The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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A experienced and passionate children's book illustrator bringing stories to life through magical artwork.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Vanessa 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

🟡 Experienced book designer available for book cover and interior book design/typesetting. 🟡

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Christian Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Poetry, Thriller & Suspense, Humor & Comedy, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

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.

Award-winning graphic designer, author and artist with 25+ years experience in cover design, layout, typography and illustration.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Design, Photography, Writing & Publishing, Entertainment, Economics, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Political Science & Current Affairs.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Tate
  • The Guardian
  • AGM
  • APN New Zealand
  • The Independent

Experienced Illustrator with a passion for beautiful books, excited by the prospect of helping Authors achieve their creative vision.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Classics, Poetry, Science Fiction, Short Story, Math & Science, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Andy 5 star rating

Birmingham, UK

I’ve been helping people tell their stories through my art for over 20 years! Let me help you tell yours!

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books, Children’s Non-Fiction, Career Guides, and Education & Reference.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Lime Media
  • Lunar Animation

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Bek 5 star rating

Basingstoke, UK

I'm an experienced UK based illustrator who has an extensive working background in illustrated map design.

Genres: Geography, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Travel, Nature, Architecture, Children’s Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, and Holiday.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Is an Irish illustrator living in London who loves to create artwork that captures the moments between moments in pop culture.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Entertainment, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

I am an illustrator and art director based in London. I love illustrating children's and young adults books!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Nature, and Parenting & Families.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

A super friendly digital artist specialising in fantasy and sci-fi art for book cover work and illustration. I don't use AI in my artwork.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Gaming & LitRPG, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Steampunk, Science Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • RedBedlam
  • Yazino

I'm a London-based illustrator, specialising in the following styles: Comic/graphic novel, Painterly and vector designs

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Science Fiction, Travel, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Offshore International Advertsing
  • Big House Media
  • South African Fashion Week

I'm a very experienced designer and illustrator of top-selling non-fiction books, on topics that include Psychology, Nature and Wellbeing.

Genres: Agriculture, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Home & Garden, Nature, Travel, New Age, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Illustrator crafting intricate, nature-infused imagery with hand-drawn linework, ink washes & textures for poetry, fiction & non-fiction.

Genres: Anthologies, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Inspirational, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Psychology, and Humanities & Social Sciences.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Greenhouse Communications
  • Kineo

Children's illustrator specialising in comical animal paintings (actual and invented), with over thirty years experience in the business.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

I’ve been an illustrator since 2008 I work in editorial, publishing and advertising.

Genres: History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Classics, Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Steampunk, and Science Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

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Hire the best book illustrators in the UK

You’ve done the hard work of getting a story on paper. Now let us help you find the perfect illustrator to bring your words to life.

In many genres, particularly those for a younger audience, the words and the pictures will become intertwined. Both should complement the other perfectly. If you think back to your most beloved children’s books, chances are that you still vividly remember the art that brought the story to life in front of your very eyes. So whether you’re publishing a children’s book or a technical piece of writing, your story deserves the illustrations that can illuminate it and take it to the next level.

But how can you find the perfect illustrator for your story? It’s probably not a surprise that talented illustrators are highly in-demand. But it’s not enough to simply be gifted. The ideal illustrator should have previously worked in your genre and have years of experience in the industry. More importantly, their style of illustration must match with your own unique voice.

If you’re struggling to find the right book illustrator to fit this profile, Reedsy can step in. Our book illustrators have worked for the biggest publishers and the most prestigious illustration agencies in the UK. We rigorously vet and accept only the top 3% of talent in the industry to ensure that you’re seeing the best freelancers available. What’s more, our platform lets you browse each illustrator’s individual gallery, so that you can get a feel for their illustration style before you commit to a collaboration. So what are you waiting for? Simply sign up for a free Reedsy account today to meet the perfect book illustrator for hire in the UK who can breathe life into your story.

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Apply filters

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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.