Laura Wood

Laura Wood – Designer

I create digital and colourful illustrations for picture books and kids literature within a warm and collaborative workflow.

Overview

Have you written a children's book and would like someone to illustrate it? Are you a self-publishing author and need an illustrator to give life to your words?

My name is Laura and I'm a children's book illustrator. I've been working in the publishing industry for the last 13 years and proudly published more than 30 kids books. I worked with the biggest publishers out there: Scholastic, Hachette, Penguin Random House, Usborne, Walker Books, to mention a few.

I'd love to collaborate with you and create the perfect illustrations for your story!

The way I work consists in discussing the deadline for the project and understanding what type of style, feel and look you want me to create.

After that, I create some character designs (that's were all the main characters of the story the come to life!), followed by some rough sketches, then a cleaner linework and finally a colour test. By the end, you’ll have a unique eye-catching artwork to present to your readers!

If you would like to work with me or learn more about my process, feel free to send me a message and I will get back to you within 48 hours.

* I don't use any kind of AI to create my digital illustrations or to create the book. All my art is done by me. *

I look forward to hearing from you!

All the best,

Laura

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Middle Grade Picture Books
Languages
English
Certifications
  • Diploma of Illustration at TAFE Melbourne

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present
I’m a digital illustrator drawing everything by hand and working with self-publishing authors, editorial and publishing clients from around the globe.

Portfolio

Illustration
Dee and Flee at the Theme Park

Hubery, Julia

Graffeg

Illustration
Eesha and the Mud Monster Mystery

Goucher, Wendy

Little Steps Publishing

Illustration
Illustration
Taronga presents: Poo at the Zoo

Darell, Kristin

Penguin eBooks

Illustration

Laura has 1 review

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Donna G.

Donna G.

Jul, 2026

I highly recommend illustrator Laura for your next illustration project. She was professional, responsive, and a pleasure to work with throughout the process. Laura beautifully captured the personality of my main character and created a wonderful two-page spread that brought my manuscript to life...
Read more

Most recent contributions

What, in your opinion, is most important to remember when illustrating for children's books?

For me, the most important thing is to remember that children are perceptive readers. They notice small details, emotional contradictions and visual jokes that adults may overlook, so illustrations should never talk down to them or simply decorate the text. A strong illustration should contribut...
Read more

What's your process for creating a storyboard and refining character designs in children’s books?

I usually begin by reading the manuscript several times: first to understand the story and its emotional arc, then to identify the key visual moments, page turns and opportunities for the illustrations to add something beyond the text. I create small thumbnail sketches for the entire book, focusi...
Read more

What steps do you take to ensure a character design is consistent across various scenes or projects?

For me, consistency starts with understanding the character from the inside out. Before illustrating the final scenes, I explore not only their proportions, features, clothing and colour palette, but also the way they move, react and express emotion. I then create a character sheet with multiple ...
Read more

Professionals similar to Laura

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Mark M.

Hello! I can help give your book the cover that it deserves: bespoke, beautiful and bold. I've spent 30 years designing and illustrating.

Hamilton, UK

80% reply rate

View profile

Daniel M.

Hello, I'm a creative and versatile artist who can provide fun, colourful and engaging illustrations that align with your project's vision.

Harrogate, UK

100% reply rate

View profile

Marta P.

Freelance illustrator and SCBWI member. Made in Italy, based in California! Represented by Erzsi Deàk at Hen&ink Literary

San Francisco, CA, USA

100% reply rate

View profile