Uploaded April 2024 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago
Think about the last time you bought an illustrated book. What percentage of the royalties do you think the illustrator got? Nope, not 50/50 with the author – most publishers only offer 3%–5%, even though illustrations often sell the book.
Why do we undervalue design and illustration? God, after all, is the great designer – we literally live and breathe his amazing handiwork. Too often, though we treat visual communication as a secondary thing, just supporting the words on the page rather than doing a huge amount of the heavy lifting. In reality, the old adage 'a picture is worth a thousand words' is totally true – illustrators and designers shape the way we perceive the world around us, and their work stays burned in our brain long after we've forgotten the specific words that accompanied it.
In this episode, Paul and Grace speak to Martha Ratcliff of @martharatcliffillustration about the crucial role design and illustration play in our world, how good design stays with us for a lifetime – and how God's creativity is the template for so much human endeavour.
Martha is a professional designer and illustrator whose work has appeared on greetings cards sold in major high street chains, as well as the recent book 'Bible Stories for Little Ones' and her own line of prints and merchandise. Find out more at martharatcliffillustration.com
Think about the last time you bought an illustrated book. What percentage of the royalties do you think the illustrator got? Nope, not 50/50 with the author – most publishers only offer 3%–5%, even though illustrations often sell the book.
Why do we undervalue design and illustration? God, after all, is the great designer – we literally live and breathe his amazing handiwork. Too often, though we treat visual communication as a secondary thing, just supporting the words on the page rather than doing a huge amount of the heavy lifting. In reality, the old adage 'a picture is worth a thousand words' is totally true – illustrators and designers shape the way we perceive the world around us, and their work stays burned in our brain long after we've forgotten the specific words that accompanied it.
In this episode, Paul and Grace speak to Martha Ratcliff of @martharatcliffillustration about the crucial role design and illustration play in our world, how good design stays with us for a lifetime – and how God's creativity is the template for so much human endeavour.
Martha is a professional designer and illustrator whose work has appeared on greetings cards sold in major high street chains, as well as the recent book 'Bible Stories for Little Ones' and her own line of prints and merchandise. Find out more at martharatcliffillustration.com
