Joel Cockrell

Joel Cockrell – Designer

Middle Grade/Children's illustrator with 10+ years specializing in illustrated covers, interior b/w images, book design, and more! US-based.

Overview

I have helped 16+ authors get their career start, and have worked with some of the biggest publishers in the world such as HarperCollins. I have over 10 years of professional experience illustrating and designing. I have been published both nationally in the US and internationally. I love to create Middle Grade book covers, children book illustrations, magazine illustrations, and more! My style is whimsical, fun-loving, and warm. I can illustrate a wide range of subject matters including, but not limited to, kids, animals, nature, historical fiction, sci-fl, and more.

I always meet my deadlines, and I work hard to understand your project goals before starting. I love to see your ideas come to life!

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Christian Fiction Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English
Awards
  • Adobe Academic Award
  • Adobe Academic Award in Character Design

Work experience

Wingfeather SAGA (Shining Isle Productions)

Sep, 2024 — Present
I have illustrated for the popular Wingfeather SAGA series (By Andrew Peterson) as a marketing illustrator. I have illustrated maps, multiple character paint-overs for them, coloring pages, and more.

Self-employed

May, 2013 — Present
Freelance illustrator for a wide range of publication related media (picture books, YA novels, cover designs, magazines, etc.). My most recent project was a YA novel entitled "Becoming Lottie Moon," a coming of age novel about the missionary girl Lottie Moon. It was recently published on Amazon, and is doing well. I also have illustrated for the UK magazine "Storytime" for their august issue. On Amazon, you can find two recent children's books entitled "Adventure Ted" created for the childhood cancer society. The first book has nearly 200 5-star reviews!

Awana

Apr, 2022 — Present
Full-time illustrator and designer for Awana curriculum. I have illustrated various collateral for their kids curriculum (coloring pages, vector artwork, etc.).

Source of Light

Jun, 2019 — Dec, 2022 (over 3 years)
I was the sole designer and illustrator for a quarterly print publication with over 50,000 readers world-wide. It was a 32 page publication mailed out to readers, and listed online as well.

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
The Misadventures of Tyler & Lu: The Secret Under the Deck

Lawrence, Nicole K.

PrettyBizzy Books

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Ezra Whetstone and the Masters of Time - The Mark of Aion: A Middle Grade Time Travel Adventure Through History

King, M. Nathan

RumRunner Books

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Becoming Lottie Moon

Hall, Emily

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Anthem Lightner And The Realm of the Fount

Bond, Janet L

MindStir Media

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Stones of Fire (Time Treaders)

Hamm, Jeris G

Candle Tree Press

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
All Battles End at Sunset

Acuña, Jared

Hilt & Arrow

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Secrets of the Sofa

Soule, Jason

Wonderfilled Publishing

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Changeup

James, Jean Marie

Independently published

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
The Herald's Burden: Rise of the Cythroleni

Felker, Jared M

Scribbler Cred, LLC

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
Billie Moon and the Florida Monsters

Emerson, J.

Billie's Monsters LLC

Cover Design Illustration Typography

Joel has 10 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Nathan K.

Nathan K.

May, 2026

Pinned
Joel is an excellent artist and consummate professional. His quote clearly outlined exactly what he would provide for the agreed upon price and he fully delivered. Even after the fact, Joel continues to provide support and is going to help with with the cover uploads to KDP and IngramSpark. I wil...
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Joel C.
Thank you Nathan! I would gladly work with you again. You've got a great book on your hands, and I'm excited to see it listed!
Nicole L.

Nicole L.

Mar, 2026

Pinned
I had a great experience working with Joel on the illustrations for my middle grade chapter book. He was professional, easy to communicate with, and really thoughtful about bringing the characters and scenes to life. Joel did a fantastic job capturing the personality and tone of the story, and h...
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Joel C.
Thank you so much for the kind words Nicole! You were so fun to work with and I hope we get to collaborate again in the future!
Janet B.

Janet B.

Jul, 2025

Pinned
Working with Joel through Reedsy was an absolute pleasure! From the start, he demonstrated a clear understanding of my vision and brought my dream cover to life with artistic flair. Not only did he deliver exactly what I asked for, but he did so on time--without rushing my feedback on his drafts...
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Joel C.
Thank you for your kind words Janet! You are every illustrator's dream client (fun, creative, professional, and more). I will gladly work with you again anytime. Thank you, and congrats on your boo...
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Chris E.

Chris E.

Aug, 2026

Joel's output is very professional and representative of his portfolio. He was very easy to work with and did everything he said he would do in the time he did it. I would recommend him to others.
Joel C.
Thank you Chris! You were very easy to work with, and I hope we can work together in the future! - Joel
Lane L.

Lane L.

Aug, 2026

Joel exceeded expectations in almost every way. His artwork was amazing! His communication was really good. Everything was on time. He asked great questions and was really helpful. I would highly recommend Joel.
Joel C.
Thank you Lane! I hope we can work together again soon! This was truly such a fun project. - Joel

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Most recent contributions

How do you make sure that a freelancing opportunity is legit?

In today's age, especially with the rise of ai, this has become very important. There are three checks I use to verify if something is legitimate or not when it comes to freelance opportunities. It is very helpful to be a part of an online community or forum of illustrators. These communities o...
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