The best book illustrators for hire in the United Kingdom

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Nick 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I am a book cover designer with 20 years experience. I have designed everything from thrillers, crime books and illustrated womens fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • HarperCollins

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

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

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

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

Book designer and illustrator with 7+ yrs in publishing. I specialise in books on art, culture, history, nature, philosophy & mythology.

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, History, Children’s Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Education & Reference, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, Math & Science, Nature, and Comics Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Dorling Kindersley, London
  • Dorling Kindersley, India
  • Batsford Books

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

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I specialise in narrative cover illustration and artwork for books, film, and music.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, New Adult, Young Adult, Classics, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Poetry, Themes & Motifs, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, and Music.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Award-winning illustrator focused on fantasy, horror, and historical. Working with worldwide Publishers since 2003. No AI used in my work.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Post-Apocalyptic, Steampunk, and Epic Fantasy.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Bringing 25+ years of whimsical, joyful and colourful illustration to the publishing industry. Unique, fabulous drawings just for you!

Genres: Short Story, Fiction, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Experienced Illustrator and Designer, Specialising in Commercial Fiction, Fantasy, YA , and Mystery.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Artist Studio London
  • Print Studio
  • Self-employed

Illustrator specialising in vibrant covers for adult & children's fiction/non-fiction. Bloomsbury Publishing, The Guardian, The WSJ

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Classics, Contemporary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Neo Creative
  • Self-employed
  • Virtue / Vice DACH
  • Strukt Vienna

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

Senior designer in publishing with nearly ten years' experience in book jacket design and illustration.

Genres: Romantic Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Poetry, Literary Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Music, and Nature.

Work experience:

  • Birlinn Ltd
  • Freelance

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.

Illustrator specialising in ink & watercolour for fiction and non-fiction. Over 15yrs experience, clients include Murdoch, Octopus Books

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, DIY & Crafts, Home & Garden, and Health & Wellbeing.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Portico Designs Ltd

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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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