Pencil sketch illustration style
Expressive graphite sketch with soft tonal shading and visible construction lines.
- Family
- Line art
- Color
- Black & white only
- Audiences
- Early readers, Middle grade, Adults
- Book types
- 4 recommended
Books that suit pencil sketch
Guided journal
A unique prompt on every page, with decorative art
Ages 5+ · 60–240 pages · 6 × 9 in
Early chapter book
Short chapters, big type, black-and-white spot art
Ages 5–12 · 48–160 pages · 5.5 × 8.5 in
Middle-grade novel
Adventure, fantasy or mystery for ages 8–12
Ages 8–12 · 120–360 pages · 5.5 × 8.5 in
Memoir & family history
Your memories shaped into a finished book
Adults · 80–500 pages · 6 × 9 in
How it prints on KDP
On black & white interiors it is rendered without color, which KDP prints for much less per page. Compare what each interior costs with the printing cost calculator, and read how to choose the trim size and paper.
Print noteHalftone output: increase contrast and clip greys lighter than 8% so they don't vanish in print.
Same characters, every page
Before the pages are painted, each main character gets a reference sheet in this style. Every illustration is drawn with those sheets as references, so faces, clothes and colors stay the same from the cover to the last page. Text is never painted into the art: titles, captions and speech bubbles are typeset on top. See community books illustrated in pencil sketch.
More line art styles
About this style
Which books suit the Pencil sketch style?
Pencil sketch is offered for guided journal, early chapter book, middle-grade novel, memoir & family history. You can still pick it for any other book type, or describe your own style.
Can Pencil sketch be printed in black and white?
Yes. Pencil sketch is drawn in black and white from the start, so it prints cleanly on KDP's black & white interiors and costs less to print than color.
Will my characters look the same on every page?
Yes. Main characters get a reference sheet before the pages are drawn, and every illustration is painted with it as a reference, in the same style from the cover to the last page.
Can I sell books illustrated in this style?
Yes, on a paid plan: paid plans include a commercial license for the books you make. KDP asks you to declare AI-generated images, including the cover, when you publish.
Illustrate your book in pencil sketch.
Describe your book, keep this style, and watch every page get painted with the same characters.
600 free credits · no card required