Illustrations | Tellwell Publishing

Illustrations and text work together to tell a harmonious story. Visual art draws your reader in and brings your story to life. Our experienced illustrators have created art for a multitude of genres, from juvenile readers to cartoons to sci-fi and fantasy. They listen to the author’s vision to create art together that best tells the story. Check out illustration samples by our talented artists below.

The availability and demand for our talented artists can be difficult to predict, so if a quick turnaround is important to you, we recommend picking several sample illustrations in your preferred style and we’ll pair you with an available illustrator whose work will be a great fit for your story. Learn more about our illustrations process.


Types of illustrations

Basic illustrations

Vibrant works with clean, simple drawings that transform your words into an imaginative adventure.

This option includes:

  • 1-2 definable characters with 2-5 descriptors
    • Example: An 8-year-old boy, blue eyes, tan skin, curly brown hair, and jeans with tears at the knees
  • No background or simple background
    • Example: Cloudy day, with the sun peeking through some clouds
  • One action or emotion
    • Example: The boy is looking up at the sun through the clouds
  • Black and white or color, basic shading, and simple details
  • 300-600 DPI, commercial use, high resolution, JPEG
  • One sketch revision

Complex illustrations

Complex illustrations feature eye-catching and intricate details to bring your story and characters to life.

This option includes:

  • 1-4 definable characters with 5-10 descriptors
    • Example: An 8-year-old boy, blue eyes, tan skin, curly brown hair, and jeans with tears at the knees, red rain boots, dirt/grass stains on jeans. The other characters are three students, all unique ethnicities, all four about the same age.
  • Defined background
    • Example: Cloudy day, with the sun peeking through some clouds. There are muddy puddles across the grassy ground. In the background to the right there is an elementary school. The boy is in the school field. There are a couple of abandoned toys in the puddles, and in the distance you can see a few other students hiding under umbrellas.
  • Multiple actions and emotions
    • Example: The boy is looking up at the sun through the clouds with a wide-eyed, reverent expression. There is a small amount of rain coming down. He is standing in a puddle, one boot almost covered by the water, the other, closer to the edge, is less so.
  • Black and white or color, detailed shading, color grading, layers, textures, etc.
  • 300-600 DPI, commercial use, high resolution, JPEG
  • One sketch revision