The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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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, and Humor & Comedy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • James Warwood Books

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

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

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

Designer with 23 years of experience creating innovative covers and layouts for major publishers, blending creativity with precision.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Design, Photography, Travel, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, and History.

Work experience:

  • QUINTESSENCE, QUARTO GROUP
  • ARCTURUS PUBLISHING
  • Self-employed

Children’s books are my passion! I love to bring stories to life with whimsical, joyful watercolour-based art. Communication+collaboration!

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade, Chick Lit, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Little Steps
  • Clavis Publishing
  • Catch a Leaf

With over 20 years as a designer I can create for you an eye catching and professional book cover design that will get your book noticed.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Historical Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Ghost Design
  • Allcity Media
  • Self-employed
  • Various

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Experienced and multi-talented book designer who can help make your book something special. Covers, layout, typography, beautiful imagery...

Genres: Design, Non-Fiction, Architecture, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Entertainment, Photography, History, Travel, and Art.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Bloomsbury Publishing
  • Thames & Hudson

I’m a seasoned cover illustrator with more than a decade of experience, collaborating with some of the leading figures in science fiction!

Genres: Military Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Epic Fantasy, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Ogden Media Ltd
  • Daniel Arenson
  • Chris Fox Writes
  • Not Yet Studios

Freelance illustrator & book cover artist based in the UK. Over 10 years experience working with clients such as Xbox, CreativeReview & more

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Action & Adventure, Technology, Non-Fiction, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Archant

Award-winning illustrator with 10+ years of experience, specializing in picture books and middle grade with a focus on light and color!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Nature, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

With over 20 years of editorial graphic design experience, I am creative, reliable and able to deliver projects on time and within budget.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Writing & Publishing, Travel, and Music.

Work experience:

  • APL Media Limited
  • The Big Issue
  • Self-employed

a.k.a. Inkymole! Over 30yrs experience creating for the world's best-known publishers and authors: illustration, art direction and lettering

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Science Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Philosophy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Experienced Illustrator Crafting Engaging Picture Book & Middle Grade Art with a Distinctive Textured, Printmaking Style.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, and Picture Books.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Hi, I'm Ed and with 25 years of publishing experience as a designer, illustrator and art director, I'm looking forward to working with you!

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Education & Reference, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Tall Tree Ltd
  • Self-employed
  • Marshall Editions

I am an experienced illustrator who loves the surreal and gothic and creates eye catching, bold covers and maps for YA and adult fiction.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Women's Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Nature, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Smashing illustrated maps, cartography designed to your targeted readership. Good at getting the design right first time.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Design, Non-Fiction, Geography, Humanities & Social Sciences, Travel, Holiday, Transportation, Nature, and History.

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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Step 2

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Step 3

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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.

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