Every children’s book needs illustrations that make the story feel real. A thoughtful colour palette, memorable characters, and engaging scenes can transform a simple idea into a book children return to again and again.
Professional illustration requires more than artistic skill; it requires an understanding of storytelling, page flow, and how images work with words. At Dublin Publishing Press, we help authors create beautiful picture books from early concepts or finished manuscripts with care and consistency.
Our illustration service supports every stage from character development to final artwork, ensuring your story becomes a polished and professional book readers will love forever.
Tell us about your book and a consultant will get back to you within 24 hours, with no obligation.
Many people who search for children’s book illustrations Dublin-wide are usually working on one of a few kinds of projects. Below is a breakdown of the main ways we can help.
We work with a wide range of people, not just professional authors. Most of our clients fall into one of these groups:
If you are not sure whether your idea fits, get in touch anyway. Most projects start with a short, informal conversation rather than a fixed plan, and we are happy to talk things through even if you are only at the thinking stage.
When you search for book illustrators Dublin-wide, you will find people with very different levels of experience, style, and ways of working. Whoever you choose, whether it is us or someone else, it is worth asking a few honest questions first.
A good illustrator will not mind being asked any of this. If someone is vague about timelines or pricing, treat that as a warning sign rather than a small detail.
Our illustration work is handled by an experienced illustrator based here in Dublin, not passed between different freelancers or outsourced overseas. That matters more than it sounds. It means the same person who sketches your first character is still there for the final page, so the style, tone, and quality stay consistent from cover to cover.
Our style leans warm and approachable, but we adapt it to suit your story. Some books need soft watercolour scenes, others need bold, punchy characters that jump off the page. Some clients want a simple, flat digital style, while others prefer something that looks hand-drawn and a little imperfect on purpose. None of these is better than the other; it just depends on what suits your story and who it is for.
We talk through style with you early on, before any real work begins, so the finished book looks and feels the way you imagined it. If you are not sure what you want, that is completely normal too. Plenty of clients arrive with only a rough sense of tone, such as “cosy” or “adventurous,” and we help narrow that down together using reference images and sample sketches.
Illustration is not decoration. For young children, especially those who cannot read fluently yet, the pictures often carry as much of the story as the words do.
Book illustrations Dublin schools use in the classroom often become a child’s first real introduction to reading for pleasure, long before it becomes reading for homework. Getting the illustration right is part of getting that first impression right.
There is a practical side too. A well-illustrated book is easier to read aloud, since the pictures give a natural pause point and something for a child to point at and ask about. For personalised or family books, illustration is often what makes the story feel like a real book rather than just a printed document, which matters a lot if it is being given as a gift.
We start with a conversation by call, email, or in person if that suits you better. You share your manuscript or idea, and we talk through style, length, budget, and what you have in mind for the finished book. There is no pressure to have everything figured out at this stage.
Before any full illustration work begins, we put together a small number of sample sketches so you can see the character style and general feel. This is the stage to raise any concerns before we commit to a full set of pages, so changes here are quick and simple rather than costly later on.
Once the style is agreed, we work through the full manuscript, illustrating each page or spread in order. You will usually see this in stages rather than all at once, so nothing comes as a surprise at the end, and you can flag anything that needs adjusting as we go.
You review the draft illustrations and send back your notes. Reasonable revisions are part of the process, not an extra charge sprung on you later. We want the finished book to actually match what you pictured, not just what was quickest to produce.
Once everything is approved, we prepare final, print-ready files, along with digital versions if you plan to self-publish online. We can also point you toward printing options if you need them, and answer any last questions about formatting before you go to print.
Illustration is often just one part of getting a children’s book finished. If you need support with other stages, we can usually help with that too.
We publish books across the platforms most authors use today, including Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and other global distributors. Whether you want a print book, an ebook, or both, we help you choose the right format and route for your goals. Whether you are planning a small print run or a wider release, every book publication project in Dublin gets the same attention from our team, from formatting checks right through to final proofing.
Explore Book PublishingWe offer developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading, depending on what stage your manuscript is at. Our editors focus on structure, clarity, and accuracy, while keeping your tone and your voice exactly as you intended it. You will always get notes explaining why a change was suggested, not just a marked-up page with no context.
Explore Book EditingWe provide ghostwriting support across fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, business books, self-help, and children’s stories. Our writers work closely with you, turning your ideas, notes, or recorded conversations into a manuscript that still sounds like you. Drafts are shared regularly along the way, so you can steer the direction of the book before too much work goes in the wrong way.
Explore Ghostwriting ServicesWe design covers for fiction, non-fiction, academic books, and children’s titles, in both print and digital formats. From illustrated concepts to clean, simple typography, our designers build covers that suit your genre and catch a reader’s eye. We usually offer a few different directions to choose from, rather than a single take it or leave it design.
Explore Cover DesignWe format manuscripts for novels, academic texts, children’s books, and non-fiction titles. Every layout is prepared for paperback, hardback, and ebook versions, so your file meets the technical requirements of each platform before it goes live. Small details, like consistent chapter headings and clean page breaks, get checked carefully before anything is approved.
Explore Book FormattingWe help you plan a launch, prepare online listings, build simple author branding, and run targeted campaigns where it makes sense. The goal is straightforward: get your book in front of the readers most likely to actually enjoy it, rather than spreading a small budget too thin across everyone.
Explore Book Marketing
There is no single flat rate for this kind of work, and we would be wary of anyone who quotes one before seeing your project. Cost depends on things like:
Because illustrations for children’s books vary so much in size and style, we always start with a short conversation and a proper look at your manuscript before giving you a quote. That way, the price you get actually reflects the book you want made, not a rough guess.
As a general rule, a short personalised keepsake book with simple illustrations will cost less than a full-length picture book with detailed, full-colour artwork on every spread. We are always upfront if a project looks like it will take longer than expected, and we will tell you before starting, not after.
Your children’s book deserves illustrations that capture its imagination, emotion, and message. At Dublin Publishing Press, we work closely with authors to create artwork that feels personal, professional, and meaningful. Whether you have a complete manuscript or only the beginning of an idea, our team can help turn your vision into a beautifully illustrated book ready to share with readers.
If you have a story sitting in a drawer, a half-finished manuscript, or just an idea you keep coming back to, we would genuinely like to hear about it. Get in touch for a friendly, no-pressure conversation about what you are hoping to create. There is no obligation, and no cost, just to talk it through.
It depends on the length of the book and how many revisions you need, but most full picture books take a few months from first sketch to final file. We will give you a realistic timeline once we see your manuscript.
No. Plenty of clients come to us with a rough draft or even just an idea. We can help shape the story alongside the illustration work if needed.
Yes, always. We show you sample sketches early on and involve you in feedback at every major stage, so the final style is one you actually chose, not one handed to you.
Most of our clients are local, but we work with authors further afield too, mostly by call and email. Being Dublin-based just means it is easy to meet in person if that works better for you.
We provide print-ready files and, where needed, the digital formats required by common self-publishing platforms, so you are not left trying to convert anything yourself.
It varies by project, based on length, style, and detail. We give a clear, written quote after an initial chat about your book, rather than a generic price list.
That is no problem. Some clients need spot illustrations, a single cover, or extra artwork for an existing project, and we can scope that separately from a full illustration package.
Tell us about your manuscript and a publishing consultant will come back to you within 24 hours — with an honest assessment and no obligation.
