Fotini Tikkou studied painting in the Athens School of Fine Arts and holds MA Visual Arts degree. She started working as a freelance illustrator in 2009 focused mostly on children’s books.

Fotini’s work includes children’s books, editorial illustrations, book covers and art licensing projects. Her illustration style ranges from cute to funny and often portrays diversity and body acceptance in her artwork. Fotini is inspired by every little thing that surrounds her from flowers and kids to an art exhibition. She always sees new patterns and colour palettes in her everyday life and tries to incorporate them in her work. She constantly explores new techniques and materials to develop her style.

Her clients include Oxford University Press, Penguin Readers, Little Tiger, Flow Magazine, Babel, Benchmark Education, Barefoot Publishing, Frankie Magazine, Callisto Media, Dwell Magazine, American Greetings, Princeton Architectural Press, Marie-Claire Magazine and Anthropologie.

She is represented worldwide by The Bright Agency.

“Remember: You don’t have to draw perfectly—just create something every day!”

Summary of the session

In this 90 minute masterclass Fotini Tikkou shares her journey into the children’s illustration industry, offering insights into building a creative practice and securing your first book deal, alongside valuable advice on pitching to publishers, developing a unique style and navigating the challenges of the illustration world.

Emphasising the importance of personal projects in establishing an artistic identity and attracting opportunities, she discusses the various ways she has diversified her income streams. In addition to illustrating children’s books, she engages in editorial illustration, book cover design, pattern creation, packaging design and ceramics.

Her masterclass included a step-by-step guide into illustrating two different children’s books: ‘Not Tired‘ published by Barefoot Books; a collection of board books for 2-3 year olds; and ‘The King and The Fly‘ for 6-9 year olds, due for release by Greek publisher Patakis later this year. Each project demonstrates very different visual styles, techniques and approaches, with the latter offering an opportunity to explore mixed media and collage and expressive mark making – sitting down with the publisher for a 3 hour meeting and creating initial sketches whilst they discussed the project together!

Sharing the creative process from ideation to storyboards; sketches and final artwork, alongside a round up of tips & takeaways on reaching out to publishers – the session also touched on practical portfolio tips, such as maintaining consistency, showcasing strengths, and regularly updating work.

The session concluded with a Q&A alongside providing short creative exercises to help illustrators explore their style with drawing exercises.

Watch the replay now:

Illustrating Magic: Bringing Children’s Stories to Life – Tips & Takeaways from Fotini Tikkou

Engaging and Age-Appropriate Illustrations

“Illustrating for children is obviously different because your target group is young and very, very young readers.”

• Keep visuals fun and interesting to capture attention.
• Use a vibrant colour palette, dynamic compositions, and relatable characters that appeal to young readers.
• Pay attention to small details—children love spotting hidden elements in illustrations.
• Balance simplicity with engagement to avoid overwhelming young readers.

Expressive Characters & Emotions

“It’s essential to be able to show a range of emotions. Kids should be able to identify with the characters.”

• Use facial expressions and body language to convey emotions clearly.
• Experiment with different poses and movement to make characters dynamic.
• Adjust lighting, colour, and shadows to set the tone of a scene.

Portfolio Prep & Submitting to Publishers

“Do your research. Each publisher has a different style, and you should find the ones that align with your work.”

• Curate your portfolio to reflect your strengths and the type of work you want to be hired for.
• Research publishers and agents before submitting to ensure your work aligns with their aesthetic.
• Personalise your emails—avoid mass submissions and instead tailor your approach.
• Keep submission emails short and engaging, including a few low-resolution images in the email body.
• Respect submission guidelines and ensure links to your portfolio and social media are included.

Navigating Book Deals & Deadlines

“Respect deadlines. Publishers appreciate punctuality, and it helps build a professional reputation.”

• Expect to receive a brief with project details, deadlines, and contracts.
• Character design is key—editors may request changes, so be flexible.
• Storyboards and sketches should be finalized before moving to color to avoid unnecessary revisions.
• Set boundaries for revision rounds to prevent endless changes.

Creating a Coherent Visual Universe

“It’s really important to create a universe for the characters—you need a consistent aesthetic and style.”

• Characters, settings, and objects should feel cohesive within the book’s world.
• Work collaboratively with authors and publishers, but assert creative boundaries when needed.

Overcoming Creative Blocks & Staying Inspired

“I love quick, fun exercises to get creativity flowing!”

Try these exercises to develop your skills:

• Speed character sketches: Draw different silhouettes in under 5 minutes each.
• Emotion flipbook: Illustrate a character showing a full range of emotions.
• Reimagine classic fairy tales: Place familiar stories in new settings or styles.
• Limitations challenge: Use an unexpected brush, continuous line, or a restricted colour palette.

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Thank you for attending! We hope this session leaves you feeling inspired and excited to explore children’s illustration.