Can you show me cool kidlit art styles?

Frost Drive

A lot of children's illustration styles seem very similiar. The most common thing being lineless art, and dots for eyes. Both things I don't want to do in my art.

Can you show me styles with lines, and actual eyes on the characters? Or some illustrators to look up for inspiration?

kylebeaudette

I think Lee Gatlin is my favourite illustrator. I strive to bring this much life into my drawings.

Frost Drive

Wow! That looks so dirty yet really cool!! Wow I've been looking at his other art for a bit now! Thanks for sharing that!

Melissa_Bailey

@Frost-Drive absolutely!

Here are a few illustrators, all working in different styles, but all have "lines with actual eyes":

Ryan T. Higgins - author & illustrator of the Mother Bruce books and We Don't Eat Our Classmates (they're amazing books, some of my all-time faves!)
Jonathan D. Voss - another author/illustrator. His Hoot and Olive books are amazing.
Erin E. Stead - she works in pencil and woodblock prints and has won the Caldecott for A Sick Day for Amos McGee (one of my favorite illustrators)
Claire Keane - an illustrator and also concept artist for animation studios. She does work in various styles - check out Love Is for an example of "lines with actual eyes".
Brendan Kearney - sometimes he uses linework, sometimes not. Sometimes dot eyes, sometimes bigger eyes. Check out the Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast books - they're a bunch of fun!
David Roberts - he illustrates the Questioneers books by Andrea Beaty
David Soman - the co-author and illustrator of the Ladybug Girl books with his wife Jacky Davis. (The link is an interview with the both of them and shows WIPs and illustrations from Ladybug Girl.
Kayla Harren - she colors her lines so her linework isn't heavy, but it's an integral part of her style.

All of these illustrators are currently working and in demand, and many of them have also won awards for their illustrations.

Hope this loooong list is helpful!

glenfx

I really like Robb Mommaerts work, he is a master of inks.

I also like David Sierra, his work has a vintage air to it but it's really nice.

Mitch Leeuwe has a more commercial look, but he also has great and inspiring tutorials.

There is also Lorenzo from the Etherington Brothers, he has lots of tutorials and tips that works for a wide range of styles but it goes great for children and juvenile targets.

There are a few others I really like but I would need to do some digging for their links :P.