About Jessica Cooper

I am an illustrator, writer, and surface pattern designer based in Los Angeles, California, specializing in picture books, middle-grade, young adult, non-fiction educational market, editorial illustration, as well as surface and pattern design for novelty items and home decor. My love for storytelling and art has been part of my life since childhood, growing up in Louisiana, my father, who is also an artist, taught me how to draw, and always encouraged my creativity. Our family moved to Australia when I was 10 years old, as my father accepted a job working as one of the early wizards and pioneering technical artists of computer animation. Living in Australia and being emersed in an excellent art program in secondary school there, as well as being around the world of visual effects for film and animation, I developed a deep appreciation for art, narrative and illustration. 

At age 18 we moved to California, where I finished high-school and earned an Imagine America scholarship to attend 

The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration and Design.

My career began in film and animation as a Surfacing and Texture Artist for companies like Digital Domain and Nickelodeon. However, after having children, I transitioned to working from home to pursue my passion for children's publishing and freelance illustration work. I have since become deeply involved in the world of children's books and illustration, and I am the new Illustration Coordinator for The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Los Angeles chapter.  

My artistic style blends nature inspired idealized realism with fantasy and folklore, non-fiction editorial and nature based educational art. My goal is always to create narrative illustration, transporting viewers into enchanting worlds filled with wonder, excitement, and a range of emotions. Recently, I illustrated the first four books in a middle-grade adventure series set in early medieval Ireland, and I also finished my own garden to table picture book dummy for picky eaters, a story close to my heart. I'm working to get my stories published - and I have my dummy available for review! I'm also working on another one of my own picture books, the story of a girl who moves to Australia as a child. 

My art is inspired by nature, folklore, history, academia, and the magic of the world around us.

At my core, I am a nature sciences, history and archaeology nerd with a deep fascination for early human civilizations and cultures. I’m particularly interested in the origins of storytelling, how it began around ancient campfires and evolved into the folktales, legends, and epics that continue to shape our collective imagination. From Bronze Age myths to medieval sagas, to 20th century classics, these stories reveal what makes us human.

Let me help you bring your next project to life!