Free Download: 5 Procreate Brushes for Children’s Illustration

Discover these textured digital brushes and paint your way to a magical picture book for children

To write a children’s story, you need to craft an engaging world that young minds will get lost in. From exciting characters to fantastical settings, every page must be infused with magic, according to children’s book and editorial illustrator, Juanita Londoño Gaviria (@juanitalondono).

Working with clients such as Target, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster, she brings elements of magical realism into her work to spark her readers’ imaginations.

Creating the perfect illustrations for a book requires a lot of experimentation, but it also relies on the tools you use to create which are key to your artwork's atmosphere and mood. Here, Juanita shares five digital brushes so you can begin exploring vibrant textures in your illustrations.

But first, let’s learn more about magical realism and why magic is so key to children’s illustration.

What is magical realism?

Magical realism is a genre that involves the inclusion of magical elements in an otherwise normal world, blurring the line between fantasy and reality. Usually, little or no attention is given to the magic—it simply exists in the world alongside the characters.

Latin American authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Jorge Luis Borges are often considered the cornerstone of the genre. It makes sense that magical realism would show up frequently in children’s stories too, where mystical creatures and people often pop up to help convey a message about the real world.

Making magic with brushes

The brushes you use can really affect how an illustration makes a reader feel. Dense or sparse, smooth or rough: all of these elements will help you portray emotion. Often, brushes become most important when you are working on focal points and details. In her course, Juanita explains that children love to find something new in each viewing of an image—it turns every page into a treasure hunt. Gradually building layers of complexity and tiny, fun details will make your work that much more enchanting.

Free Download: Digital Brushes for Children’s Illustration

In the resource below, Juanita shares five brushes she has created or modified in order to add vibrance and texture to her work.

After clicking on the button below, you’ll find a .zip file in your Downloads folder titled, 5 Digital Brushes for Children’s Illustration by Juanita Londoño Gaviria. You may need to use a free program, such as WinZip, to decompress the file. The brushes are compatible with Procreate.

If you are interested in this content, you can sign up for Juanita Londoño Gaviria’s online course, Magical Realism for Children’s Illustration, in which you’ll explore the enchanting style of magical realism in illustration, and create a memorable composition that could live in a storybook.

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- Children’s Illustration Tutorial: Character Design Tips
- 5 Beautifully Illustrated Children's Books We Love
- Storytelling Tutorial: 5 Tips to Help You Write Children’s Books
- Creating Children's Stories, a course by Ilan Brenman
- Fantasy Illustrations for Children, a course by Julie Benbassat