Alison Sanders Illustration
LightNews LightNews
banner
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Alison Sanders Illustration
@sanders-illust.bsky.social
66 followers 140 following 90 posts
I'm a children's book illustrator with a background in animation. I love color, movement and creating worlds that children can imagine themselves in.

https://www.alisonsandersillustration.com/

I am currently seeking representation.
Posts Replies Media Videos
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Whew.. what a week. I was planning to post all of this last week, but then last week exploded. So here we are. This project has been a mixture of joy and frustration and so much learning.

#illustration #newYears2026 #hennepinlibrary #libraryArt #kidlit #galleryshow #twincitiesArt #twincitiesArtist
January 14, 2026 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Happy Holidays!! I'm so excited to be getting to the end of this series. It's been a while since I got a chance to build a little world like this. Looking forward to seeing them on display at the St Anthony's Branch of the Hennepin Library here in the Twin Cities.

#illustration #localArt
A Christmas tree with lights and decorations. There is also a small red house with the label Santa's Workshop on it. There are tiny elves wrapping gifts and a set of reindeer at the bottom left. A closeup of the main image showing the elves wrapping presents and the reindeer up close. Also there is a red cardinal perched in the tree. A closeup of the main image showing santa's workshop, a red cardinal and elves wrapping presents.
December 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
As the year winds down I'm thinking about all that I've done this year and all that I want to do next year. It's taken a long time, but I finally feel like I've got a solid start to the career I've wanted for so long.

#networking #kidlit #kidlitillustration #illustration #twinCitiesArtist
A Closeup of a frame on the wall with the word "SOLD" inside. Black letters on white background. Text is superimposed that says "Follow the Chain: Why it's important to build a network with other creatives".
December 10, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Come with me to update my little free art gallery! I love this thing & honestly don't update it enough. Today I took out some of my fall stuff and added Xmas items from the neighborhood and from the incredibly talented @cynthiahuffdesign

#illustration #localArt #twincitiesArt #galleryArt #LFAG
December 3, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
I know it’s Thanksgiving today, but here’s a WIP of my next little foldout book. This one was way easier to plan and paint before it’s folded.

#kidlit #kidlitillustration #illustration #twinCitiesArtist #MNArtist #bookart #xmas #santa #santasworkshop #xmas2025 #elves
November 28, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Getting close! This is 4/6 in my "Treehouse" series. Can't wait to get the last 2 finished & see them up on the wall!

#illustration #localArt #Artshows #MNArtists #MNArt #twincitiesArtist #twincitiesArt #galleryArt
November 21, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
This is the final (3/3) in my "what to expect when hiring an illustrator" series. I hope this helps some people who are getting into self publishing for the first time, OR those who are just trying to find some better business practices.
#KDP #IngramSpark #selfpublishing #kidlit #selfPublished
November 14, 2025 at 1:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Part 2/3 of my Substack article talking about what people should expect when they hire a freelance Illustrator.

#KDP #IngramSpark #selfpublishing #kidlit #kidlitillustrations #marketingKDP #KDPmarketing #selfPublished
A black mother and child happily sled down a snowy hill. The mother is wearing a green sweater and a pink scarf. The child in front is wearing a red hat and mittens. Superimposed is the text: What to expect when hiring an illustrator (Part 2) - the contract. There is also a link to alisonSandersIllustration substack.
November 12, 2025 at 12:01 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Happy #KidLitPostcardDay !!

My name is Alison and I'm an #illustrator looking for representation in #childrensbooks

Portfolio: alisonsandersillustration.com

#kidlit #kidlitillustration #illustration #twinCitiesArtist #MNArtist #bookart
A colorful fall tree with tiny people gathering in it's branches to watch a movie. The sun is setting, there is a snack booth. The movie being shown is Jurassic Park. There is also a crow watching.
November 6, 2025 at 3:15 PM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Recently I desperately needed something that was just for fun. So I found this old notebook that I've never known what to do with. It was a super fun way to explore new materials and ideas.
#kidlit #art #halloween #artplay #halloween2025 #bookart #kidlitillustration
November 1, 2025 at 2:21 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Happy Halloween!! Enjoy these stills from my most recent silliness. I so enjoyed playing with a (few) new mediums in this!
#halloween #haloween2025🎃🕷️⚰️🎃 #costumes #kidlit #illustration #play #artplay
November 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Wrote a little article on what you should expect when you hire an illustrator for your children's book.

#KDP #IngramSpark #selfpublishing #kidlit #kidlitillustrations #marketingKDP #KDPmarketing #selfPublished #childrensbookpublishing

open.substack.com/pub/alisonsa...
October 29, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
All the trees around us are starting to turn! I love the colors of fall and all the spookiness and coziness , but I'm a little more sad than normal this year to let summer go as I've been having a great time in the garden this year!

#ghost #fall #cozy #camping #fallcamping #autumn #kidlit
October 24, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
A sneak peak at my next ‘treehouse’ illustration. Not exactly on time with the season, but still….
#kidlit #kidlitillustration #illustration #twinCitiesArtist #MNArtist #bookart #bird #xmas2025 #xmas #xmastree
October 22, 2025 at 2:27 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Happy Halloween!! I'm a bit in love with these ghost stickers. I developed them for the #stickermachine that's going into the new Inkwell Booksellers Location in Minneapolis. They're up in my shop now, $3/each or if you go by Inkwell you might find them for $1/each.
#stickers #halloween #ghosts
October 17, 2025 at 12:01 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Hi, I'm Alison, an illustrator looking for work in the children's picture book industry. I am currently available for projects and looking for representation.

You can see my work at www.alisonsandersillustration.com

#illustration #kidlit #kidlitillustration #childrensbookpublishing #bookArt
October 14, 2025 at 2:15 PM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
This is one that I think a lot of self publishing authors struggle with. Children's books especially feel like they "should" be pretty straightforward, but there's a lot that goes into it and all of it takes time!

#selfpublishing #kidlit #kidlitillustrations #selfPublished #childrensbookpublishing
October 10, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
A while back I bought 4 new sketchbooks with the plan to fill them in a year. It was a promise to myself to make more art. Turns out that was actually 2 years ago, but I am making WAY more art, so success!! I'll flip through sometime soon & post anything that's decent. #sketchbooks #artpractice
October 8, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Reposted by Alison Sanders Illustration
thornockstudios.bsky.social
Tiny witch. Tiny hat. ‘Lil attitude. Happy #kidlitartpostcard day! Boo. I’m Chris and you can find more work at thornockstudios.com. Queries to Lori at Steelworks Literary. #kidlit #illustrator #witch #halloween
October 2, 2025 at 12:36 PM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Happy #kidlitpostcardday! Don't you love it when it actually comes out just like you wanted? This is one of those times. I've got a whole series of these planned. This one however was the first idea and probably the most complicated!

#kidlit #illustration #treehouses #procreate #twinCitiesArtist
October 2, 2025 at 4:02 PM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Inktober is almost upon us! I have mixed feelings about Inktober, on the one hand I love seeing all the art and the community. On the other hand, it can be overwhelming. Check out my thoughts on my substack.

alisonsandersillustration.substack.com/

#inktober #sketchbook #sketch #artistlife
Inktober
Yay or Nay?
open.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
I'm still here! The last few weeks have been busy, but I've got something fun & different (for me) in the works. Enjoy this sneaky bird in the mean-time :) #kidlit #kidlitillustration #illustration #twinCitiesArtist #MNArtist #bookart
September 26, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Check out my latest substack post. A breakdown of the book "Big Boys Cry" by Jonty Howley. It's a fantastic book and a good learning opportunity.

open.substack.com/pub/alisonsa...

#kidlit #kidlitillustration #childrensbookpublishing #learning #illustration #bookreview #BigBoysCry
Big Boys Cry: a breakdown
OMG, I love this book so much!
open.substack.com
September 17, 2025 at 12:05 AM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
Join me at the Machine Shop tomorrow in Minneapolis! I’ll have cards, stickers and prints available.

#illustration #localArt #Artshows #MNArtists #MNArt #twincitiesArtist #twincitiesArt #galleryArt #ArtFair
September 13, 2025 at 12:21 PM
sanders-illust.bsky.social
I wish more people knew that the work doesn't end when you self publish your book. You feel like you've climbed Everest getting it all done, but then you have to hike back to base camp. Marketing your book is a whole other skillset than writing/illustrating.
#KDP #selfPublished #kidlit #KDPmarketing
A girl in a blue striped sweater clutches a box of crayons while having a green pencil shoved up her nose.
September 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM