Have you always been a freelance illustrator?
More or less yes. I graduated from college at the University of Kansas in 2022 with a BA in illustration and animation and duel minors in history and art history. From there I started picking up small freelance jobs where ever I could, I started out in comics and then landed my first big job for the Wichita Public Library in 2023. Since then I've found my niche in edutainment illustrations for early and reluctant readers form nonfiction Children's books, covers for YA and middle grade stories and work for museums.
What kind of illustration do you do?
I've worked on all kinds of illustrations from advertising to theater posters to publishing, but I specialize in work for early and reluctant readers, especially around non fiction and edutainment illustraiton. I've illustrated non fiction kids books, covers and inteiror art for middle grade and YA readers and educational art for museums.
Can I buy prints of your work?
Currently I sell prints of my illustration work and my urban sketches commencement at a few brick and mortar locations. My website shop is currently under construction but you can order directly from me via email. kamilla@kamillaillustration.com
What does your illustration process look like?
Traditional media is very important to how I create my illustrations. I use watercolor and color pencil create something that feels handcrafted (because it is), and scan it into the computer to polish it up and enhance the lighting.
When I'm working with a client I always began by asking questions and getting a really clear idea of what my client is looking for. Once I have a good idea of the project I spend some time brainstorming before submitting the first round of ideas. After that it's a matter of edits. I do some color studies and once I'm confident I have something great I show the client a rough draft and go through one final round of edits before illustrating a final version with traditional media.
How long does it take to illustrate a project?
It depends on the scope of the project and communication with the client. Clear lines of communication always make things faster. If we're talking about a single cover illustraiton I can get rush order done in under a week, but on average it would take a little longer. A lot goes into the process. The typical time line for a larger project like a kids book would be longer, probably 2 to 6 months.
Who owns the illustration?
The short answer is the illustrator.
The few the client pays is for my skills, labor and the right to use my illustration for the purpose laid out in the contract. If you'd like to use the illustrations for another purpose we can add that to the contract for an appropriate fee. If you want to own all rights to the illustration entirely we can work that out for a higher fee too, but in reality you probably don't need that; I do. Keeping the rights allows me to market my work, sell prints and maintain some control over my own art.
How much does it cost to hire a freelance illustrator?
My prices vary based on the scope of the project and my client's budget. I've work with individuals, small businesses/ publishers and organizations with millions of dollars in funding. I don't an individual to pay the same as an large origination with more than enough money to spare. In addition a larger project with more illustrations means more time, which means more money. I can adjust in special circumstances but in general I start around $300- $500 and up for a single illustration for a small client. I start at $2000 and up for kids books. I am aware this is expensive for a single individual but they are extremely time consuming to illustrate, and in practice it's close to minimum wage.