Book Illustration

Illustrated books for authors, publishers, churches and educators, from picture books for Hillsong City & Vine to more than 400 illustrations for the Institute for Biblical Languages and Translation.

Start a Project

Pictures that carry the story

A good illustrated book lets the reader follow the story through the pictures as well as the words. We plan every spread around the text, the page turn and the age of the reader, so the images pace the story rather than simply decorate it.

Our books range from rhyming picture books for young children to line by line retellings used to teach Biblical Hebrew. We have worked directly with authors and with the teams around them, including a calligrapher who hand lettered the text across every spread, and we have art directed a whole series so that three books by different illustrators still sit together on the shelf.

Because we are an animation studio as well, the characters we draw for a book can go on to move, in a trailer, a short film or an animated version of the whole story.

Books we have illustrated

A selection of picture books and educational books, each with a different reader in mind.

See all our illustration work →

What you get

Every book is different, so we agree the scope with you at the start. These are the pieces most of our book projects include.

Character designs

The main characters are drawn and agreed first, so they stay consistent from the first page to the last.
A plan for every spread

Rough sketches of the whole book show the composition, the space for text and how the story flows across each page turn.
Finished artwork

Full colour illustrations in the style agreed at the start, whether that is loose and playful or rich and detailed.
Cover art

Front and back cover artwork, with hand drawn title lettering when the book calls for it.
Files ready for print

Artwork prepared to your printer's page size and bleed, plus smaller images for your website and marketing.
Series art direction

For a series, one consistent look across every title, even when more than one illustrator is involved.

How it works

Read the text.

We read the manuscript with you and talk about the reader, the format, the number of pages and the deadline.
Design the characters.

We sketch the main characters and settle the style before any pages are drawn.
Plan every spread.

Rough layouts for the whole book show how the story flows. You review them and we revise.
Illustrate the pages.

Finished artwork is delivered in batches, with a review round on each batch so changes are caught early.
Prepare for print.

We supply the final files to your printer's specification, ready to go to press.

Questions authors and publishers ask

How many illustrations does a book need?

It depends on the page count and the kind of book. A picture book usually has artwork on every spread, while an educational book may need a small image for each line or lesson. Our Hebrew course needed more than 400. We agree the number with you before we start.

Do you work with authors who are publishing themselves?

Yes. We have worked directly with authors as well as with publishers and organisations, and we can help with the cover, the lettering and getting the files ready for a printer.

How long does it take to illustrate a book?

It depends on the number of illustrations and the level of detail. Once we have read the text we give you a schedule with dates for the character designs, the rough layouts, each review round and the final artwork.

How many rounds of changes are included?

Review rounds are built into each stage, at the characters, the rough layouts and the finished pages. The exact number is set out in the quote, so there are no surprises.

Who owns the illustrations?

Ownership and licensing are agreed in writing before work begins, so you know exactly how you can use the artwork in print, online and on products.

Can the book be turned into an animation later?

Yes. We are an animation studio as well as an illustration studio, so the characters in your book can be brought to life in a trailer or a short film.

Have a book that needs pictures

Tell us about the story, the reader and the format. Send us the manuscript or just the idea, and we will suggest how to bring it to life on the page.