Creating Digital Illustrations for Children’s Books in Procreate

A tutorial on designing illustrations specifically for children’s books, focusing on soft colors, cute characters, and storytelling through art.

Children’s books are magical worlds where bright-eyed characters embark on whimsical adventures—and your illustrations can bring those stories to life! Whether you’re illustrating your own story or collaborating with an author, Procreate is a fantastic tool for creating charming, child-friendly artwork. In this post, we’ll guide you step by step, so you can capture that warm, playful feel every children’s book needs.

1. Start with a Solid Plan

Before diving in, spend some time thinking about the story’s theme, characters, and setting. Are you illustrating a friendly dragon’s journey or a day in the life of an adventurous puppy?

  • Create a Mood Board: Gather inspiration—color palettes, character design references, and styles that you love. You can do this on Pinterest or by saving images into Procreate’s Reference panel.
  • Decide on a Style: From soft watercolor effects to bold cartoony lines, children’s books can accommodate lots of fun looks. Select one that suits the story’s tone.

Pro Tip: If you’re working with an author or publisher, ask about their vision first. Collaborating early avoids big changes down the road.

2. Set Up Your Canvas

Procreate’s flexibility makes it easy to set canvas dimensions. For most children’s books, standard print sizes (like 8.5" x 11" at 300 DPI) work well. If you’re creating spreads (two facing pages), double the width.

  1. Tap the “+” in the Gallery: Create a new canvas.
  2. Custom Dimensions: Input your width, height, and at least 300 DPI for print quality.
  3. Naming and Templates: Name your canvas template—this helps you quickly access it for future pages.

3. Sketch Cute and Simple Characters

Children’s book illustrations often feature adorable, easy-to-recognize characters.

  1. Rough Sketch: Start with a rough shape—oval heads, circles for bodies, and simple limbs. Keep it playful!
  2. Exaggerate Features: Make eyes bigger or rounder, and use soft curves instead of sharp angles. Kids respond well to gentle lines and clear expressions.
  3. Character Consistency: If your story has multiple pages, ensure your character looks the same from page to page. Try creating a simple character sheet with different poses or facial expressions.

4. Choose Soft, Kid-Friendly Colors

The color palette sets the mood of your entire book. Typically, pastel or gently saturated colors feel inviting and whimsical.

  1. Pastels and Muted Tones: Opt for baby blues, soft pinks, light greens, and warm yellows to evoke comfort.
  2. Limited Palette: Sticking to a handful of colors keeps your illustrations cohesive. It also helps children focus on the characters and story without being overwhelmed.
  3. Color Harmony: Procreate’s Color Harmony tools can help you find complementary or analogous colors. This is handy for ensuring your palette is balanced.

5. Layering for Depth and Easy Edits

Layers are your best friend in Procreate—especially when illustrating a multi-page book:

  1. Separate the Elements: Keep characters, backgrounds, and additional details (like props or text) on separate layers. This makes it easy to move or recolor elements without affecting everything else.
  2. Organize with Groups: For detailed pages, group your layers (e.g., “Main Character,” “Background,” “Foreground Details”).
  3. Flatten When Necessary: If your file is getting large and slowing down, flatten layers you’re done editing. Just make sure you’re happy with them first!

6. Inking and Outlining with a Gentle Touch

When drawing for children, smooth and friendly lines tend to work best:

  1. Inking Brush: Procreate’s Studio Pen or Technical Pen are good starts. Adjust the StreamLine setting for smoother strokes.
  2. Line Weight Variation: Subtly vary your line thickness—slightly thicker for outlines and thinner for internal details. This adds warmth and clarity without looking harsh.
  3. Staying Soft: If you want an even more gentle feel, consider skipping a heavy outline altogether. Some children’s book artists prefer painting straight to color for a watercolor-like effect.

7. Coloring and Shading for Dimension

Now for the fun part—coloring in your adorable characters and scenes:

  1. Base Colors (Flats): On a layer beneath your line art, fill in the main colors. Keep it simple at first; you can add details later.
  2. Add Shadows & Highlights: Lightly use Multiply layers for shadows and Screen or Add layers for highlights. Keep the shading soft and minimal, so it doesn’t overwhelm the childlike style.
  3. Texture Brushes: If you want a watercolor or crayon look, experiment with Procreate’s texture brushes (like Watercolor, Gouache, or Pastel). These can make your illustrations feel extra cozy.

8. Tell a Story Through Backgrounds

The background is more than just filler—it helps set the scene and mood.

  1. Simplicity is Key: Don’t clutter the backdrop with too many details. Kids should easily focus on the characters and main action.
  2. Subtle Details: Add small flourishes—like flowers, clouds, or gentle patterns—that complement, not distract from, the story.
  3. Color Harmony: Ensure your background colors align with your character’s palette for a cohesive page.

9. Integrate Text and Speech Bubbles

If your children’s book includes written text or dialogue, make sure it fits seamlessly into the artwork.

  1. Leave Space: While planning your composition, reserve blank areas for text. Crowding text over detailed drawings can be hard for young readers.
  2. Speech Bubbles: Keep them large and clearly point the tail towards the speaking character.
  3. Readable Fonts: Choose legible fonts with simple shapes—kid-friendly styles or a clean sans-serif. Procreate allows you to install custom fonts, so explore or create your own for a personal touch.

10. Polishing Up & Final Checks

Before you finalize, take time to review your illustration:

  1. Zoom Out: Does the overall page feel balanced? Are the characters clear, and is the story easy to follow?
  2. Consistency: If you have multiple pages, ensure the style and color palette remain uniform throughout.
  3. Export Settings: For print, export high-resolution TIFF or PDF files at 300 DPI. If you’re publishing digitally (like an eBook), PNG or JPEG are typically fine.

Conclusion

Designing children’s book illustrations in Procreate can be a delightful, imaginative process—especially once you tap into soft color palettes, heartwarming character designs, and a storytelling mindset. Remember, children’s illustrations should feel inviting, engaging, and playful. With these tips in hand, you’re ready to create pages that jump off the screen (or paper) and spark little imaginations everywhere.

So go ahead, whip out your iPad, and start bringing those adorable storybook scenes to life. The next generation of readers is waiting for your enchanting artwork!

Happy illustrating!

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