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Illustration by Anna Karwala - children's book heroine in a pastel world

Children's book illustration · wedding · event live painting

I draw worlds
where children
want to stay.

Anna Karwala. I illustrate books for children. I paint live wedding portraits of your guests. I activate brands at corporate events. One studio, original handcrafted line, digital craft.

I paint with emotion and attention - so that in every piece there's someone alive, someone you want to come back to.

Currently booking Q3 2026

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Trusted by

Publishing houses, brands, agencies
and couples who trusted me

Oh BookNesquikAlior BankDobre ZabawkiOh BookNesquikAlior BankDobre ZabawkiOh BookNesquikAlior BankDobre Zabawki

Children's books - first pillar

Books you
read with your eyes.

Selected children's book illustration and narrative picture book design for publishers and self-publishing authors worldwide. Every book is born in my studio - its own world, a sense of pacing in every spread, characters a child wants to visit again. I work remotely with publishers across Europe and beyond.

Wedding live painting - second pillar

Your guests go home
with a portrait.

A portrait outlasts the playlist. Wedding live painting in Poland: I draw your guests in front of them during the reception, and each one leaves with a hand-drawn keepsake. Bookings across all Polish regions.

Wedding live painting Poland - Anna Karwala painting a guest portrait live at the event, Bujnowłosa studio
  • A keepsake per guest - every portrait is painted by hand and goes home with the guest who wanted it
  • An attraction guests join - people gather to watch their portrait take shape, without being pulled off the dance floor
  • Guest after guest - I work through the guest list across the evening, so everyone who wants a portrait gets one
  • Something they talk about - the painting becomes a moment guests gather around, photograph and remember long after

Event live painting - third pillar

An activation guests
take home.

Corporate event live painting that earns its place on the agenda. I draw guest portraits on the spot in a recognisable style - a keepsake people take home and a brand activation illustration that travels through their feed. Bookings across Poland.

  • Sets the event apart - live drawing is rare on an agenda - guests notice it the moment they walk in
  • Pulls guests in - people watch the process, queue for their turn, and keep talking about your brand afterwards
  • Leaves a good memory - a portrait is a gift - every guest goes home with a positive association tied to your name
  • Extends brand reach - custom portrait paper with your logo, tagline and CI colours - your brand walks home with the guest
  • Reads as premium - professional setup and high-grade materials that match a high-end room
Corporate event live painting - Anna Karwala at her live painting stand with brushes and guest portraits, Bujnowłosa studio

Who I work with

Three client types,
three rhythms.

Corporate event, wedding, book or illustration - each category runs on a different decision rhythm, budget and timeline. Live painting is available across Poland; book and commercial illustration ships worldwide.

01

Event live painting

Company running an event for guests

Brand manager, event agency, company planning a gala, product launch, trade show or conference. I paint guest portraits branded with your identity - paper with your logo, brand colors, tagline. Guests take the portrait home and post it on social media, tagging your brand. Available across Poland.

Typical clients

  • Brand managers
  • Marketing teams
  • Event agencies
  • B2B companies with events
  • Trade show and conference organizers
  • Product launches
  • Corporate galas
See details
02

Wedding live painting

Couple getting married

Wedding, anniversary, milestone celebration. I paint your guests live - everyone interested goes home with a keepsake. The bride and groom portrait can be commissioned in advance as a gift to be unveiled on the wedding day. Across Poland.

Typical clients

  • Couples getting married
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Milestone family events
  • Christenings and birthdays
  • Wedding planners
  • Wedding organizers
See details
03

Book and illustration

Publisher, author or brand with a project for children

Publisher planning a season, self-publishing author, first-time author - or a brand that wants to speak to a child through original illustration. Books, covers, identity, posters, mugs, product illustration - the full spectrum in one studio, from the first call to print-ready files. Remote collaboration worldwide.

Typical clients

  • Children's book publishers
  • Educational publishers
  • Self-publishing authors
  • First-time authors
  • Brands for children
  • Private clients
  • Bespoke commissions
  • Coaches with a book as a tool
  • Therapeutic stories
See details

Studio styles

Four techniques,
one signature.

I work in four main styles. Each fits a different type of project and a different budget. I'll help pick the one that tells your story best. Available worldwide for book and commercial work.

Digital watercolor

Narrative illustration

The most-requested style for picture books. Soft edges, warm light, characters with emotional depth. I work in Procreate and Photoshop with paper textures.

  • Picture books
  • Ages 3-8
  • Educational books

Vector and character design

Character design and flat color

Clear line, strong silhouettes, limited palette. Works best for visual identity and campaigns for children's brands. Scalable for large-format print.

  • Visual identity
  • Brands
  • Social media

Watercolour or digital from photo

Editorial portrait illustration

Commissioned portraits worked from a reference photo, with added illustrative drama - light, background color, a small narrative detail.

  • Portraits
  • Gifts
  • Anniversaries

How I work

A process every client of mine knows.

Four steps, clear milestones, no invoice surprises. For a book - 8-12 weeks from brief to files. For live painting - 4 weeks of briefing and the event itself. Every service has its own rhythm, but the same foundation.

  1. 01

    Brief & call

    30-minute call. I ask about the project - the book, the wedding date, the event format. I listen to what you need.

    1 day
  2. 02

    Sketches & concept

    I show direction - concept sketches for the book, moodboard for weddings, custom paper for events. We choose together.

    1-2 weeks
  3. 03

    Execution

    The book is built in the studio - tablet, layers, original line. Live painting - I'm with you on-site with the whole setup.

    depends on the project
  4. 04

    Finalization & delivery

    Book: print-ready files. Wedding: portraits in guests' hands plus digital scans. Event: branded materials plus documentation.

    up to 7 days

Three paths

Three flagship
services.

Children's book illustration, wedding live painting, corporate event live painting. Each has its own process, its own rhythm, its own pricing - but they all start with the same brief.

Selected children's book illustration - narrative picture book design for Liczba Mnoga Publishing, Anna Karwala 2024 01 · Children's book illustration Liczba Mnoga · 2024
Wedding live painting Poland - guest portraits wedding, jubilee portrait by Anna Karwala 2024 02 · Wedding live painting Wedding · 2024
Corporate event live painting - brand activation illustration with custom CI paper, Anna Karwala B2B 2024 03 · Event live painting B2B event · 2024
01 Children's book illustration

From sketch to print-ready files

I work with publishers and self-publishing authors worldwide. Selected children's book illustration, covers, typesetting, print advice - the whole book from one studio. Picture books and narrative books for ages 3-10, including educational titles.

  • Full scope: illustration, cover, typesetting, print-ready files
  • Working with publishers and first-time self-publishing authors
  • Paper, format and printer advice for self-pub
  • Clear licence agreement with named usage rights
See the full offer
02 Wedding live painting

Guest portraits - drawn live, during the wedding

I paint your guests during the wedding itself. Every person leaves the dance floor with their own keepsake. The newlyweds' portrait can be commissioned ahead of time - ready to hand over on the day. Wedding live painting Poland, bookings across all regions.

  • Guest portraits live - everyone goes home with a keepsake
  • Newlyweds' portrait prepared in advance
  • Personalised frames matched to the wedding style
  • Bookings across all Polish regions
See the full offer
03 Event live painting

Brand activation with portrait paper that carries your CI

Corporate event live painting - I draw guest portraits on custom paper with your logo, tagline and CI colours. Every attendee walks away with a branded keepsake that doubles as a brand activation illustration on social.

  • Custom branded paper with logo, tagline, CI colours
  • Corporate galas, product launches, trade shows, conferences
  • VAT invoice, NDA on request
  • Social-ready material from the event
See the full offer
Anna Karwala - Bujnowłosa, children's book illustrator, in the studio

Studio manifesto

I draw so that it stays - on the bookshelf, on the wall, in wedding guests' memories, in posts from a brand activation.

In my studio I draw so people want to come back. To the heroine from a book, to the face from a portrait, to the moment painted live at a wedding. Before I draw anything, I first want to feel and understand it - who the character is, what holds them, what's inside. I don't paint an effect or a trend, but someone alive, someone you want to come back to.

Every illustration is built layer by layer - my line, my tablet, hours at the screen and over a decade of practice. Children's book illustration and narrative illustration, even remote book illustration, all start the same way: art is made by a person, with emotion, attention and character that no machine can reproduce.

About Anna and the Bujnowłosa studio

What clients say

Excerpts from reviews.

Anna has a rare gift - from the first sketch her characters are true to the soul of the text. Working with her, the script starts to illustrate itself.

M Magdalena W. editor, children's publisher

At our wedding she painted for hours - guests kept gathering round. Every one of them walked away with a portrait they'll remember.

O Ola and Maciej newlyweds · 2024

Live painting at our event was the best call we made. Guests stayed glued to her station, and we got content that worked in social for weeks after.

A Anna B. brand manager

Most asked

Price, timeline,
rights, process - clear.

The questions publishers, couples, and companies ask most. Missing something? Write to me.

01 How much does a children's book illustration cost? +

Pricing depends on scope - a single cover, a 32-page book, or a series - and typically ranges from a few thousand to several tens of thousands of euros. The more illustrations and the more complex the scenes, the higher the quote. I send a full quote within 48 hours of receiving your inquiry form, with a schedule and a number matched to your budget. Invoices in EUR or USD, both work.

02 Do you offer wedding live painting outside Poland? +

No - wedding live painting is Poland-only. The format depends on me being physically at your venue with paper and supplies, and I limit myself to Polish weddings so I can keep the quality consistent. If you are getting married in Poland and want English-speaking communication throughout, that works perfectly fine. For destination weddings abroad, I would point you toward a local live painter.

03 Do you do event live painting outside Poland? +

No - event live painting is Poland-only. The format requires me on-site with my supplies, and I keep the radius to Poland to maintain quality and reliable logistics. If your company is hosting an event in Poland for an international audience, English-speaking communication and full English collateral are no problem. Many of my B2B clients are international brands running activations in Warsaw, Krakow, or Wroclaw.

04 How long does it take to illustrate a book? +

A standard 32-page book takes 8-12 weeks from brief to print-ready files. A single cover is 2-4 weeks. A larger series runs a few months. We set the schedule together at the start, with buffer for revision rounds, publisher approvals, and any extra scenes that come up later. I do not promise deadlines I cannot keep.

05 How much does wedding live painting cost? +

Price depends on how many hours I am at the wedding, how many portraits you want painted, the venue location, and whether you also commission a pre-wedding portrait of the couple for a ceremonial reveal. Concrete quote within 48 hours of filling out the form with your date. Standard: 30% deposit secures the date, balance after the event. Simple contract, no surprises.

06 How much does event live painting cost for a company? +

Quote depends on how many hours I am on-site, how many portraits you want, the custom branded paper design, and venue location. Material costs and travel logistics are included where relevant. Concrete number within 48 hours of the inquiry form. Standard: 30% deposit secures the date, balance after the event. Invoices in EUR for international clients on request.

07 Do you work with international clients remotely? +

Yes. Book illustration is fully remote - briefs, sketches, approvals, files all happen over email and video calls. I have worked with publishers and self-published authors across Europe and North America. Time zones get handled with async reviews and one or two scheduled calls per phase. Working languages: Polish and English. Invoices in EUR or USD per your preference.

08 How long are you at the wedding? +

I can stay 3 hours and paint a selected group of guests, or stay through the whole reception and paint anyone who walks up. We design the plan together based on what you want - a cocktail hour activation, an all-night attraction, or a single highlighted moment. Details get nailed down on the brief call before the date.

09 How does branding on the portraits work? +

We design the portrait paper specifically for your event - your logo, tagline, brand colors per your guidelines, and a frame matched to the campaign visual style. Each guest leaves with a portrait that doubles as a subtle brand object, no in-your-face logo placement. I align the artwork with your marketing team or creative agency before the event so visual consistency holds across the whole activation.

From the studio blog

Recent writing for publishers,
authors and brands.

See all posts

Coming soon

English blog launching soon

The full English blog is in the works. Meanwhile, five flagship posts are available in English-friendly form on the EN index - covering children's book illustration, wedding live painting, and B2B event activations.

Browse the English blog

Once a month

One wallpaper,
one preview
of a new book.

A newsletter that reads like a zine: a high-res illustration as wallpaper, a preview of a new children's book before launch, and notes from the Bujnowłosa studio - for authors, publishers and brand teams.

Start a project

Got a project? Let's talk.

I make art that stays - with emotion and attention in every project. Children's book illustration delivered worldwide, wedding and B2B event live painting across Poland - every project starts the same way: an inquiry, a conversation, a decision. Write to me directly. The Bujnowłosa studio is me and a decade-plus of practice.

Send an inquiry