Jess Bolam – Designer

Hi, I'm Jess! I'm a British illustrator, artist and animation designer, specialising in children's book illustration. I'm passionate about exploring the potential of illustration and art as tools for education and communication. When I'm not illustrating, I love reading and going for walks.

My style is defined by bright colour palettes and traditional textures, and I have a particular interest in combining digital and traditional media to create something new. I particularly enjoy illustrating animals, nature and cute characters. Coming from an animation design background, my influences include stop-motion animations and children's TV shows alongside books and the natural world!

If you'd like to work with me, you can expect organisation, punctuality and lots and lots of colour (if you want it, that is!). You will always be able to review and revise any sketches before final artwork goes ahead, and I can offer spot, single-page and full page illustrations for picture books and children's fiction. I value good communication and a clear brief - if you're not sure on the specifics of your project, I'm happy to talk you through the process step-by-step.

I particularly welcome picture book texts, stories featuring animals, nature and diversity, and middle-grade fiction, but I'm open to working on anything... let's bring your ideas and writing to life!

If you'd like to send me a project request, here are some tips and things to bear in mind!

1. Make your brief as detailed as you can. In order to create a realistic book quote for you, I need to know: the subject matter/a brief outline of your story, how many pages your book is (we can work it out together if you're not sure), what kind of illustrations you'd like, an idea of your budget, when your deadline is and what you'd like the iIlustrations to be used for (aka, will they just be for the book or are you wanting additional usage?). I also welcome examples of picture books you admire, to help me understand the feel you want for your own picture book!

2. Be realistic with your timeframes. I typically set aside between 4-6 months for each book project I work on to ensure every illustration is the highest quality it can be. Picture books are never rush jobs! Illustrators are often working on multiple projects at a time, and contrary to what some people might think, digital illustrators are still creating all of their artwork by hand!

3. Think ahead to how you'd like to publish your book. Will you be going down the self-publishing route (using a service like Amazon KDP or IngramSpark)? If you're looking to pitch to publishers, usually you'll need to submit a manuscript only, NOT a fully illustrated book.

4. Please note that I only illustrate in my own artistic styles (as shown in my portfolio) and will not replicate the style of other illustrators.