How to Illustrate Books When You Can Not Draw

Do you want to illustrate books? But you can not draw to save your life?

Thanks to Travis Jonker of for the head’s up on this fascinating video! It’s awesome!
I was so surprised when Hanoch Piven said he couldn’t draw, so it’s a great lesson on how to illustrate children’s books when you can’t even draw! And I get that question a lot!

If you’re an illustrator, use this video interview method. Have a friend interview you, and do inter-cuts to your work. For writers, talk about how you visualize scenes, and intend of showing your art as an illustrator would. You can find video clips in places like istockphoto.com and they have free weekly clips. Plus, if you open a new account with that link, you will earn 10 free credits, because it’s an affiliate link! (Make sure to read the fine print because you need to use them within a certain amount of time.)

Recent Comments

  • PS
    April 30, 2019 - 5:46 pm · Reply

    I JUST stumbled upon your website while searching and I’m sooooooo glad I did!!! Thank you for writing this piece and sharing it with the world!!! That video got my creative juices flowing, and NOW I’m excited to see what’s ahead when it comes to creating “creative” illustrations:) THANK YOU!

  • Colette Stroffolino
    March 12, 2017 - 4:51 am · Reply

    I love this video! So inspiring! I myself am a professional muralist, but ironically when I wrote my first book was at a loss as to how to illustrate it. My first attempts at line drawings were so sad looking. The problem was that my book was about a well-loved pet and I wanted the images to BE her. I had very few photographs and the ones I did have were low resolution and blurry. I wanted a little fun inside my print book and was very sentimentally attached…I did end up finding a way to manipulate the images in photoshop until they became line drawings and still fully represent her (and our special moments in time).
    I love how Hanoch Piven speaks of being flexible and thinking differently. I can’t wait to try something totally outside of the box for a future book that I am less sentimental about. Thank you for posting this!

Leave a Comment