Fairy Illustration Tips for Artists

One of the most popular ways to express ideas and concepts in children’s books is through fairy illustrations. As such, a lot of children’s book publishing companies make full use of them. Examples of such publishing houses include Macmillan, Penguin, Random House, Disney, publisher Knopf, and Bantam. Some other well-known publishing houses include St. Martin’s, Harvard, and Landau. A notable exception in the world of fairy illustrations is illustrated children’s book series produced by the German publishing house Der Strombetsch. These fairy series have been constantly gaining fans since their conception in 1978.

What makes fairy illustrations so appealing? Aside from the charming characters featured in these books, the imagination behind them is truly multi-dimensional. As such, it can be fun for kids to imagine themselves into different situations just as they are doing with their favorite fairy. This is why a lot of people consider this form of illustration to be a good introduction to the world of children’s books.

Of course, not all children’s books feature fairies. A good example of this would be the story The Sonderkonden, written by Christoph Keibling and illustrated by Christophthal. The story takes place in Denmark during the Cold War, when tensions between the West and East elevated a young boy named Boniface Sonderkondere to become the country’s sole representative to the United States Peace Corps. As such, he had to build a new life for himself outside of his homeland. His struggle against political intrigue, along with the threat of a nuclear war, is what captures readers, especially those who have seen the Disney film Beauty and the Beast.

Aside from being a visual treat, fairy illustrations can also provide an avenue for a writer to explore different themes. For instance, Keibling has written fairy stories that tackle issues of faith, family, and growing up. In his illustrations, he employs traditional tools like brush and pencils to create a colorful palette for these unique stories. He even uses several modern elements like computer-assisted drawing and 3D animation to bring these illustrations to life.

For fairy illustrations, it is best to choose a single style. Just because there are a lot of fairy artists who specialize in different styles doesn’t mean that their fairy illustrations will necessarily look great. Because of this, it is best to stick to one style, even if it’s a bit more simplified. One of the best approaches to take when searching for a fairy illustration is to look through popular examples first. Popular examples will already have managed to capture a market share for themselves; thus, they are likely to be a good starting point. But after you’ve found a few examples to work from, it’ll be easier to narrow down your choices.

Fairy illustrations can come in any size, shape, or form. However, a good rule of thumb is to keep them small. Even though some fairy-like elements like wings and flowers can look charming when surrounded by a larger piece of art, it makes the fairy illustration look much smaller. If your fairy illustrations are too large, they may seem as if they’re taking up the entire page instead of being contained within a relatively small space. Keep your fairy illustrations to around four square inches or so, which is the standard size for most printed fairy art.