The best book illustrators for hire near Chicago

Sign up for free to meet top book illustrators on Reedsy

Judith 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, United States

Lettering artist and illustrator for 25 years. Bold, clean, graphic style—bright color palettes—contemporary look.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Design, Non-Fiction, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Themes & Motifs, and Plays & Screenplays.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Heather 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Experienced cover designer of adult fiction and non-fiction genres. Let's make your book a best-seller!

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Coming of Age, Historical Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Magical Realism, and Literary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks

Daimon 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Daimon is an comic book illustrator and Designer from Chicago who believes in honesty in art and in life.

Genres: Comics & Graphic Novels, Fiction, Comics Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, African American Fiction, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Dc comics
  • Chirp RADIO Chicago
  • The Microphone Misfitz
  • Eddie Klinker
  • Shein
  • Round table Companies

Ashley 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I'm an agency Sr. Art Director with a MFA in creative writing. Background in illustration and branding. Designed 40+ books for Reedsy.

Genres: Humor & Comedy, Fiction, Poetry, LGBTQ Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Comics & Graphic Novels, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Write Bloody Publishing
  • NPR - Austin, TX
  • Gap Online
  • Ladders
  • Democratic National Committee
  • Bully Pulpit Interactive

Kids designer/illustrator who loves storytelling, fun facts, cute macabre, fantasy, + nature. Let's create rad books—for the kid in us all♥️

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

Work experience:

  • Sourcebooks
  • Self-employed

Andrea 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

I’m an artist with a knack for illustration, hand lettering and painting. I love creating bold and colorful pieces!

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Cozy Mysteries, Mystery & Crime, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Romance, True Crime, Non-Fiction, and Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

WJ 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Do you want stress-free outsourcing? A communicative picturebook Illustrator / character designer / general illustrator. Feel free to reach

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Cultural & Ethnic, Contemporary Fiction, and Design.

Work experience:

  • co.Aniframe
  • Self-employed

📞 Chat with our team

Need a hand finding the perfect professional? Our team is here to help. Get in touch for recommendations.

Ricardo 5 star rating

Philadelphia, United States

I'm illustrator and Graphic Designer. I love the freedom children's book illustration brings. I love small details just kids can understand.

Genres: Picture Books, Children's, Fiction, Nature, Non-Fiction, Middle Grade, Life Sciences, Math & Science, Fantasy, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Mary Ann 5 star rating

New York, United States

With 20+ yrs experience in fiction, rom-com, wellness and career guides, my clients include Simon and Schuster and PenguinRandomHouse.

Genres: Career Guides, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, and Self-Help & Self-Improvement.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Penguin Random House

Jake 5 star rating

Blacksburg, SC, United States

With 2k covers and counting, I design genre specific covers that help authors look professional and convert browsers into buyers.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Print Depot
  • Self-employed

Talitha 5 star rating

Fort Wayne, United States

Experienced award-winning illustrator and designer. I can help with your next book concept!

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Hokyoung 5 star rating

New York, United States

I am an illustrator interested in making images with strong moods and narratives.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Classics, Mystery & Crime, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Literary Fiction, and Short Story.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Penny 5 star rating

Holbrook, United States

I have been lucky enough to work as a Children's Book Illustrator since 2007.

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

Work experience:

  • self employed

Sarah 5 star rating

Chicago, IL, USA

Professional artist and designer specializing in portraiture. Let me bring your stories to life!

Genres: Holiday, Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, LGBTQ Fiction, Young Adult, Magical Realism, Literary Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-Employed

Samantha 5 star rating

California, United States

Children's Illustrator and designer specialized in colorful, whimsical illustrations with experience from Disney.

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

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Jam City
  • RockYou Inc.
  • Walt Disney Interactive
  • Book Buddy Media

Leticia 5 star rating

Portland, ME, USA

Professional illustrator covering the gamut from editorial to surface illustration, with over 25 years experience. Playful line, bold color.

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Fiction, Calendars, Nature, Home & Garden, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, and Holiday.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Rayna 5 star rating

Shreveport, Louisiana, USA

Illustrator whose art packs a big message through representation and bold colors. Let me bring your project to life!

Genres: Cultural & Ethnic, Fiction, and Women's Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Browse 2,000+ additional profiles

Create your free Reedsy account and begin requesting free quotes.

Hire the best book illustrators in Chicago

Have the perfect book but not the perfect illustrations? Did you finish a children’s book, but realize that it’s incomplete without the right children’s book illustrator? Infusing your words with the visuals they deserve, a book illustrator can mean the difference between a mediocre book and a beloved tale for all generations. As the saying goes, a picture says a thousand words. But where can you go to find the illustrator to come up with the right pictures for your book? That’s where Reedsy comes into the picture. We’ve sourced the best book illustrators in Chicago for you on our marketplace, which only accepts the top 3% of publishing talent in the industry.

You can browse through all of their galleries and sample works simply by signing up to Reedsy. To start collaborating with Chicago illustrators, create an account on Reedsy today to get a free quote.

How it works

Browse profiles, request quotes, then collaborate.

Step 1

Apply filters

Reedsy is home to thousands of professionals. Select the specific services you need and narrow your search based on your book’s genre and requirements.

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.

Reedsy | Cover Designer (hardhat) | 2024-09

Get an eye-catching book cover

Request quotes from 200+ of the most talented cover designers in the industry.