follow, delicious recipes. All the classic recipes such as Butter Chicken, Channa masala are taught in a easy to learn format. These recipes come from my heart and straight out of my... read more
The Walkabout Chronicles: Epic Journeys by Foot (The Chronicles Series) (Volume 1)

Tor a.

The Walkabout Chronicles: Epic Journeys by Foot. Introduction by Sir Ranulph Fiennes. This is an adventure-travel anthology featuring some of the greatest explorers, walkers, and writers of our time. These essays span the globe. Represented in the book are wor... read more
The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George (Travelers' Tales)

Don G.

As a professional travel writer and editor for the past 40 years, Don George has been paid to explore the world. Through the decades, his articles have been published in magazines, newspapers, and websites around the globe and have won more awards than almost ... read more
Mother Tongue: My Family's Globe-Trotting Quest to Dream in Mandarin, Laugh in Arabic, and Sing in Spanish

Christine G.

One woman’s quest to learn Mandarin in Beijing, Arabic in Beirut, and Spanish in Mexico, with her young family along for the ride. Imagine negotiating for a replacement carburetor in rural Mexico with words you’re secretly pulling from a pocket dictionary. Ima... read more

Candace has 1 review

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Kate J.

Kate J.

Jun, 2021

Candace created absolutely gorgeous watercolor illustrations and maps for my children's history book. The illustrations were historically accurate and beautiful. She worked quickly, professionally, and followed the brief to a tee. Candace is extremely talented and I would not hesitate to use her in the future!
Candace R.
I loved working with Kate to create several custom illustrations and maps for her history textbook. She was very clear in her brief about what she and her team were looking for, and was very respon...
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