The Art of Illustration

Hey, creative folks! 👋

Here at Mythoria.pt, we spend our days bringing stories to life. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that for a book to have a soul, words need company. A good illustration isn’t just a pretty picture; it’s the doorway into the world we’re building. It’s what gets kids (and grown-ups!) to turn the page with a sparkle in their eyes.

But how does this work—especially now that artificial intelligence (AI) is part of the equation? How do we keep the magic without losing our way?

Let’s demystify the process. Pull up a chair and stick with us—we’re going to share everything we’ve learned about the art of illustrating books, with and without technology.

Why is a picture still worth more than a thousand words?

Remember that saying? In the world of books—especially children’s—it’s as true as ever. Illustrations are much more than decoration. They are:

• The story’s “emotional caption”: For a child who’s still learning to read, the image is the first clue. It helps decode feelings—whether the hero is sad or happy—and hints at what’s coming next.
• An expansion of the text: The best illustrations don’t just repeat what the words say. They reveal hidden details, tell parallel mini-stories, and deepen the universe we’ve created.
• A memory anchor: Think of the book covers you’ll never forget. A strong composition, a striking color palette… that’s what makes a scene unforgettable.
• A refuge in a world of screens: With so much scroll and so many notifications, illustration on paper offers a different pace. It invites the eye to rest and explore every corner of the page calmly. It’s a small luxury.

Our “modus operandi”: Art Direction First

Whether you’re working with a human illustrator or AI, structure is the key to a coherent, spectacular result. Bringing the illustrator in at the end is like calling the architect after the walls are already up. That almost always goes wrong.

Ideally, the visual work starts early. Our workflow at Mythoria.pt follows this logic:

1. Outline and Character Profiles: First, the story structure and who our protagonists are.
2. Art Direction (our “Bible”): Before generating a single image, we define everything—visual style, color palette, references, and key framings. This guarantees a consistent visual identity from start to finish.
3. Sketches (Thumbnails): We plan the composition of each key image. Where does the character sit? What’s the best angle to convey the emotion of the scene?
4. Generation: Only after all that do we move to final art.

This method saves time, headaches, and yes, credits/costs. It ensures the reading experience is fluid and immersive.

AI as a Tool: Promises and Limits

AI image generation has democratized illustration—and we think that’s awesome! Suddenly anyone can give their characters a face. But heads up: it’s not just pushing a button. You need a sharp eye and firm curation.

There’s no single AI model that’s “the best” for everything. Each has strengths—some nail textures, others excel at facial expressions. The trick is finding the “best for your book.”

After a lot of testing and experimentation, we landed on a balance that works beautifully: a high-impact cover and back cover, plus one illustration per chapter. Why?

• Reading Rhythm: A strong image per chapter creates a pause and a sense of anticipation. It gives the text room to breathe and marks narrative transitions.
• Narrative Focus: Less is more. Instead of bombarding the reader with images, we focus on key pieces that truly add value to the story.
• Cost–Benefit: Let’s be transparent: generating high-quality images is the most expensive part of the process. Costs rise with resolution, the number of attempts, and more complex requests. Our “1 image per chapter” rule maximizes visual impact while keeping the experience accessible.

How to Choose the Right Style for Your Story

Visual style shouldn’t be a whim. It should serve the audience, the genre, and the emotion you want to convey. It’s like picking a movie soundtrack: the right music elevates the scene; the wrong one… well, ruins it.

To help you navigate, we put together a small matrix with styles available on Mythoria and the kinds of stories where they shine.

Your cover is the shop window of your book. It needs to read from six feet away. Go for high contrast, clear silhouettes, and typography that doesn’t fight the image.

The Consistency Challenge: Our Secret Trick

One of the first hurdles our creators faced was keeping characters consistent. Maria can’t have blue hair in one chapter and blonde in the next, right?

We found a solution that works like a “reminder” for the AI. With each new request, we show it the images already created for that story. It’s like telling the illustrator, “Remember João? He looks like this.” This small trick goes a long way toward keeping characters, settings, and visual style coherent throughout the book.

Common Mistakes—and How to Steer Clear Fast

We see a lot of projects come through, and some mistakes keep repeating. Here’s a list to help you avoid them:

• Vague prompts like “a pretty scene”: AI isn’t magic. Be specific! Describe the action, the shot (close-up, medium shot), lighting, and emotion. Example: “An 8-year-old boy in a red jacket looks with nervous curiosity at a half-open door in a dark room lit only by a candle.”
• Inconsistent characters: We said it already, but it’s worth repeating. Define a clear profile and rely on our system to keep coherence.
• Too many images: It clutters the reading experience and spikes the budget. Focus on what’s essential.
• Ignoring print needs: Colors on screens differ from colors on paper. Always review margins, bleed, and image sharpness at 100% before sending to print.

A Note on Copyright and Ethics

This is a hot, evolving topic. Our guidance is simple and practical:

• The rights are yours: At Mythoria.pt, our policy grants users broad usage rights over the book they create.
• Avoid naming living artists in prompts: An artist’s “style” isn’t protected by law, but their work is. Instead of “in the style of Artist X,” describe the characteristics of that style (e.g., “bold, expressive brushstrokes with vibrant colors”).
• Respect above all: Don’t use real people’s images without consent. Avoid registered trademarks or famous characters. And, of course, represent diversity naturally and respectfully.

The Future’s Bright (and Well Illustrated!)

Technology is evolving at an astonishing pace. Models like OpenAI’s Sora are already generating video, and image generators like DALL-E 3 and Google’s new Gemini models (nicknamed “Nano Banana”) are getting better at understanding complex requests and maintaining consistency.

What’s ahead? AI models with better character memory, more intuitive editing tools, and ever-lower costs.

At Mythoria, we’re always looking ahead. Our platform was built with an abstraction system (for the nerds, a factory pattern). Think of it like a universal adapter: no matter the “outlet” (the AI model), we can plug into it. That lets us integrate the best, latest tech without you having to worry about a thing. The future promises more creative freedom without having to “fight” the tech. At the end of the day, illustrating a book is about bringing words to life. Pencil or AI, what matters is intent, firm art direction, and respect for the reader’s experience.

Our focus at Mythoria.pt will always be this: less noise, more emotion. Because that’s what sticks.

Got a visual style you’d love to see on our platform? A technique you adore that we don’t offer yet? Drop us a note on our contact page or email us at hello@mythoria.pt. We’d love to hear from you!

Now go make something! ✨