About
Anna Karwala
Bujnowłosa.
Children's book illustrator. Academy of Fine Arts graduate, 14 years of studio practice. 47 published books, 12 publishers. Every illustration is built by hand, from the first sketch to print-ready files.
Hi! I'm Anna, a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, an illustrator and graphic designer. I've worked across visual arts since I was small - today I focus on illustration as my primary form.
"I love drawing goofy characters with small brains and enormous hearts."
I started as a kid with comics and illustration - visualising stories I made up in my head. As a teenager I illustrated scenes from the fantasy novels I read. Art high school went into honing the craft, and I came back to illustration full-time at the Academy.
I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts. For over a decade I've illustrated children's books, and for a few years now also for grown-ups who ask. I work at the border of traditional technique and digital finishing. No illustration ever left my studio without my hand on every line.
I draw so that a child who gets the book comes back to it on their own - not because someone asks them to, but because they want to. The rest is craft discipline and a clear collaboration process.
95% of my work is digital illustration - tablet, Procreate, Photoshop, a dozen-plus layers per frame. The remaining 5% is concept sketches and occasional analog collage. The client pays for original work and for the time you can't shortcut.
I draw inspiration from nature, the countryside and forests. Off-hours I look after two guinea pigs and I'm learning to dance on roller skates.
Direct contact
In numbers
Bujnowłosa studio at a glance.
47
Published books
12
Publisher collaborations
14
Years of practice
worldwide remote
Coverage
Trusted by
Publishing houses, brands, agencies
and couples who trusted me
How I work
A process every
publisher knows by heart.
5 steps, clear milestones, no invoice surprises. For a book of 40 illustrations: 8-12 weeks from brief to files. This is time you can't shortcut - and that's exactly why work from my studio looks the way it does.
- 01
Brief & call
30-minute call. I ask about characters, world, intent, age group, deadlines.
1 day - 02
Concept sketches
3-5 style and composition variants. We pick a direction together.
1 week - 03
Final sketch
Full storyboard of every illustration. Time for revisions without extra cost.
2 weeks - 04
Color & finishing
Full-color illustrations, texturing, fine-tuning details for print.
3-5 weeks - 05
Production files
CMYK files for print, RGB previews for social media, high-resolution archive.
1 day
International collaboration
Remote-first,
across borders.
Book illustration is fully remote - I work with publishers and authors in Poland, across the EU, the UK and North America. Live painting is Poland-only because the format requires physical presence.
Book illustration - worldwide
Fully remote
Briefs, sketches, approvals, file delivery all happen over email and video calls. Working languages: Polish and English. Contracts in English or bilingual PL/EN. Invoices in EUR or USD per your preference.
Live painting - Poland only
On-site required
Wedding and corporate event live painting requires me at your venue with paper and supplies. I keep the radius to Poland to maintain quality and reliable logistics - including English-speaking communication for international guests.
What I can do for you
Four kinds of
collaboration.
From book illustration to painting guest portraits live - different paths, every one original. See which one fits what you need.
01
Children's books
Narrative illustration, covers, interior layout, print-ready files. For publishers and self-publishing authors.
See details →
02
Wedding live painting
Guests' portraits painted live during the reception. Every guest who wants one walks home with a keepsake. Poland only.
See details →
03
Event live painting
B2B activation for corporate events. Guest portraits on branded paper - logo, tagline, CI colours. Poland only.
See details →
04
Custom portraits
Illustrated portraits as gifts. Person, couple, family, beloved pet - digital or watercolour. Remote, worldwide.
See details →
FAQ
Most asked.
The questions I get most from authors, couples and brands. Missing something? Write to me.
01 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.
02 Do you work with self-publishing authors and debut authors? +
Yes - over half of my clients are self-publishing authors and debuts. I know how many unknowns the first book has. I help with format, paper and printer choice, take care of the cover and interior text layout. I don't leave you alone with it - from idea to print.
03 How do deposits and invoicing work? +
Standard: 30% deposit at start after quote approval, 40% after colour sketch approval, 30% before delivery of production files. I issue VAT invoices, EUR or USD on request. For self-publishing authors, splitting the deposit into more instalments is possible - we agree what works for you at the start.
04 Who owns the copyright to my illustrations? +
Standard contract: exclusive licence to the agreed use - the book edition, reprints, promotional materials. Full assignment of economic rights is possible and priced separately. Moral rights stay with me by law - that's the European norm. The licence scope is spelled out in the contract.
05 Where do you do weddings and corporate events? +
Live painting is Poland-only - the format requires me on-site with my supplies. I cover the entire country - Kraków, Warsaw, Wrocław, Tarnów, Rzeszów, Katowice. Travel and lodging beyond 100 km from my studio is added transparently to the quote. For international clients hosting an event in Poland, that works perfectly.
06 Do you use AI image generators? +
No. Every illustration that leaves my studio is 100% my own work - tablet, Procreate, Photoshop, a dozen-plus layers per frame. I've been doing this since art school, and the craft shows in every line. You get original work, a clear licence agreement, and legal certainty for years.
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.