Illustrator Spotlight: Patrick Johns

© Patrick Johns

 July 2, 2026

We are pleased to feature this month's illustrator, Patrick Johns, and his awesome website banner design. Check out his awesome art.

© Patrick Johns

 

Tell us about yourself and how you came to illustrate for children.

 

I've been drawing my whole life, but like many others, having kids of my own sparked a renewed interest in illustrating for children. I've spent the last 3 years on a mission to create memorable picture books that both kids and adults will enjoy.

© Patrick Johns

 

Congrats on your banner design. How did you approach this project?

 

I wanted to take an unconventional approach on the original birds on a wire theme, so I climbed up a utility pole, tried not to get electrocuted, and hung out with a bunch of birds on a wire. I tried to communicate with them that I was working on a banner design for Kidlit411 and that I needed inspiration. As I was sketching the birds, one of them grabbed my pen with its beak and began doing a drawing in my sketchbook. I thought the bird was going to draw a banner idea that would blow my mind, but it ended up just being a bunch of disappointing scribbles. After the bird flew away with my only pen, I knew it was time to scrap that plan. I went home and made a fun drawing of a bunch of birds reading a big book together on a wire, which was surprisingly selected as the July 2026 banner. 

© Patrick Johns

 

What is your preferred medium and style for illustration?

 

As of right now, I prefer drawing with a rolling ball pen on paper. Then I scan it in and do my coloring in Photoshop. I'm starting to experiment with Procreate, but I still like having at least some part of the artwork be non-digital. My style usually incorporates humor and entertaining details.

© Patrick Johns

 

What projects are you working on now?

 

I'm currently wrapping up a picture book dummy that I'll be submitting to agents. Then I'll be revising one of my older book dummies. The rejections and silence in the query trenches can be depressing, but when I look back at my work from when I first started and see how much it has evolved since then, that's what prevents me from giving up. If I keep going and improving, eventually the work will reach a level where somebody is going to take a chance on me and I look forward to that moment.

 

© Patrick Johns

In between all of the picture book work, I also create illustrated stories about things that have happened in my life for my Substack (Things That Happened). While it's not for kids, it helps sharpen my storytelling skills and some of the stories are from childhood, so I still get to work on the craft of illustrating kids.

 

What is one thing most people don't know about you?

 

I used to do stand-up comedy.

© Patrick Johns

 

Where can people find you online?

 

Website: www.creativepj.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/patrickjohns_illustration

Things That Happened: https://patrickjohns.substack.com

© Patrick Johns

 

 Patrick Johns is an author/illustrator who resides in Cincinnati, OH with his wife and 2 daughters. When he's not drawing or writing, he enjoys hiking, playing basketball, following the Bengals and Reds, and hanging out with his family.