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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper

@illustratedbyjess.bsky.social

470 followers 1.1K following 210 posts

Author Illustrator, Bookish, KidLit Community, Pattern Designer. Picture Books, MG, YA, Nature Science, Environmental, Folklore & Historical Fiction. Illustration Coordinator for SCBWI Los Angeles. My portfolio website is www.IllustratedbyJessica.com

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Reposted by Illustrated By Jessica Cooper

SCBWI @scbwi.bsky.social · 27d

The American Library Association and Banned Books Week Coalition are pleased to announce the theme for Banned Books Week 2025: “Censorship Is So 1984. Read for Your Rights.” Banned Books Week will take place October 5 – 11, 2025.

www.scbwi.org/essential-re...

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 26d

open.substack.com/pub/jesscoop...

Spooky Season Has Arrived

Cooler Weather, Spooky Delights, and a Ridiculously Busy Schedule for Illustrator Jessica W Cooper

open.substack.com

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 28d

Look who I found in our garden this morning! I have been planting Milkweed the last couple of years to help the Monarch Butterflies. #MonarchButterflies

Monarch butterfly caterpillar in my garden

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 28d

Inktober, Day 9: Heavy
Many of you may know that I am obsessed with archeology, and especially the Neolithic period. It’s still a mystery how our ancient ancestors moved all these extraordinarily heavy stones into place. Here’s my new ink sketch of one sight in Orkney. #Inktober2025

Standing stone sketch for Inktober. Day 9: heavy. Ink sketch by Jessica Cooper

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 28d

Congratulations! 🎉

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 28d

Phew! I’ve made it to Day 9 of the Inktober 2025 art challenge. I’m pushing myself to do all 31 prompts (hopefully before the end of the month). Here’s a little run down of my ink illustrations so far. Micron pens and watered down ink are my tools of choice. #Inktober2025 #Inktober

Reposted by Illustrated By Jessica Cooper

Christiana Doucette @doucette515.bsky.social · 29d

@sarahnfisk.bsky.social has a great podcast for people who want to see Kid Lit queries that have worked. There's a whole youtube playlist, too! youtu.be/nngGutSWBqU...
#KidLitChat

Queries, Qualms, & Quirks podcast trailer

YouTube video by Sarah Nicolas

youtu.be

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 29d

I honestly don’t think I’m great at any of them, judging by my rate of success, but I keep trying nonetheless. Actually, I do like finding comp titles, maybe I am good at that. #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 29d

TOPIC: Queries, pitches, log lines, synopses, comps--all the stuff that someone other than you needs to see (sometimes before they agree to see your work itself!). What are you especially good at? What do you dread? Any tips for coming up with good versions of any of those steps? #kidlitchat

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · 29d

I’m playing catch up with Inktober prompts. Today I inked out Day 4: Murky, Day 5: Deer and Day 6: Pierce. Let’s see if I can get to the next few prompts tomorrow. I’m challenging myself to draw all 31 this year. #Inktober2025 #Inktober #kidlitartist #sketchbook

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 7

Let’s all support our local libraries, and also purchase banned books this week from our local bookstores. 📚#BannedBooksWeek

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 6

Just a reminder that it’s the first of 3 super moons this year: the Fall Harvest moon is tomorrow night. Get all your witchy spells ready. Also, it will be just so beautiful. 🌕#harvestmoon

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 6

Oooo this looks awesome! I’m always on the lookout for great illustrated nonfiction history for kids.

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 5

It was a beautiful Autumn southern Californian day filled with sunshine and inspiration at the SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest Writers’ and Illustrators’ Day. It was so lovely to catch up with you all, and meet some of my fav #kidlit creators. 🎃🍁📚@scbwisocal.bsky.social @brianlarossa.com #scbwi

SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest Day 2025 - Jessica Cooper and Krysta

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 4

Who else is going to the SCBWI SoCal Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day? #scbwi I’m looking forward to seeing you all! www.scbwi.org/events/2025-...

2025 Fall Harvest Writers and Illustrators Day

Writers and illustrators are invited to a full day of speaker presentations, critiques, pitches and mingling with fellow creatives! We'll have agents, an editor, an art director, published authors and...

www.scbwi.org

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 2

Inktober Day 2: weave - Here’s my ink drawing of Ann Radcliffe weaving a spooky Gothic tale. I’m going with a Dark Academia theme this year. #Inktober2025 #Inktober

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Oct 2

Spooky Season is here! Today is Day 1 of the Inktober art challenge, and today’s prompt is: Mustache. I decided to go with my usual Dark Academia motifs and vibes, and painted a portrait of Edgar Allan Poe. #Inktober2025 #Inktober

Ink illustration of Edgar Allan Poe for Inktober 2025

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Sep 21

Had such a wonderful day with SCBWI CenCal for their Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day! There were so many great speakers, and so many wonderful books from such a talented group of people. #kidlitcommunity #bookish #scbwi #scbwiillustrators

Jaime and me - SCBWI CenCal Writer & Illustrator Day

Reposted by Illustrated By Jessica Cooper

Brian LaRossa @brianlarossa.com · Sep 10

I think the things we know are connected to the act of making something from nothing, and the way that connects to gaining knowledge of self. James Baldwin speaks to it better than I can. www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGwP...

James Baldwin - The Struggle of The Artist (1969)

YouTube video by Reelblack One

www.youtube.com

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Sep 10

The best advice I’ve ever been given is to put black over your characters and motifs so you can see them in silhouette. If the shape still reads well then you know your composition and your drawing is good. I learned this quite late and I wish I had been doing this sooner.

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Reposted by Illustrated By Jessica Cooper

Mark Hoffmann @studiohoffmann.bsky.social · Sep 10

🧑‍🏫 Class is in session! I’ve been a professor for over 2 decades & I’ve learned a few things in my day. Every bit of wisdom has a big ol’ but.

🎨 I’ll be sharing some buts on here from time to time.

❓What’s the best art/illustration advice you’ve gotten?

#Illustration #KidLitArt #illustrators #art

Image of a man with a professor’s cap with tassel, looking down at the text:
“PROFESSOR BUTS
SAYS
YOU CAN MAKE A CAREER OUT OF ILLUSTRATION”
(An arrow directs the reader to the next image)

Image of a smiling man with a pipe, with the text:
“…
BUT,
THERE IS NO SHAME IN HAVING A DAY JOB TO MAKE ENDS MEET.”

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Sep 10

“Things” that other people don’t see.

Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Sep 10

Do you think it comes from a place of being a true observer? I have often realized that I see that other people around me don’t see, only because my eye has been trained to notice every detail, every color, every mood, in order to capture those things in my work. The keen eye of an artist.

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Illustrated By Jessica Cooper @illustratedbyjess.bsky.social · Sep 9

Hey, so I wrote a blog on substack about my experiences trying to work as an author illustrator in children’s publishing. Check it out: open.substack.com/pub/jesscoop...

From Sketches To Story

Behind the scenes of my latest picture book dummy in progress

open.substack.com