Katie 'Katiebell' Roberts

Welcome to my artwork, welcome to the worlds of my imagination! 

I'd adore hearing other people's stories and will love turning your inkling, your vision, your idea into a fully illustrated reality. 

World building, character development and magic is my jam. My favourite illustrations are maps and landscape, both fantasy and realism. 

I am a professional artist with a 30 year career and a masters of Fine Art, but I like to illustrate on the side too! I illustrate under my teenage nickname of 'Katiebell' (because of my loud laugh and the bells I used to wear in my hair). An artist all my life, I studied art for ten years and majored in Drawing, which remains my greatest love. I am traditionally trained but love to experiment. I like to make a mess and love creating original, physical artwork. I am proficient in tonal and colour work; mediums including pencil, ink, watercolour, gouache, marker and a range of other materials including collage and mixed-media. I especially love creating subtly shaded graphite drawings of people and places. I am able to turn my hand to many styles but my favourite for children's book illustration is magical-realism based artwork, especially maps and landscapes. I love maps, did I say that?

I have a special interest in drawing architecture and recently illustrated the Dictionary of Military Architecture, by Stephen 'Sven' Wyley. I enjoy creating book covers, recent works include covers for magical middle grade book series including The Secrets of the Lost Souls and The Rise of the Enchanted by Pete Lewis. I was recently commissioned for the latest book cover for PETAA (Primary English Teachers Association of Australia). 

I have a number of completed manuscripts for picture books and my own fantastical stories that are yet to be published. 

I am happy to work with self-publishing authors, publishing houses and in educational publishing. My skills include layout and design, writing, fine art, illustration and graphic design. I have lectured in drawing at university and in the community, teaching many of our Kid Lit Royalty in Australia. I have been quietly illustrating for posters, projects, events and community throughout my life. I have a great passion for community, social justice and equality.

My artwork, stories and projects are optimistic, ethical, deep and meaningful. Picture books with heart and soul.

I welcome your enquiries especially for story maps, end papers, lettering, full page artworks and book illustration. 

I am currently available for the right project. Also if you are interested in any of my projects here, please feel free to ask me.