by M. Chad Randall | May 13, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration, Technique, Tips
One of the things people sometimes notice when looking at my watercolor illustrations is the amount of graphite work that exists beneath the paint. In some illustration styles, the drawing is little more than a light guide before color is applied. In...
by M. Chad Randall | Mar 23, 2026 | Children's Books, Illustration, Tips, Uncategorized
There is a moment that comes just before starting a painting that is often harder than any part of the work itself. The drawing is finished. The idea is clear. Everything is ready—and yet beginning feels uncertain. I remember reading in Drawing Down the Moon how...
by M. Chad Randall | Feb 25, 2026 | Illustration, Technique, Tips
Recently, I created a 36” x 36” chalk portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. for our school’s Black History Month program. The entire piece took about ninety minutes from first mark to final edge. What surprised me most wasn’t the speed. It was the comfort. A few years...
by M. Chad Randall | Jul 16, 2025 | Children's Books, Tips
Dreaming of seeing your children’s story on a bookshelf — or better yet, in the hands of a child who can’t put it down? One of the questions I frequently get asked is: How do you self-publish a children’s book? The good news? Self-publishing has opened up incredible...
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