HOW TO GET STARTED IN ILLUSTRATION | My favorite online classes & books | Resources to learn | Pt 1

Best illustration books for beginners: Do you want to know how you can become an illustrator without getting a degree, without going to art school? Grab your favorite cuppa, your pen and pencil and get comfortable, because I have some great gems to share with you to get you started in your first steps!

In this video, I share some of my favorite books and also some of my favorite online classes to start your "independent" learning, if you can't go to art school to get a degree. I only share resources I have tried and found impactful in my own path of improving my illustration skills and knowledge about the children's book publishing industry.

Sit back and relax! I hope you find a good tip in this video that helps you learn! Please do comment if you do! Great listen also to have playing while you are sketching and working on your art... That is how I "watch" (listen to) YouTube while I make progress on my illustration skills!

Here are links to the resources I mention. Disclaimer: I purchased all these tools with my own money and am recommending them honestly. However, I do use affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy something through my links, I may get a small share of the sale. The qualified links are marked with an *.

2:00 ~Online Classes~
https://makeartthatsells.com/online-c...
https://courses.svslearn.com/collecti...

5:51 ~Educational Books about Illustration~
*Becoming a Successful Illustrator (Derek Brazell, Jo Davies) =
https://amzn.to/3OHgXMz

*Children's Picturebooks, The Art of Visual Storytelling (Martin Salisbury, Morag Styles) =
https://amzn.to/3nl1lCt

*Illustrating Children's Books, Creating Pictures for Publication (Martin Salisbury) =
https://amzn.to/3xY2Hs6

9:23 ~Art Books to Inspire~
*The Art of the Sketchbook =
https://amzn.to/3beWiAQ

*The Boy: His Stories and How They Came to Be (Oliver Jeffers) =
https://amzn.to/3HOdKZ8

13:44 ~Books to Help You Get Things Done & Let Yourself Get Some Rest~
*Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done (Jon Acuff) =
https://amzn.to/3u1JDYJ

*How to Not Always Be Working: A Toolkit for Creativity and Radical Self-Care (Marlee Grace) = https://amzn.to/3HOdSrA

This is only part 1. Part 2 is now live and can be accessed here:    • HOW TO GET STARTED IN ILLUSTRATION, p...  


// Gear & services I use for my YouTube videos //
*Camera: https://amzn.to/3yfE0sq
*Lens: https://amzn.to/3HTfZdJ
*Light: https://amzn.to/39X7nGm
*TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/harmonyhardin
*MorningFame: https://morningfa.me/invite/harmony
*EpidemicSound: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referra...

// Supplies I use for my art //
*My favourite watercolor paints: https://amzn.to/3HQagFt
*My favourite watercolor paper: https://amzn.to/3ncCRvi


COME SAY HI!
Instagram:   / harmony.hardin  
Website: https://www.harmonyhardin.com/

I am an illustrator who shares her journey here on YouTube, IG and on my website. I have been on this path since March of 2019, and I learn more every day. I want to share that with you! I LOVE being creative, and learning. I believe in the growth mindset and that though natural talent can make a difference, so can persistence, practice, and enthusiasm.

My videos are focused on sharing my art work, focused on picture books and nursery room wall art, and what I have learned about: illustration time lapses, art tutorials and how-to videos, building an illustration portfolio, portfolio reviews, the children's book illustration process, my experience with attending conferences such as SCBWI, the Bologna Children's Book Fair, and reviews of taking art/illustration classes such as with Make Art That Sells, the Cambridge School of Art, and more. I love to grow, and I love sharing what I learn along the journey openly!