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Day: August 7, 2013

Mascots Come to Life

August 7, 2013

A client shared with me today this photo of an employee dressed up as Porter—a character I recently helped design … Read more

Categories Cool Stuff, Illustrations

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joshcleland

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Children’s book illustrator / educator
My Children’s Book Illustration course bundle is now open for registration!! 👇👇👇

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Jun 13

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Here’s a little sneak peak inside my children’s book illustration courses which are now open for registration.

By popular demand I am reopening enrollment for all three of my courses:

-Character Design for Kid’s Books
-Illustrating a Children’s Book
-Mini-course: Illustrating Silly Monsters in Procreate

Enrollment is open for a limited time. You can purchase all three at once as a bundle, or pick and choose.

You’ll learn character design, visual storytelling, and the full children’s book illustration process—step by step, at your own pace.

Enrollment closes on Sunday at 9pm PDT, so don’t wait. Click the link in my bio for more info and purchase instructions.

See you in the course!

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Jun 12

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#JuneCharacterADay day 12: Steller’s Jay drawing. Happy Friday! Wishing you all a fun, creative weekend.

#kidlitart #kidlitartist #characterdesign

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Jun 12

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By popular demand I am reopening enrollment for all three of my courses:

-Character Design for Kid’s Books
-Illustrating a Children’s Book
-Mini-course: Illustrating Silly Monsters in Procreate

Enrollment is open for a limited time. You can purchase all three at once as a bundle, or pick and choose.

You’ll learn character design, visual storytelling, and the full children’s book illustration process—step by step, at your own pace.

Enrollment closes on Sunday at 9pm PDT, so don’t wait. Click the link in my bio for more info and purchase instructions.

See you in the course!

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Jun 11

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#JuneCharacterADay day 11: Pelican playing an oboe.

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Jun 11

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By popular demand I am reopening enrollment for all three of my courses:

-Character Design for Kid’s Books
-Illustrating a Children’s Book
-Mini-course: Illustrating Silly Monsters in Procreate

Enrollment is open for a limited time. You can purchase all three at once as a bundle, or pick and choose.

You’ll learn character design, visual storytelling, and the full children’s book illustration process—step by step, at your own pace.

Enrollment closes on Sunday at 9pm PDT, so don’t wait. Click the link in my bio for more info and purchase instructions.

See you in the course!

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Jun 10

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Day 10 of #JuneCharacterADay : Rat playing the upright bass. I only had enough time for a rough doodle today.

#kidlitart #kidlit #kidlitartist #characterdesign

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Jun 9

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Day 9 of #JuneCharacterADay : Tortoise playing the accordion. I’m definitely coloring this one up when I get the chance.

#kidlitartist #kidlitart #characterdesign

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Jun 9

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Soon I’ll be re-opening enrollment to my Children’s Book Illustration course bundle. Join the waiting list to get an exclusive discount. Link in bio.

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Jun 8

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Day 8 of #JuneCharacterADay . Dino playing hopscotch.

On another note, we’re in our second week of this character a day challenge and it’s been so much fun seeing all of your amazing characters 😊. I can’t even keep up 😃.

#kidlitart #kidlit #characterdesign

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Jun 7

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Day 7 of #junecharacteraday : Whale arguing on the phone. I know it’s difficult, but remember to always be kind whenever possible 😊.

#kidlitartist #kidlitart #characterdesign

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Jun 6

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Day 6 of #JuneCharacterADay : Porcupine drinking hit chocolate. Sorry (not sorry) for the more wintery prompts this week 😊. I guess my mind naturally goes into holiday mode since I usually start working on Christmas stuff this time of year. 🎄

Only enough time for a sketch today.

#kidlitart #kidlit #kidlitartist #characterdesign

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Jun 5

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Day 5 of #JuneCharacterADay : Hippo mowing the lawn (or trying to).

#kidlitart #kidlitartist #characterdesign

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Jun 4

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Day 4 of #junecharacteraday : Elephant skiing. I thought about showing him waterskiing, but who doesn’t like a little holiday vibes in June? Just me?

#kidlitart #kidlitartist #characterdesign

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Jun 3

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Day 3 of #JuneCharacterADay . Wolf playing pickle ball.

Create a character each day and post on Instagram or Threads using #JuneCharacterADay. Use these prompts or make up your own. Full color, sketches, digital, analog—whatever feels fun and approachable.

No pressure to do all 30 days. All ages and skill levels welcome. Have fun and cheer each other on!

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Jun 2

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Day 2 of #JuneCharacterADay . Fox playing video games. This fox is playing Star Fox, because, of course!

Create a character each day and post on Instagram or Threads using #JuneCharacterADay. Use these prompts or make up your own. Full color, sketches, digital, analog—whatever feels fun and approachable.

No pressure to do all 30 days. All ages and skill levels welcome. Have fun and cheer each other on!

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Jun 1

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I’ve been illustrating children’s books for several years now, and it has been a fantastic experience. However, a few years ago I started looking for ways to grow my illustration business and offerings. So, I decided to hire a business coach to help with these endeavors. In March of 2024 I started working with Logan ( @flammable_entrepreneur ) and his team, and the results have been fantastic. We took a hard look at my core business strategies, target markets, goals, mindset, and more.

In fact, because of the coaching I received I finally hit a huge milestone late 2024 and launched my very first course (and have since launched two more)!! This has been something I’ve been wanting to do for a very long time, and it feels so good to have finally accomplished it. I’ve also landed several large projects that have more than covered the investment.

On Thursday, June 4 Logan, Vera ( @vera.drmanovski ), and I will host a workshop where we discuss marketing for book illustrators. RSVP link is in my bio. If you can’t make it, no worries. We’ll send you a recording if you’ve RSVP.

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Jun 1

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It’s Day 1 of #JuneCharacterADay ! Today’s prompt is Squirrel gardening. 😊

Create a character each day and post on Instagram or Threads using #JuneCharacterADay. Use these prompts or make up your own. Full color, sketches, digital, analog—whatever feels fun and approachable.

No pressure to do all 30 days. All ages and skill levels welcome. Have fun and cheer each other on!

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May 31

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I can’t believe June starts tomorrow, which means my #JuneCharacterADay challenge begins! Here are this week’s prompts.

Create a character each day and post on Instagram or Threads using #JuneCharacterADay. Use these prompts or make up your own. Full color, sketches, digital, analog—whatever feels fun and approachable.

No pressure to do all 30 days. All ages and skill levels welcome. Have fun and cheer each other on!

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May 28

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On Thursday, June 4th, 10am PDT / 1pm EDT, I’ll be co-hosting a FREE LIVE workshop with Vera Drmanovski ( @vera.drmanovski ) and business coach for creatives, Logan Elliott ( @Flammable_Entrepreneur )! We’ll be discussing Marketing for Book Illustrators.

Are you considering a career in book illustration, whether it’s children’s books, young adult, or more? Have you been confused about marketing? Are you not sure where to begin? On June 4, we will be discussing those very topics and more.

We’ll cover:
✔ When a Following Helps (And How to Use It Right)
✔ Why You Don’t Need a Big Following to Get Book Deals
✔ Build a Portfolio Publishers Actually Want
and more!

RSVP link is in my bio (Linktree). If you can’t make it, no worries. We’ll send you a recording if you’ve RSVP.

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May 26

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The first half of 2026 has been BUSY, and I haven’t had much time for personal work. So for June, I’m doing a character-a-day challenge — and I’d love for you to join me!

Create a character each day and post it on Instagram or Threads. Use the prompt graphic, make up your own, or just jump in when you can.

No pressure to do all 30 days. Sketches are welcome. Have fun and cheer each other on!

I’ll be using #JuneCharacterADay.

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josh@clelandillustration.com
971-205-2283
Represented by Advocate Art

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