What do illustrators do all day?
Find out in my February newsletter!
Hello friends,
How are you? Hope you’re well and happy and having a cosy day so far.
Since moving to Switzerland, I’ve found people keep asking me, what do you do all day?
My answer is, pretty much what I did all day when I lived in Cambridge. Which was pretty much what I did all day when I lived in Edinburgh. Minus the fact that I am no longer an art technician - as that job wasn’t so easy to pack up into a box and bring with me. I don’t have a part-time job (at the moment) alongside my illustration, so I do a lot more illustration.
Anyway, people don’t tend to be satiated with that answer, probably because they didn’t know what I was doing all day before, and have now found an opportunity to ask without it sounding rude.
Over on TikTok (I hope I’ve not immediately lost half of you), I often watch (and often make) day-in-the-life-of videos. So today, I thought it would be fun to do a written day-in-the-life-of!
So, come spend the day with me.
8 am
Usually I am drinking a black coffee now, maybe eating a yoghurt, forgetting to take my vitamin tablets, doing Duolingo or watching a little kids cartoon in German.
I settle down at my desk and figure out what do to today.
I have a calendar of deadlines, a to-do list of everything that’s upcoming, and another to-do list of the things that need done now. (E.g. writing this newsletter.)
Read about my lists and why I love them in my newsletter from 2024!
9 am
Around now I’ll reply to any emails that need replied to, and then on a typical day my to-do list is mostly drawing, so I will begin drawing.
I start by looking at the things I was drawing the day before. Usually, with fresh eyes I see things to tweak with them, so I start with that. I draw with a mixture of physical pencil/textures, procreate and photoshop, but the final work is 99.99% on Photoshop, so that’s usually where I am checking things. I find it’s helpful to open the illustrations in another way, e.g. send them to my phone or look at them on the photoviewer and not just on Photoshop to spot anything that needs looked at.
10 am
If my tweaking is tweaked, I’ll start something new.
Then, draw, draw, draw. Maybe drink another coffee. Listen to some podcasts. Draw some more.
An example of the things I drew yesterday:
one vignette of a family hiking (little floating image) (final illustration for a book)
two bottles of beer (final illustration for a project)
another vignette of a character playing with a little penguin (final illustration for a book)
At the moment, I’m working on a book project where I’m at the finals stage, so I’m doing a lot of final illustrations with full colour. If I’d written this a couple of months ago, I would be drawing rough sketches and planning out the illustrations in mostly greyscale.
I wrote a bit about how I work on a book from start to finish in a previous newsletter here!
11 am
I like to go for a run at this time of the day because a) it makes me hungrier for lunch, b) usually I’m running out of steam a little by now, and c) it’s the least busy time of the day because kids are at school, dogs have been walked and it’s not yet lunchtime.
12 noon
At 12 exactly, I will have lunch. That might cause some controversy, but I am unashamed. My favourite lunch back in the UK was corn/ricecakes with cheddar cheese, salad and fruit, but I’ve yet to figure out what my favourite Swiss lunch is.
I like to watch an episode of a show while I have lunch so I have a break from thinking.
1 pm
Back to the desk if I’m not already!
I’ll check my various lists again. If I’ve put off anything in the morning, I’ll do that now (and regret not having done it in the morning). Maybe I’ll think about any social media stuff I could post today or tomorrow, and prepare that.
I’ll also check my drawing from the morning for anything that looks weird now I see it again with fresh eyes.
2 pm
If all the urgent to-dos are done, the morning tweaks are tweaked and no new emails have come in, it’s back to drawing!
Either I’ll pick up where I left off, or start something new. I tend to pick what to draw just based on what I want to at that point, rather than in chronologically order of the book/project. I think I work better that way!
3 pm
Draw, listen to podcasts, maybe have a cup of tea (Yorkshire Malty Biscuit Brew).
4 pm
I cannot stress how much I am just mostly drawing.
5 pm
The end of the day is approaching so around now I usually either finish up what I’m working on if I am close to completing it; switch to something small and non-book-project related; and/or make a plan for what needs to be done tomorrow.
6 pm
Time to switch off the laptop and have a lovely evening!
How does my day differ from yours? Let me know in the comments!
I have a new book coming out in the Summer, and it got it’s first review! Woop!
Pre-order a copy here (UK) and here (US), or ask in any good bookshop.
Williams, Deborah Holt. Nighty Night, Dinos. illus. by Anna Doherty. 32p. Familius. Jun. 2026. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9798893960501.
Toddler-Gr 2–Dinosaurs have a busy day full of noisy activities, engaging all day long, stomping, swimming, flying, and creeping. The simple, rhyming verse quickly transitions from the excitement of playtime to the quiet routine of bedtime. The story succeeds by detailing gentle rituals performed by diverse prehistoric creatures. Readers watch as T-Rex pulls a blankie tight, sleepy Stegosaurus plops next to tired Triceratops, and Brontosaurus hugs a toy bear. Even Ankylosaurus curls up snug, and Parasaurolophus is ready for a pillow. The writing effectively uses action words alongside soothing bedtime cues, making it an excellent read-aloud choice for winding down, concluding with the warning to “Whisper now, don’t make a peep!” so the dinos can sleep and grow “healthy, big and strong.” The accompanying visuals are essential to the book’s success, creating vivid, warm, and comforting scenarios in the transformation of large, potentially scary dinosaurs into relatable, sleepy friends. The illustrations beautifully highlight the necessary contrast in emotions: moving from the high-energy, noisy action of day to the quiet routines of night. By depicting these massive animals engaging in soft, humanlike domestic acts, the artwork successfully grounds the imaginative scenario in blankets of comfort for children. VERDICT The rhythmic text of this charming and effective story, along with its imaginative depiction of large creatures engaging in gentle rituals, will make this a great addition to anyone seeking soothing read-alouds for the young.
–Richard Winters, School Library Journal
✱ I had the best weekend away in Alnwick this month, with a bunch of friends. We did lots of fun activities like quizzes and going to a huge second hand bookshop and drinking cocktails and doing a treasuring hunt. The whole weekend I was just having a wonderful time. (Thanks friends!)
✱ I’ve been enjoying Swiss winter, literally here in Basel, and also through this book picked up from 1948.
✺ This month I am getting married! So that’s my thing I’m looking more forward to! Eeee!
Ok, that’s all from me. Have a sunny day!
Hugs, Anna x
Hello lunch at 12 club 🤝
Oh my gooodness Anna - married!!! Congratulations, have a wonderful day x