Katie Risor - Designer

Hello!

I'm an experienced illustrator, designer, and maker, trying to get all the weird stuff in my head out into the world. I strive to make unique illustrations that connect with hearts like mine, that yearn for the wonder of endless possibility in the world. Visual storytelling is my foremost goal, so I love books that let me play with the story. I've done books, covers, editorial, layout design, personal commissions, and product design. So far I've illustrated 6 picture books, a smattering of cover design, middle grade books, and I've also done work for magazines, local brands, and run my own etsy store. I've been successfully freelancing for two years, and I look forward to what's to come!

I'm primarily a children's illustrator, with experience creating client books from start to finish. With my clients, I bring their story to life by taking their manuscript and creating character designs, storyboards, color comps, final artwork, then layout design, cover design, and typesetting. I have experience with KDP and Ingram spark, so I'm happy to help new authors through the publishing process.

I am also working on my own projects and stories for publication. While I love bringing stories to life, my true dream is to be a storyteller.

Project Wishlist

I absolutely love picture books and visual storytelling of all kinds, so I spend a lot of time studying the craft, learning about trends in publishing, and furthering my education in the world of illustration, children’s books, and publishing. A truly good picture book writes with both words and pictures, and I do my best work when I have the space to really dig into the visual and design possibilities. So I’m looking for projects that will really let me flex my creative muscles and a partnership with a fellow professional who understands the nuances and complexities of illustration. That being said, here’s a list of things I would love to have in my next project:

Text that has “gaps” for the illustration to fill in
A book with an interesting design concept
Fun and unexpected story concepts
Opportunity to design weird creatures or animals
soft, whimsical, quirky, funny, magical, storybook
Nature, forests, especially with a fantasy or “weird” twist
Stories about groups of friends

Some of My Inspirations:

Here are a few of my favorite picture books:

Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus
Where the Wild Things Are
Jumangi
There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly
A Pizza With Everything On It
Thunder pug


Comics, middle grade, animation, and other stuff:

The Moomin books and comics by Tove Jansson
Calvin and Hobbes
Be Prepared! by Vera Brosgol
The work of Hayao Miyazaki
The work of Brian Froud
Jim Henson and the Muppets
The work of James Gurney
Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones
Frog and Toad by Arnold Loebel


Testimonials:

- Andrew Veach, "Red Ted and the Magical Melon Man"

- Jon Carlson, "When Mommy Caught a Dragon"

Jarita, "Mason and the Magic Cape"