Building a Standout Portfolio – Tips for Illustrators

So, you’ve got the talent, the passion, and a collection of artwork that makes your heart sing. But when it comes to breaking into children’s publishing, how do you build a portfolio that actually gets you noticed by art directors, agents, and publishers?

The truth? Your portfolio isn’t just a collection of pretty pictures—it’s your calling card, your handshake, your “Hey, look at what I can do!” moment. Let’s make sure it’s working for you.

What Makes a Strong Illustration Portfolio?

1. Quality Over Quantity
   You don’t need 50 pieces. You need 20-30 stunning, polished, and diverse illustrations that show off your range. Every piece should be your best work.

2. Show Consistency (But Not Sameness)
   Editors and agents want to see a cohesive style—something that says, This is YOU. But that doesn’t mean every piece should look identical. Experiment with expressions, movement, and perspectives while keeping your artistic fingerprint consistent. Or, if you work with multiple mediums, demonstrate your versatility. Pencil, watercolour, digital, make sure it's the work your proudest of.

3. Include Storytelling Pieces
   Illustrating isn’t just about drawing cute characters—it’s about telling a story. Show moments of action, interaction, and emotion. Can someone look at your illustration and guess what happened before and after that moment? If yes, you’re golden.

4. Children’s Book-Ready Work
   Make sure your portfolio includes:
   - Kids in different ages, expressions, and movements
   - Animal characters (publishers love these)
   - Sequential art (think: a 3-4 panel visual story)
   - A full illustration spread (to show you understand composition)
   - Character development (to show that you can show consistency across a characters different actions
   - Express emotions (to show publishers that you can capture character expression in facial features and body language. Pay specific attention to the eyes.

5. Leave Out the Random Stuff
   Got an amazing hyper-realistic oil painting of a mountain? Cool, but unless it’s in your illustration style for kids,it doesn’t belong in your portfolio. Keep it focused.

6. Presentation Matters
   Your work should be displayed in a clean, easy-to-navigate digital portfolio. Whether it’s a website (Wix, Squarespace, Behance) or a well-organized PDF, make it professional and accessible.

7. Social Media
   Whilst social media may not feel important to you, many publishing professionals find new illustrators by searching Instagram accounts. Make sure yours is representative of what you can do and how you do it. Reels, behind the scenes and inspirations are a great way to engage potential publishers and they get an insight into your personality, not just your illustration style.

Your portfolio isn’t just a showcase of your talent—it’s a sneak peek into how you’ll bring a children’s book to life. So, put your best work forward, stay true to your style, and let your illustrations tell a story that makes publishers say, We need to work with this artist!

Now go forth and create something magical. ✨

Need help perfecting your portfolio? Reach out for a chat here