by M. Chad Randall | May 13, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration, Technique, Tips
One of the things people sometimes notice when looking at my watercolor illustrations is the amount of graphite work that exists beneath the paint. In some illustration styles, the drawing is little more than a light guide before color is applied. In...
by M. Chad Randall | Mar 23, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration, Tips, Uncategorized
There is a moment that comes just before starting a painting that is often harder than any part of the work itself. The drawing is finished. The idea is clear. Everything is ready—and yet beginning feels uncertain. I remember reading in Drawing Down the Moon how...
by M. Chad Randall | Jan 29, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration, Technique
From First Idea to Finished Image A finished illustration is built through a series of deliberate choices, long before paint ever touches paper. Over time, I’ve developed a process that helps me move from an initial idea to a final image with intention, clarity, and...
by M. Chad Randall | Jan 21, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration
COMMUNITY, CRAFT, CLARITY This SCBWI conference experience offered clarity, encouragement, and honest feedback through portfolio reviews, classes, panels, and keynote speakers focused on children’s book illustration. It was my first time attending at this scale, and I...
by M. Chad Randall | Jan 14, 2026 | Children's Books, Uncategorized
Every illustrator carries a small circle of artists whose work quietly shapes how they see, draw, and tell stories. For me, that circle is a group of four children’s book illustrators whose influence continues to guide my own work. Among them, Charles Santore stands...
by M. Chad Randall | Jul 16, 2025 | Children's Books, Tips
Dreaming of seeing your children’s story on a bookshelf — or better yet, in the hands of a child who can’t put it down? One of the questions I frequently get asked is: How do you self-publish a children’s book? The good news? Self-publishing has opened up incredible...
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