The best book illustrators for hire near Edinburgh

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Whimsical, feathery and playful illustrator with a traditional flavour. Specialized in children's books, animals and starry skies.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Nature, Poetry, and Middle Grade Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Patrick 5 star rating

Brighton, United Kingdom

With 30 years experience designing covers for the UK's top publishing houses, I also art direct, illustrate and do hand lettering for covers

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller & Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Historical Mysteries, and Science Fiction.

James 5 star rating

Chester, United Kingdom

Simple, but fun pencil and pen illustrator. I love middle grade, chapter books, and non-fiction for kids and adults.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Business & Management, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • James Warwood Books

Louise 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

Hello, I am an Illustrator living & working in Somerset. My style is honest, inviting & brings the everyday to life.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Home & Garden, Weddings, Short Story, and Fashion & Textiles.

Work experience:

  • Ernest Journal - Tina Smith, Jo Keeling
  • Author Andrew Sutton
  • The Hunterian Museum & Glasgow University
  • Curator of 'Museum of memory', Kate McStraw,
  • Tina Smith, Dan Linstead -Immediate Media
  • Pretty Nostalgic
  • Another Escape
  • Upper Hand Press. (William Cass, Author & Ann Starr, Publisher)
  • Marbella Club Hotel & Smokes Creative

Sarah 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

Specialist children's book illustrator and designer, creating beautiful and engaging books and content.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Pearson Education
  • John Brown Media
  • Redan Publishing

Emma 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

A freelance book cover designer with over 20 years of experience working across a wide variety of imprints at HarperCollins and LittleBrown.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Historical Fiction, Classics, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Little Brown
  • HarperCollins

Jason 5 star rating

Hassocks, United Kingdom

Book jacket design designer with over twenty years experience in the industry.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Philosophy, Mystery & Crime, Thriller & Suspense, and Technology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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Zoe 5 star rating

Dorchester, UK

Hi, my name is Zoe and I'm a freelance illustrator and designer with a passion for all things children's book related!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Award winning illustrator and designer. I love illustrating magical and strange worlds. Let's start working on making your project sparkle!

Genres: Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Classics, Young Adult, Romantic Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Longman Group
  • Oxford University Press
  • Aberystwyth University

Book cover designer and illustrator with 15+ years’ publishing experience, creating bold, story-driven and memorable visuals.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Design, Education & Reference, Sports & Outdoors, and Travel.

Work experience:

  • Sotheby's
  • Anova Books
  • Taylor & Francis
  • Self-employed

Experienced Illustrator and Book Designer, originally trained as an Architect. Main focus in Cities, Transport and Technology.

Genres: Architecture, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Geography, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Transportation, Travel, and Technology.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

James 5 star rating

Perranporth, UK

I'm an award-winning Art Director, Book Cover Designer and Children's Illustrator who freelances for publishers all over the world.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Science Fiction, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Nature, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Biographies & Memoirs.

Work experience:

  • Orion Publishing Group (Hachette)
  • Vintage Books (Penguin Random House)
  • Oneworld Publications
  • Head of Zeus
  • Self-employed

Hello! I can help give your book the cover that it deserves: bespoke, beautiful and bold. I've spent 30 years designing and illustrating.

Genres: Poetry, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Anthologies, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Waverley Books
  • Department of Medical Illustration, West Glasgow Hospitals University

Emma 5 star rating

Nottingham, UK

I'm an award-winning children's book illustrator and designer living in Nottingham, UK. I specialize in bringing children's books to life.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Illustrator skilled in both traditional and digital techniques. My work is inspired by vintage illustrations.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

I craft timeless illustrations that pause the noise, evoke emotion and speak directly to your book’s audience.

Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Travel, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Fig Leaf Group
  • Imagine Learning

Picture Book Designer & Illustrator specialist in character led stories with humour and whimsy. No AI Art. Current avail: Jan 2026

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Humor & Comedy, and Middle Grade.

Work experience:

  • BCU
  • Self-employed

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Hire the best book illustrators in Edinburgh


Hiring a professional book illustrator can help you get one step closer to realizing your creative vision for your book. Experienced in genres ranging from picture books and middle grade books to fantasy books, our book illustrators in Edinburgh can help you immerse your readers in your world even more.


They can help you out with double-page illustrated spreads, fantasy world maps, character sketches, or spot illustrations. Whatever it is you need, you’ll find an illustrator on Reedsy who’ll have previously worked with publishers to create similar effects. We hand-pick our illustrators, only approving the top 3% of applicants who want to join our marketplace, so you can put your trust in the illustrator you choose.


So how do you choose which book illustrator in Edinburgh (or beyond!) to hire? Just sign up to our marketplace for free and browse their portfolios. You’ll notice that art styles vary a lot, so make a shortlist of artists whose personal aesthetic speaks to you and feels aligned with your project’s aims. Join us today to look at our illustrators’ profiles and meet your future partner.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

Step 2

Browse

Then, browse professional profiles to find out more about their personalities and past projects.

Step 3

Request quotes

Request quotes from up to five freelancers at any time. They’ll look at your sample pages to give you a tailored quote as well as a sense of how they work.

Step 4

Collaborate

Once you agree on terms and a timeline, you’ll start collaborating using the many communication and editing tools available on Reedsy.