James Warwood

James Warwood - Designer

Chester, United Kingdom

Simple pencil and pen illustrator with a touch of colouring in. I specialised in middle grade, chapter books, and non-fiction for kids.

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Overview

Hi, fellow self-publishers of Middle Grade!

I've been writing, illustrating, and self-publishing my Middle Grade books (humour, action adventure, and non-fiction) for over 10 years. I love writing, but over that time I've discovered that I love bringing a story to life with drawings even more. All great Middle Grade books are littered with eye-catching doodles and illustrations that pull young readers in and lead them through the adventure.

That's what gets me up in the morning (along with black coffee).

I was born and raised in England, but currently live on the boarder if North Wales (the dragon country!) I use pencil and pen to outline my illustrations, then put them into Adobe Illustrator to polish them off. My designs and characters are simple, but effective, and have a cheeky edge and playful style that fits perfectly within middle grade books and chapter books.

Here's how I can bring your story to life: hand-drawn illustrations (the bread and butter of chapter books and, because I like to keep things simple, I can keep the cost down too), chapter headings (little gifts for your readers at the start of each chapter, helping fuel the imagination), detailed and eye-catching maps (I LOVE doing these, they are incredibly fun to draw), interior book design (I can help you add the finishing touches so that the words pop-out and the drawings flow in harmony), book cover (I believe that a great book cover is what every book deserves, and I love making that happen).

When I'm not writing or drawing, I'm playing with my two boys in the garden, playing board games with the wife, or playing my bass guitar.

Wow, are you are still there? Interested in working with me?

It's time to send a request!

Speak to you soon,

James
Languages
English
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Middle Grade
Middle Grade Fantasy

Work experience

Self Employed Illustrator

Self-employed
September, 2013 – Present (over 9 years)

Portfolio (10 selected works)

The Chef Who Cooked Up a Catastrophe

Warwood, James, Warwood, James

The Boy Who Stole One Million Socks

Warwood, James, Warwood, James

The Girl Who Vanquished the Dragon

Warwood, James, Warwood, James

Helmet Required

Ross, Steve, Warwood, James

James has 2 reviews

Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality

Claire Nicholas
It was a pleasure working with James. He was very accommodating over the style required for the children's book, and very professional with the end result; all of this being achieved in a very timely manner. I am very much looking forward to seeing his work in print, and how his art brings the text to life.

Claire Nicholas, March 2023

James Warwood
Thanks Claire! 😁 Loved working on your wonderful book and I wish you all the best with the rest of your publishing journey.

Reply from James Warwood


Kathleen Alford
What a privilege and a joy it was to work with James Warwood! His creative talent and professional treatment of the book brought this project to life in wondrous ways that I could never have done on my own. I especially appreciated his clear communication, as well as his guidance regarding publishing issues with which I was not familiar. I consider the money paid for James' professional service...
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Kathleen Alford, February 2023

James Warwood
Thanks Kathleen. It was such fun working on your book, and I think we did a great job together! Hope the book is a success and look forward to working with you again. James

Reply from James Warwood

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