on becoming a published illustrator | editorial illustration process

nessart16
Oct 28
5 min read

About a year ago, i was working on a project I have always dreamed of doing, but found myself "not ready yet" for a long time. So in celebration of my first ever published illustration work, here is a little behind the scenes of my artwork in the self-development book Ignite Your Inner Spark by Alpa Kapadia Teli.

Illustrating a book is a deeply rewarding and enriching experience, especially when the subject matter resonates with you on a personal level. In September of last year, I had the opportunity to work with a trainer and coach, Alpa Kapadia Teli, who was writing her very first book Ignite Your Inner Spark.

This book focuses on discovering your true self through deep inner work, rather than superficial changes. As someone who’s always fascinated by self-help content and personal growth, this project felt like the perfect alignment of my passions and skills. Here today, I want to share with you my journey, insights, and practical tips for creating illustrations for a book (from someone how has just started out in this field 😊)

How the Project Began

*one preliminary experiment in the style of the illustrations we explored*

The collaboration started when the author reached out to a group of coaches for an assignment. My mum was in that group and picked up her request - thinking that it was for a graphic design requirement she passed on the information to a fellow designer who eventually ended up recommending me for the job, which turned out to be illustrations. What a full circle moment.

She needed hand-drawn diagrams and illustrations to better convey her ideas and concepts. It was her first book and my first experience illustrating one, so we were both stepping into new territory. The aim of the illustrations was to serve as visual aids that complemented the text and enhanced the reader's understanding.

Scope of the Project

We agreed on a package of 20 illustrations. The variety of illustrations made it particularly interesting:

Recreations: Some illustrations were adaptations of existing images, some were stock images, some were previously AI generated images that were collected for this book.
Original Concepts: Others required brainstorming and building visuals from scratch.
Quote Designs: I also worked on re-drawing quotes to go along with the text of the book.
Infographics and Tables: These added structure and clarity to the book's content, and help guide some of the activities mentioned in the book.

*one of the author's original concepts highlighted in the book*

Creative Process

Starting Point

My process for tackling the illustrations was rather intuitive. I began with the pieces that felt easiest, or resonated the most with me. For example, one of my favourite illustrations from the project was the buttress tree roots, and it was also the first one I completed. This approach of following what "called out to me" kept the momentum going and helped tackle creative blocks.

Grouping Similar Illustrations

Since the author was on a semi-strict deadline, I had the flexibility to choose the order of my work. I often grouped similar-looking illustrations together and worked on them consecutively, which helped maintain consistency and efficiency.

Style and Design Choices

Visual Aesthetic

After discussing with the author, we decided on a clean, monoline style for the illustrations, and the paper the book was going to be printed on was already slightly textured. Overall, we avoided textures to maintain simplicity and cohesiveness with the book’s cover design and overall tone.

To add depth and interest, I incorporated different opacities of black and grey in select illustrations. This decision proved effective, especially because the book was printed in black and white, and the grey tones added character without increasing production costs.

Challenges in Conceptual Illustrations

Some illustrations required creative problem-solving, especially when visualizing abstract ideas. For example:

Meaning-Making Machine

Illustration: Representing the complex process of how memories, beliefs, stories, etc are formed and how we assign meaning to them.

Whole and Hole Self: Depicting the idea of self-completeness and addressing internal voids.

These illustrations took the longest to conceptualize and finalize, as I needed to ensure that the visuals conveyed the intended messages clearly and effectively. I used Pinterest to gather some inspiration for how I wanted these visuals to look first, and then I went to my drawing board and tried to visualize how I would like to understand these concepts.

I trick I used here was to act as though I was explaining the concept to a child, how simplified and visually engaging can I make this> I tried to use visual metaphors wherever possible and keep the illustrations direct.

Key Takeaways & Suggestions

Having done this for the very first time, there are certainly some thing I learnt about myself and the process. Here's what I picked up:

Get to know the content inside out: Spend time reading and understanding the book before you start illustrating. Visualize, in your mind, the concepts you are trying to illustrate. The better you grasp the concepts, the easier it will be to translate them.
Build a strong connection with your client: Talk to the author regularly. Ask questions, share drafts, and make sure you’re aligned on the style and tone they’re envisioning through and through. This back-and-forth is may feel like a lot, but it is key to creating illustrations that truly complement the text.
Work smarter, not harder: Start with the pieces that excite you or feel easiest. This not only builds momentum and the confidence you need to keep going, but can also give you initial easy wins and fresh ideas for tackling the more challenging parts later.
Think about practical constraints: Always keep production methods and costs in mind. For instance, if the book will be printed in black and white, find ways to add depth using shades of grey rather than relying on colour, like I did for this book.
Take creative liberties (but communicate them!): Don’t be afraid to experiment and add your own touch, that is what your client has come to you for. Just make sure your client is on board with these decisions.
Be patient with abstract ideas: When working on conceptual illustrations, give yourself enough time to brainstorm and experiment. It’s okay if it takes a few iterations to get it right. Take your time in visualizing, journaling, talking through these ideas, or doing whatever you need to truly and deeply understand these concepts.
Stay organized: Group similar illustrations together and work on them in batches. This ensures consistency and saves you time switching between different styles or themes, especially if you are like me and have difficulty in getting your mind to adjust to change.

illustrating Ignite Your Inner Spark was a fulfilling journey that allowed me to merge my love for art with my interest in personal growth. It taught me valuable lessons about creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.

For anyone looking to step into the world of book illustrations, I hope these beginner insights provide inspiration and guidance, especially if you are starting this journey yourself.

Whether you’re recreating existing visuals or crafting new concepts from scratch, remember that your illustrations have the power to bring stories and ideas to life. And that is something to cherish :)