Maybe you’re an author searching to hire the perfect illustrator, maybe you’re a visual artist or designer… or maybe you’re just curious about how some scenes are selected to be represented in a book. Why are some scenes more likely to leave an impression on the audience? Who decides what to draw? In an amazing book, how to choose the best scenes?
Please know that I am sharing my process so different people might have a different way. However, I believe that choosing strong, impactful scenes to portray is somewhat a universal need for a successful representation of a book and trained illustrators can work closely with the author following these tips.
What’s the role of artwork in a book?
Illustrations are not only going to make the book pretty, they offer so much more:
- Combining illustrations and words will help create a memorable narrative experience
- Illustrations not just follow the author’s words, they will also portray their personality and vision for the story
- An illustration should augment the words, not duplicate them, providing the reader a new emotion, take, or frame of what they’re reading
- Illustrations act like a bridge between the text and the reader, conveying emotions and feelings
- Marketing assets
How to choose the best scene from a book to illustrate?
Of course being absolute on what “best” means can be troublesome, and as usual, it depends on the purpose of the illustration (clarify, foreshadow, deepen emotion, orient in space, etc.)
But the best scene to illustrate is a moment that is pivotal in the story, visually clear, and emotionally charged enough that an image can carry it without the surrounding paragraphs. Let’s emphasize that “pivotal” does not always mean the big twist; it can be a quiet turning point, first reveal of a setting, or a character choice that changes everything.
Before choosing the best scene(s), map the whole story. Authors can work with the illustrator and list key beats: inciting incident, turning points, climax, resolution, plus any especially vivid descriptions.
From that list, mark which beats actually need visual help (complex setting, abstract idea, large cast, or emotional nuance hard to explain in words alone).
Look for big turning points, emotional highs/lows, and important character introductions. In children’s books in particular, scenes that establish setting, mood, or recurring motifs make strong illustration anchors across the book.
Avoid cool but empty images
Prioritize scenes that move the story forward, reveal character, or set up/follow through on conflict, not just random action for spectacle. Of course, sometimes a scene can be so emotionally charged or set the mood and theme. These are great scenes for a visual worldbuilding.
Strong scenes often serve multiple purposes: plot beat + character development + setting details or symbolism packed into one moment.
Use illustrations to establish mood and theme
We can also think beyond what’s written and think about abstract concepts, symbols, and embrace creativity. Pick scenes that capture the essence of the book’s tone (whimsical, funny, intimate, etc) so the illustration reinforces a theme.
Mood can be expressed visually through color, lighting, and composition choices (e.g., warm vs cold palettes, crowded vs empty spaces).
Thinking beyond literal illustration encourages visual storytelling that complements and enriches the written narrative by creatively expressing ideas, feelings, and themes in ways that resonate uniquely with the viewer.
Illustrations for subtext
Borrowed from children’s book practice, in-between moments create a dynamic between words and images, known as word–image synergy. Instead of duplicating the text, these illustrations add subtext and emotional layers, inviting the reader to engage more deeply by interpreting what’s suggested but not explicitly shown. This could be a subtle facial expression, a symbolic object, or the atmosphere surrounding the action that hints at the unspoken feelings or future events.
This technique helps transform a book from straightforward narration to a visually engaging, interpretive work where the pictures and text work together to tell a richer story.
Final Thoughts
Choosing scenes is less about “which parts look coolest” and more about co‑authoring the reading experience: deciding where an image will most powerfully shift how the reader feels, imagines, or understands the story.
