Picture Books: The Dummy, the Portfolio, and the Contract
A picture book is a sequence, not a set of pictures
A book illustration portfolio is not a general art portfolio. Publishers and art directors ask different questions of it: is this style right for a specific age group, can this illustrator tell a story across sequential pages, and will a character stay recognisable across poses, expressions, and contexts? A single beautiful image answers none of those questions. A dummy and a curated portfolio do.
This post covers the three documents that decide most illustration work: the dummy, the portfolio, and the contract. The detailed guides and downloadable templates for each step live on the Provenance Studio illustrators page.
Build the dummy first
A picture-book dummy is a prototype of the illustrated book, a physical or digital mockup showing how text, images, and pacing work across spreads. For illustrators who are also authors, the dummy is both a pitch tool and a design document. For illustrators working from a writer's text, it shows visual interpretation and pacing decisions.
The standard picture book runs 32 pages, with 14 illustrated spreads plus front and back matter. Trim sizes vary by publisher, with 9 by 9 inches or 10 by 8 inches common. A submission dummy typically includes a cover sketch or finalised cover, thumbnail sketches for every spread, text placed on each spread as it will appear, a few fully rendered or near-final spreads, typically three to five, to show final style, and back matter where relevant.
Publishers do not expect fully finished art at submission. Tight sketches showing confident composition and layout decisions are often more effective than polished art that hides pacing problems. The dummy proves you can think visually across 32 pages, not just draw well on one page.
Page turns are the main pacing tool in a picture book. Where a turn falls decides suspense, surprise, and rhythm, and that decision belongs to the illustrator as much as to the writer. Most picture-book art is designed as spreads, two pages read as a unit, not as individual pages. A spread can carry one full-bleed image, or split left and right into distinct moments. That choice controls how much visual information arrives at once.
Build a portfolio publishers can use
A portfolio for book work should show sequential work first. Include two to four spreads from a dummy or project showing narrative flow, character consistency with the same character in different poses, expressions, and contexts, at least one full spread showing text placement and composition, a range of mood and tone rather than a single emotional register, and strong cover-level images that work as standalone pieces.
For longer projects or author-illustrator submissions, a character sheet showing the protagonist in multiple expressions, poses, and angles, and a brief art bible covering palette, line quality, and environment approach, strengthen a pitch a lot. They show you have thought beyond individual pages to a cohesive visual world.
Cover illustration and interior illustration are different jobs, and a portfolio should show you understand that. A cover must work at thumbnail scale and in full bleed, is often assigned separately from interior art, carries higher visibility, and may inform marketing direction, with the art director holding stronger control over the final composition. Interior illustration requires sequential consistency across spreads, a character who stays recognisable across many poses and angles, work within page layout and typography constraints, and pacing where the text-image relationship is part of the work.
Leave work out with the same care. Leave out work outside your target age category unless it shows a directly relevant skill, work you would not want to replicate, since publishers will assign based on what they see, fan art or licensed properties, and anything beyond 15 to 20 pieces. Editors review many portfolios, and clarity and curation matter more than volume.
Representation, and when it helps
Agents representing illustrators handle submission to trade publishers, negotiate advances and royalties, and manage foreign rights. For illustrators targeting major trade picture book publishers, representation is common but not required. Many publishers accept direct portfolio submissions, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) portfolio and conferences are primary discovery channels, alongside publisher submission portals, Reedsy for indie authors and small presses, and a personal website with a downloadable portfolio PDF, which is required for agency representation consideration.
Commission structures differ by agency type, so confirm them in the agreement. Literary agencies that represent author-illustrators for book deals generally take 15 percent on domestic deals and 20 percent on foreign deals made through a sub-agent, the same structure as for writers. Illustration agencies and art reps generally take a larger share, commonly 25 to 30 percent of illustration fees, and some charge more, particularly for commercial or licensing work. Rates vary by agency. Pursue representation once you have a strong, consistent portfolio and are ready for trade-level work, rather than before the portfolio is ready.
Rates: advance, flat fee, or royalty share
Illustration pay takes several forms, and the form matters as much as the number. In trade picture books and young adult covers, the common arrangement is an advance against royalties: the illustrator receives an advance, and royalties begin after the advance is earned out, with the royalty split varying when illustrating a writer's text. In educational publishing, licensed properties, and some covers, the common arrangement is a flat fee, a one-time payment with no royalty participation, often in work-for-hire arrangements. For author-illustrators at trade publishers, the typical royalty range is 10 to 12 percent of list price, split with the author if they are different people, often 50/50 but varying by deal. For freelance work for indie authors, small presses, and self-publishers, pay is negotiated per project, and SCBWI rate guidelines provide benchmarks for picture book illustration fees.
Check the current benchmarks before you quote. The Studio illustrators page points to SCBWI Illustrator Rate Guidelines and the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook for pricing and ethical standards, and those sources, not a single project, should anchor your rates.
Read the contract before you sign it
Every illustration engagement should be governed by a written agreement, even an informal indie author commission, which benefits from a clear brief documenting deliverables, usage rights, timeline, and payment terms.
The key terms to understand are work for hire, license grant, rights scope, reversion, and revision rounds. In a work-for-hire agreement, the publisher owns the copyright in the illustrations from the moment of creation, and the illustrator has no ongoing rights. Work for hire is common in educational and licensed publishing and less common in trade picture books. In a license grant, the illustrator retains copyright and grants the publisher specific rights to use the work, and the license should specify exclusivity, territory, medium, and duration. Watch for overly broad rights grants, such as all rights in all media in perpetuity, without a compensation premium. A reversion clause returns rights to the illustrator if the book goes out of print or sales fall below a threshold, and it matters in long-term agreements. The contract should also specify how many revision rounds are included and what happens if the publisher requests changes beyond that scope.
Before signing any agreement, read the rights grant carefully and understand exactly what you are and are not licensing. The Authors Guild and SCBWI offer contract review resources for members, and for significant deals, review by an agent or a publishing lawyer is worth the cost.
AI-assisted work: disclose it, and keep records
Publishing markets are moving quickly on synthetic imagery, and illustrators need clear guidance on where AI-assisted workflows may be acceptable and where they create friction. Traditional publishers may treat AI-generated or AI-assisted artwork differently depending on house policy, project type, and how much human authorship is present in the final image. Indie markets are often more flexible, but that does not remove the need to disclose how the work was made when a project depends on transparency or rights clearance.
Copyright protection generally turns on human authorship and creative control. Purely machine-generated material may not qualify the same way human-made work does, while a human's selection, arrangement, or meaningful modification may matter. Keep a clear record of tools used, prompts, source files, layered files, and revisions when AI is part of the workflow. If you plan to include AI-assisted work in a commercial portfolio, confirm in advance that its use fits the client's publishing policy and your own rights strategy. When in doubt, present AI-assisted pieces as process-transparent case studies rather than implying they were created entirely by hand. A strong portfolio also shows you can deliver clean, organised, publication-ready files that fit real production workflows, using standard tools such as Procreate for sketching, Photoshop for cleanup and mockups, and InDesign for dummy books and portfolio layouts.
FAQ
Do illustrators need an agent?
Not always. Representation is common for major trade picture book publishers, but many publishers accept direct portfolio submissions. Pursue an agent once your portfolio is strong and consistent and you are ready for trade-level work.
Should a submission dummy be finished art?
No. Publishers expect thumbnail sketches for every spread, text placed as it will appear, and three to five rendered spreads to show final style. Tight sketches that prove pacing beat polished art that hides pacing problems.
How many pieces should a portfolio hold?
No more than 15 to 20 pieces, curated for your target age category, with sequential work and character consistency at the centre. Work outside that category, fan art, and work you would not want to replicate should stay out.
What is the difference between work for hire and a license?
In work for hire, the publisher owns the copyright from creation and the illustrator has no ongoing rights. In a license, the illustrator retains copyright and grants specific rights defined by exclusivity, territory, medium, and duration. Broad grants without a compensation premium are a red flag.
Can I include AI-assisted work in a portfolio?
It depends on the client's policy and on disclosure. Keep records of tools, prompts, and revisions, confirm the work fits the client's publishing policy before you include it, and present it as process-transparent work rather than implying it was made entirely by hand.
Where are the detailed illustrator guides?
On the Provenance Studio illustrators page, which carries the picture-book dummy guide, portfolio strategy, rates and compensation, contracts and licensing, finding publishers and clients, AI and generative art guidance, picture-book anatomy, and professional organisations.
Sources
Debbie Ridpath Ohi, "Picture Books 101 (Part 3): Understanding Picture Book Format and Construction," for the 32-page picture book standard and 14 illustrated spreads. The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), for portfolio and dummy guidance, including portfolio showcases of 10 to 15 images and dummies submitted as line work or rough sketches with colour samples. 17 U.S. Code, section 101, for the legal distinction between work for hire, where the client owns the work, and licensing, where the illustrator retains copyright and grants defined use. The Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, for illustration pricing and ethical standards. The Authors Guild, for contract review resources for members.
For the detailed step-by-step guides behind this post, see the Provenance Studio illustrators page.