Illustrators are storytellers.
We use our skills to convey the author's story in a manner that is rich, clear and eloquent. With our drawings illustrators can transform a simple tale into a deeply satisfying story.

The drawing style affects the way you read the words -- the tone of voice that tells the story. Is it funny, sad, exciting or dramatic?

The illustrator has to decide exactly what a character is like. The author's words often tell you very little; maybe just a name and age. The illustrator has to create people with faces, hairstyles, clothes and expressions that fit and add to the story.

The illustrator can add detail and richness to a story by contributing ideas that bring the characters to life.

For example a child's bedroom can be drawn full of toys, pictures and activity suggesting hobbies and interests.

The illustrator often has to decide where characters are and what they are doing. The author might relate a conversation between mother and son, which takes place "at home." The story can be enriched by the illustrator adding to the scene. Perhaps Mum is in the living room practicing her golf swings. Perhaps she is burning something in the kitchen, filling the house with smoke.