Picture books are an integral part of children’s growth and development. Pictures inspire even the youngest child to pick up a book and open the door to a world of stories and reading. For many adults, it is a joy to look at and read a beautifully illustrated children’s book.

Many Finnish illustrators recognize the power of picture books to strengthen a child’s self-esteem: children’s book illustrations can provide an experience of identification for children from different backgrounds. Through diverse illustrations, more and more children can feel that their own story is worth telling. Children’s emotional skills have been a popular theme in children’s literature in recent years.

The quality of Finnish children’s book illustrations is high. More than half of Finnish professional illustrators work at least part-time in the field of children’s book illustration, according to a survey by the Finnish Illustration Association.

Find an illustrator who specializes in children’s book illustration.

Illustrations in magazines capture the reader’s interest and entice them to read the article. Editorial illustration is a way to structure information in a way that is easy to understand. Some topics are difficult to visualize with a photograph. In these cases, an illustrated visual representation is an excellent alternative. It can capture many perspectives, it’s scalable for different uses in print and digital, and is sometimes a more affordable solution than a photograph.

Editorial illustrations are produced for newspapers, magazines, and online publications. In the online newsfeed, illustrations play an important role as attention-grabbers. Mobile illustrations, usually simple animated gifs made possible by digital platforms, are an emerging international trend.

As many illustrators have a background in graphic design, they are often skilled in various types of layout design as well. Editorial illustration is a major source of work for illustrators. According to a survey by the Finnish Illustration Association, up to 44% of illustrators work in magazine illustration.

Find an illustrator who specializes in magazine illustration.

The word “mural” comes from the Latin word murus, meaning ‘wall’. Murals are often large works on the facades of buildings. Wall murals and street art can be part of a city’s creative urban landscape design. Commissioned murals are public art, just like public sculptures. A mural can also be a spectacular piece of advertising.

Another term to describe a mural is wall painting. Murals and wall painting can be realized in both outdoor and indoor spaces and decorate the walls of a school, kindergarten, assisted living facility, office – or home. Murals in interior design seem to be a growing trend globally.

Illustration can function as art in public spaces in general. A mural on the wall – or anywhere else – created with the help of an illustrator can add a personal and inviting feel to a space.

Find an illustrator who specializes in murals.