The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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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

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

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

Andy 5 star rating

Brighton, United Kingdom

An illustrator of children's picture books, Young Adult books and book covers. A humorous style with expressive characters.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Humor & Comedy, and Young Adult.

Work experience:

  • Minds eye productions
  • Artworld
  • Climax
  • Beyond Reality Games
  • Self-employed

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

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

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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

Illustrator / designer with a conceptual approach to story telling through eye catching illustration

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Action & Adventure, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Children’s picture book illustrator specialising in hand-drawn expressive, story-driven artwork full of warmth, movement, and colour.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, and Fiction.

Work experience:

  • TryHackMe
  • IncSub
  • Self-employed

I am a cover designer/illustrator with over 20 years experience having worked with Penguin, LittleBrown, Harper Collins, Faber and more.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Legal Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Mystery & Crime, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, True Crime, Young Adult, and Horror.

Work experience:

  • Harper Collins Publishers
  • Self Employed

Tom 5 star rating

Liverpool, UK

I'm a freelance artist and illustrator based near Liverpool, UK. I specialise in whimsical, fantastical and retro-futuristic art.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

I am a book cover artist with a wide range of styles and who loves anything fantasy and whimsical.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Dark Romance, Romance, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, and Contemporary Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • The Ink Slinger

A passionate illustrator dedicated to bringing stories to life through vibrant and imaginative artwork. Let's make your ideas a reality!

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

Work experience:

  • Fromlucy
  • Self-employed

Alice 5 star rating

Northampton, UK

I love to bring worlds to life through vibrant characters and intricate details, creating immersive narratives through my illustrations!

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Coming of Age, LGBTQ Fiction, Middle Grade Fantasy, Children's, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Cozy Mysteries, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Inkwell Printing
  • Self-employed

J C 5 star rating

Manchester, UK

Award-winning children's picture book illustrator, designer and animator. I paint in a gentle watercolor style. BOOKED TILL OCTOBER 2026.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Catalyst Pictures Ltd
  • Aquent
  • DesignShop Ltd

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

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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.

Step 4

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