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

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

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

Sara 5 star rating

Chippenham, UK

Hello, I’m a professional and friendly illustrator/designer with over 13 years experience. I am so looking forward to working with you.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Middle Grade, Children's, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Inspirational.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Portico Designs Ltd

I'm a talented designer with a decade of experience in creating beautiful books, from standard paperbacks to luxury collectors editions.

Genres: Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Games Workshop

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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

Mickey is a multidisciplinary award-winning creative specialising in art direction and design. Her style is bold, colourful and playful!

Genres: Travel, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, Cultural & Ethnic, Fiction, Humor & Comedy, Design, Contemporary Romance, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • ACNE
  • Self-employed

Children’s book designer & illustrator with 5+ years’ experience creating engaging, print-ready books and visual worlds.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Picture Books, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, and Holiday.

Work experience:

  • Yandex
  • Alpina.Kids Publisher
  • HSE DESIGN LAB

Illustrator working from my home studio by the sea. I've worked on many books, with the Roald Dahl estate & won a World Illustration Award.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Education & Reference, Young Adult, Architecture, Travel, Nature, Picture Books, and Children's.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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 create traditional and digital illustrations usually mixing realism and abstract elements, as a way to make people feel seen and inspired.

Genres: Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Young Adult, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Children’s Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, and Fashion & Textiles.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

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

Picture Book Designer & Illustrator specialising in character led stories with humour and whimsy.

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

Work experience:

  • BCU
  • 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, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Literary Fiction, and Nature.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Fig Leaf Group

I'm a passionate and creative book designer with over 20 years experience.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Sports & Outdoors, True Crime, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, History, Education & Reference, Economics, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Packt
  • Bloomsbury Publishing
  • Biteback Publishing
  • Grade Design
  • 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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