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 | Feb 25, 2026 | Illustration, Technique, Tips
Recently, I created a 36” x 36” chalk portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. for our school’s Black History Month program. The entire piece took about ninety minutes from first mark to final edge. What surprised me most wasn’t the speed. It was the comfort. A few years...
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 9, 2026 | Illustration
Form, Light, Atmosphere, and Human Warmth My work as a children’s book illustrator is shaped by classical art influences on illustration, drawing from four masters whose combined legacy informs how I approach character, light, atmosphere, and emotional storytelling:...
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