How I Became A Children’s Book Illustrator

[@RedCardinalCrafts]

I love these long videos of yours. I'll admit that I throw on my beats and listen as I clean my house. When the video is over not only is my house clean but I am now completely inspired and sit down in my clean, organized studio to create and then re listen/watch your video. Keep doing these. They are my kind of video. Congrats on Bonaparte!

[@willterryart]

RedCardinalCrafts I love a clean studio! Thanks!

[@mussoletart8485]

Me: pulls out art supplies Me: stares at Will colouring the thing Will: 'I hope you're drawing!' Me:... oh. Right.

[@AlexCasadiego]

I hear his videos as a podcast when I'm drawing xD

[@JosephMelanconArt]

INCREDIBLY valuable information. Thank you for being so candid and honest--it's appreciated immensely! You have one of the most important art-related channels, in my opinion.

[@meebeefreee]

With each video you pull back the curtain on a part of the illustration world to those of us who aspire to live in it and even the merely curious. While describing the top of that mountain you also remind us of the hard work it takes to ascend. That part about being replaceable is going to stick in my mind for a while. Thanks doing these videos and ramble on whenever you want to!

[@willterryart]

Thank you Jon!!!

[@amykeever8527]

I so appreciate you taking time on your videos so Im tickled you dont listen to those saying "wrap it up!" I think its amazing the integrity you have in your mentorship-

[@willterryart]

We just can't please everyone - right?

[@amykeever8527]

Right ?!?! Watched your dry brushing technique on SVS this morning - wonderful information!

[@madb5537]

I love your videos! And I don’t mind a long video either it saves having to keep picking your phone up looking for the next thing to listen to when your busy painting, I find a long video way better and quite comforting to listen to :) thanks Will your cool

[@watchtheskies]

I concur

[@slvrcross]

Thank you for everything you do Will! You really help so many young artists including me.

[@sheilinhat]

"Os três Jacarezinhos" is in Portuguese! :-) Thank you for the video Will, always inspiring!!!

[@snotpup1502]

This is super helpful. I'm working on my first job right now where I was requested to do illustrations for a children's book. This has been my dream for years and your channel has helped me plenty!

[@zkull777]

I like watching you go through and make this Hansel and Gretel piece amazing.

[@horaciosalazargomez9488]

Hi Will! I did really enjoy this talk such as the illustration you made. Even though you didn't have the chance to describe with words the full process, just by seeing you working and the tools you used gave me clear idea on the path to take to end up with such a great art piece like yours! Also, the experiences you shared and the tips you gave also made my mind get a bit clearer in regard the art career and things to consider for making it in the industry. I still have doubts, but you definitely already has solved many. Thanks so much for your help! Have an excellent weekend! :) Blessings!!

[@kiktkikt2863]

Awesome video. Thank you so much for taking the time to share with me and all of us on the internet.

[@Personalmagik]

I’ve always wanted to know how royalties work for children’s books.

[@josta8488]

I've watched all your videos and what I love about them is that you tell long stories which are not only interesting and valuable but they are awsome to listen to while working. I wouldn't mind if they were even 2 hours long.

[@natalieodisho7264]

It can feel like there's an ever-expanding amount to learn, but the way you talk about lifetime work rings true. Thanks for sharing the personal story. I also liked learning about how to layer color. The lighting work is excellent!

[@keithtarrier4558]

I have one of your Step into Reading books!.. well my daughter does! What a surprise when we got it. Yeah, the monster parade one!

[@willterryart]

Ha! That was a fun little book to work on!

[@flatsamiscool]

I don’t think you’re rambling, I think you’re helping us to really know how we can go further and know what’s best to do if we want to illustrate children’s books. I’m really grateful that you took the time to help us know how to get somewhere with our art. Thank you for helping us!

[@weisprayz7452]

I've only recently started watching your vids. I know late to the party 🤣 but I've found great value in your vids will thanks

[@willterryart]

Come on in! :)

[@miriamrobarts]

You're not the only one, WeisWorld Art. I just started following Will (& Jake Parker) this summer, and have been watching all the past videos. It's great to have all this info online & available whenever someone happens to come across it.

[@weisprayz7452]

Miriam Robarts 😊 it helps to have these places to come to. Keeps you driven and gives information I otherwise would have no access to I'm indeed greatfull 😄

[@l.gaines5436]

Raises hand, me too!.. I'm even later than you :)

[@careybowden4864]

I just got to the part where you mention people commenting about the length of your videos. I specifically skipped through all my subscriptions to find a longer video, and I knew your channel wouldn't let me down. :) Keep it up! (Yes I'm drawing while you talk)

[@BradPitbull]

WILL TERRY INSPIRED ME TO CREATE MY OWN DRAWING CHANNEL THANK U WILL!!!!

[@eggels5622]

DimensionZombie sound interesting. I’ll go have a look 👍

[@NoblesseObligedCP]

Ramble on Will I love long videos I play them when I am doing other things. So your long videos are perfect plus they are interesting.

[@bettyszwagierczak4062]

Great story. Had lots of fun listening and drawing, looking foward to more long videos :)

[@paulobordon2826]

Really enjoyed watching the illustration process and listening to your history. It was really inspiring for me. Thank you for this!

[@ic_0129]

Lol I wasn't drawing. I enjoy seeing your process, it was kinda hypnotic. Very insightful video, thanks Will!

[@CliffordsStudio]

Very cool insight! Really loved hearing what you had to say about the industry. Also I've never seen this style of color pencil art style within a digital medium like photoshop. Awesome job with this you really nailed it!

[@WatchRipples]

This was one of my favorites of all your videos! Really enjoyed it. Very glad you said "my first real one" 17:20 because the very very first book you did, you said you didn't know what you were doing so it didn't count haha I'm going to start thinking of my first book that way as well. Ha!

[@willterryart]

Thank you - yes - it's more convenient to start counting when you're ready :)

[@DavidWoodArtist]

Thanks for doing the video, it's good company, whilst I sketch.

[@BiancaHaeckDesigns]

This is amazing! Thanks Will! I am terrified of being stuck in the job I hate, but this gives the tiniest hint of hope.

[@keitheager6023]

"Wrap this up in 5 mins", lmao. Thank you very much for taking your time Will. This is all very helpful to hear.

[@christinabrown1482]

Hey Will! Great video yet again! I always enjoy listening to you! If you need a video idea, I'd like to hear more about getting out of the "Good" realm and into the "Great". How do you know you've reached that point? Is simply a feeling, or is it an overwhelming response to the work you put out? What are some ways to get there?

[@joyheyer5902]

I would love a video on Good to Great too!

[@marrylo842]

Sometimes you have to illustrate as if your life depends on it ...working on a book ,not getting paid much but know very well this would be very dop start and put in so much... Hope to bear fruit in the future

[@Dismythed]

As long as the content is good, 45 mins of talk is fine. This was a good video. Great image. Thanks for the info and thank you for sharing.

[@MickieMuellerStudio]

LOVED this! Yes I was illustrating while I watched/listened! :D

[@cheeseburger347]

You crack me up lol. Who is Jeff?! Thanks for sharing your story. It’s motivating!

[@Unukadesign]

Wow.. I love this video.. I need to watch your rep video 🙏🏽🤞🏽🙌🏽 I need more experience. I've done my first childrens book illustrations and the stuff you mentioned is what I've gone through or experienced but it's great. I'm looking forward to more jobs and hope to find a rep I think that's something I want to try and figure out as well..anyway thanks for sharing your video 🙏🏽

[@carolinadocarmo3783]

This is beautiful! Such an inspiration

[@francescafruet9934]

Thank you. This video is very indispensable ❤

[@whimsicaldesignsbycjllc417]

Informative as always!

[@liveyourhobbies8883]

I have subscribed to you just now! Thank you for sharing your experience. I am an artist too and this story has been inspiring.

[@CraftyAndyCreates]

15:30 mom got that game for me and we could not figure out how to play either, now I don't feel stupid anymore about it.

[@miriamrobarts]

We have the 1st one: 13 Dead End Drive (not sure if Will did both of them). We have played it, but like he said, it takes a long time to set up. Do games credit the illustrators on the box? I'll have to check.

[@ridgetcloud7239]

Great videos! We appreciate what you're doing Will. Does anyone know what brush types he's using in this video?

[@vic_tory6745]

Thank you for sharing your story...it’s inspiring👍🏻

[@ChindoEnyidah]

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[@ellimaanpaa]

Great video. I want to be a rock star (of children book illustrating) but so far I'm just a groupie :)

[@StardustLu1]

Thanks, Will. Great vid. I'm an author wondering whether I could illustrate my own books.

[@carolbolt1522]

Thank you! I appreciate these videos so much!

[@nonyabizness956]

I like your rambling. You're interesting enough to make it fun Lol

[@theartyone]

Hi +Will Terry , I was told by the Association Of Illustrators that starting in magazines is where all illustrators start. You say in this video that magazine illustration has all but dried up. I'd expect the Association Of Illustrators to be switched on with current illustration routes but they seem to be giving out of date advice. Do you know much about the Association of Illustrators and if they're worth the membership fee after all?

[@willterryart]

I haven't heard of the Association of Illustrators? What country? But alas, their information is old - I would guess that the editorial market is perhaps 5% of what it was 20 years ago.

[@vapsman88]

You and Steve Martin are Ramblin' Guys. :0)

[@kimberleebrooks-trakis9563]

Are you still doing the Red Bunny thing? I would love to create one for you. Noemi Varga mentioned you on her channel ( in the comments) , she has a Vlog Scandish Homes. I am looking forward to watching all of your videos and learning to tweak my art. xoxxox

[@munch314]

cant wait for this course on svs. when will it be posted?

[@Kagome932]

Hey Will! Thanks so much for this video, it's so informative and fun to listen to. I love seeing one of your new vids so I can listen while working on art. :) I had a question and I'm sorry if you answered this somewhere else. I'm trying to get into children's books and so far have only done a few self-published PB's for authors, and one small press Chapter Book. When I'm doing self-published PB's the author always wants the art asap so they can start printing. But I was wondering with Publishers, what is the typical turnaround time for a PB? Is it usually 2 months? 3? Or is it very negotiable? Thanks again and happy illustrating!

[@willterryart]

Leda Hosier hi Leda - it varies greatly- can be anywhere from a month to a few years. Typically illustrators are given 6-9 months in my experience...but I've been asked to start and finish in a month and 2 months... I turned both of them down.

[@Kagome932]

Thanks so much for the honest input Will! :) I was honestly getting worried that in the bigger publishing PB world that 6-8 weeks was very common and expected. For me it means working at a breakneck speed, where I have to cut a few corners with technique (and work every weekend....). That's not the kind of schedule I consistently want, and I want to feel really really proud of PB's I get to make. Thank you again and I'm looking forward to your next video. :D

[@tanzeelsthoughts-commercia8594]

Your voice is beautiful BY the way my Question is can we first draw with pencil and color it, mark colours or water colours and then deliver to client and asked for to scan that illustration and use print in a book???

[@indianahoosier5794]

Terry, I'm new to your videos but would like to know more about children's book illustration. If I might ask, did you make up your own stories for illustrations in the beginning or did you find books and re-illustrate them in your own way? I've tried to find story book writers looking for someone to illustrate. Editorial work dried up for me in the early 2000's. Now they just don't seem to want to pay you for the time or they want so much control over your work. Also, how much of a portfolio did you have to have to entice an agent to rep you? Any suggestions on what to include/exclude and where to find these reps? Or did you buy into something like the "Directory of Illustration"? Sorry for all the questions but thanks in advance for your time and consideration...

[@mgaeddert1]

What is your process, for example, do you sketch on your tablet or sketch traditionally and scan into your application? Do you have brushes you prefer, or create you own, etc. Thank you!

[@alyssajohnson3941]

How much freedom do you get when illustrating kids books? Do they tell you exactly what they want you to make or do you get to read the book then decide page for page what should be there? I just imagine that giving the artist more freedom would produce better art since you can be more inspired.

[@breathingtokyo]

"I hope you are drawing" I was!! :D

[@romeuhsq]

That book "Os três Jacarezinhos" is in Poruguese. ;)

[@brapmansam]

Hi Will, Love your videos! I love this brush, is there anywhere I can download it from?

[@MsCristina38]

I have an acquaintance who makes $45,000 CDN per year (about $36,000 USD) working for a children’s book publisher full time from 9 to 5. If he struck out on his own as a freelancer could he expect to make the same or less of what he’s making now?

[@timothyschwartz9767]

So let's turn this around, how do I find a good illustrator for my story? One I know suits my topic? Are there illustrators that might work on commission? How would I find them?

[@willterryart]

I made the video for you! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHrRpI2mmch0rNE

[@ngatranthi555]

What is the brush you used? can i have the brush link?

[@bluelemur5112]

As a matter of fact I actually am illustrating right now :)

[@miriamrobarts]

It's fun getting a quick glimpse of my little rabbit on the bunny wall! Have you (or Jake or Lee) talked about how you chose your mascot? It would be interesting to hear about how that was developed & who got to do the official design. By the way, have you guys seen "Leap" by Lawrence Argent? It's a huge red rabbit sculpture constructed of aluminum and crushed glass triangular panels that hangs in the Sacramento International Airport. It's pretty awesome and the SVS rabbit is very similar to the sculpture. You can check it out here: lawrenceargent.com/public-art-projects/untitled

[@willterryart]

Miriam Robarts thanks for sending it to us! Haven't seen it but will check it out! Jake created the rabbit - we wanted a mascot who moves forward quickly and agile.

[@littlecedarhouse]

I am curious Will (since you started out in something entirely different to what you do now ) if you think it is a bad idea to show two different styles of art on one social media platform. I currently work in graphite doing realistic portraits but since having my kids I think I would like to move into children's books. I want to start up some business work with my portraits to get going again now my kids are older (I have previously done this before the kidlets where born) but I would also like to start working on illustrations, they are kind of different and I am not sure if I should totally keep any illustration work to myself or create another channel for it until I am ready to make the switch over. I guess what I am asking is if you where making your change now instead of a while ago and had instagram accounts etc, would you make a new stream?

[@willterryart]

Little Cedar House as long as there is a clear distinction on your website - I think it's fine.

[@littlecedarhouse]

Will Terry thank you so much for taking the time to get back to me. I am a new arrival to your channel and have been loving your videos and your honesty. Much appreciated by myself and many others I am sure!

[@filhografia417]

Yeap. It is Portuguese! Thanks for the video.

[@katylansmith5163]

what program are you using to draw this ?

[@somayayasser8236]

Please what kind of brush and its name

[@northernfreelance5788]

photoshop or illustrator? what to use

[@borderlinefancy]

what brush are you using?

[@ang.giselle2024]

Great video, did you lose weight? Just saying 👍 do you use a cintiq other than Procreate? I joined SCBWI because I heard you mention it. Did SCBWI help you to get your 1st rep?

[@willterryart]

Ha - you noticed! Yes - I've been on the Keto diet for 7 weeks - going strong! Scbwi didn't get me my first rep but it did help me get ready to start submitting to reps/agents.

[@АнгелинаИванова-р5ъ]

in which program does he draw?

[@Euclid58Films]

Hey boss, is there another way we could communicate? I have some questions for you.

[@marypxs]

why most illustration artists work with photoshop? and not with illustrator. ?as in photoshop images get pixel.

[@thecoolexchange2906]

Is it okay to share my book with you?

[@joyheyer5902]

You mentioned at the beginning that in your college class, only 5% of the 20 in the class were expected to make it in illustration. Curious-- we know you made it, so you are the 5%. Was their prediction correct or did anyone else in your class make it?

[@joyheyer5902]

Also, when you talked about "rambling" (which makes your video's perfect, by the way) I thought of this Steve Martin/Muppets skit. Hope you enjoy! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqW3fYp5Ztqhg8U

[@willterryart]

Great question! In my class there were 7 who ended up working an in house illustration job for a about 10 years. Two of us (not in the 7) worked freelance - the other guy switched to gallery work. So 9 that I know of but I've lost track of all but about 5 people in that class. One also became a very successful film art director...it was a very narrow view of what "making it" meant. Some started families and that's the best success.

[@joyheyer5902]

"Some started families and that's the best success."--This, right here, is why you are awesome! There are few who would consider that a success, let alone the best success!

[@samdiyahfoods6121]

Please anyone suggest me: which digital device is better for drawing.

[@derartas]

Wacom

[@tomeditz9192]

Yes , am drawing! How did you know 😂

[@pricklypin]

Don't think we've seen you in a button-up shirt before.

[@PazDAlma]

Yes, that's Portuguese ;)

[@alinacorreia92]

It is Portuguese lol🇧🇷

[@julianapinho6720]

Bunny Wall! kkkk I´ve a Penguin´s Notebook... rsrs.... I thought that I was the stange... rsrs

[@SonnyBurnett2008]

looks like portuguese..."the three little alligators"

[@victoriamallon7244]

lol I liked that game as a kid

[@robberydraws]

I am a rambler too, I get a lot and the point is, and your stories are boring. I say well if didn’t want me to ramble on don’t ask me question or talk to me. Also rambler’s unite let’s talk the ear off people.

[@ald9879]

0:48

[@loveloreal]

get to the point!

[@MsCristina38]

I have an acquaintance who makes $45,000 CDN per year (about $36,000 USD) working for a children’s book publisher full time from 9 to 5. If he struck out on his own as a freelancer could he expect to make the same or less of what he’s making now?

[@willterryart]

It all depends on the success of his books. You can make a little or a lot or anything in between - it's a question as to how the market responds to your creations.

[@MsCristina38]

Thank you, Terry. As he gets medical and dental benefits it seems a better option to stay with the secure 9-5 if he won’t make much more than that by branching out on his own I suppose.