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
Children's books · flagship service
I illustrate your
book. I also take care
of everything around it.
From the first conversation to print-ready files. I work with publishers and self-publishing authors - including first-time authors. Remote, international collaboration.
Trusted by
Publishing houses, brands, agencies
and couples who trusted me
Why a book needs illustration
Illustration amplifies the text.
A children's book is rarely just about the text. Illustration is a separate language - it tells what words cannot. Characters, world, atmosphere, emotion.
Simplified forms can express far more than literal depictions. A character's whole body can carry what a sequence of frames cannot - if it's drawn well.
I work in a digital illustrative style, with an original hand. Every book project starts with a conversation about what the text is meant to convey - and how illustration can reinforce it.
Full scope
I take care of everything
around your book.
Working with a publisher? I'll coordinate with your in-house designer. Self-publishing? I stay with you to the end - from concept to print-ready files.
- 01
Narrative illustrations
Scenes, characters, world - everything that tells the story alongside the text. Digital illustrative style, original hand.
- 02
Book cover
The first thing a reader sees. I design it so the book wants to be picked up off the shelf.
- 03
Text layout
Text and illustration have to shake hands. I take care of page layout so the book reads well and looks balanced.
- 04
Series identity
Planning more volumes? Consistent palette, recurring characters, typography that ties the whole series together.
- 05
Print-ready files
CMYK, bleed, proper resolution, format matched to the printer. Your printer gets everything they need from a single delivery.
- 06
Paper and printer consultancy
Self-publishing? I'll advise on paper stock, book format and recommended printer. I don't leave you with that decision alone.
For whom
Three types
of clients, three rhythms.
Publisher with a publication plan
We work with a framework agreement, seasonal plan, style calibration to your catalog. I deliver illustrations, your in-house designer handles the rest. Visual consistency of the series is my priority.
Self-publishing author
I walk through the full process with you. Illustration, cover, text layout, print-ready files, paper and format advice. You don't need to source illustrator, designer and printer separately - I lead you from idea to finished book.
First-time author, for whom this is the first book
Half of my clients are debutants. I know what's ahead and I tell you upfront - no invoice surprises, no silence about stages you haven't navigated yet.
Working internationally
Remote-first across borders.
Children's book illustration is fully remote. I work with publishers and authors in Poland, across the EU, the UK, and North America. Communication in English, contracts available in English (or bilingual PL/EN), file delivery via WeTransfer, Dropbox or your preferred system.
Time zone overlap with Europe is natural; for North American collaborations I keep flexible working hours during active project phases.
Live painting services (wedding and corporate events) are Poland only - those require physical presence.
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.
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.
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 collaboration works
How we illustrate your book
together.
4 steps, clear milestones, no surprises. From the first email to print-ready files - we walk the full path together.
- 01
You send an inquiry
Describe your needs, vision and expectations for the book. The more detail you share, the better I understand what you need - and the faster I can propose a plan.
- 02
We agree on scope and pricing
Based on your inquiry I outline the scope of work and timeline. I prepare a quote and schedule that meet your needs and fit your budget.
- 03
I present the project for approval
After gathering all information I create the project and present it for review. You give feedback, ask questions, request revisions - we finalize together until it's right.
- 04
I finalize the project
After approval I make final adjustments and finalize the work. You get print-ready files - if you're self-publishing, I advise on paper, format and printer recommendations.
Pricing
Custom quote.
Depending on what we're working on - a single cover, a full picture book, or a series with character bible - quotes range from a few thousand to several tens of thousands of euros. Everything depends on illustration count, technique, deadline and rights scope.
You get a concrete quote after the inquiry form. Reply within 48 hours. Always custom pricing, net rates, VAT invoice. Invoices in EUR or USD on request.
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.
She delivered 38 illustrations on time, including 6 revised on our request at no extra cost. World-class professionalism.
Frequently asked
Pricing, time, rights, process.
The questions publishers and authors ask most often. 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 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.
03 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.
04 Do you use AI generators for any part of the work? +
No. Every illustration that leaves my studio is my own work, made with emotion and an understanding of character that a generator cannot reproduce - tablet, Procreate, Photoshop, a dozen-plus layers per frame. I have been drawing digitally since art school, over a decade of practice. You get original work and a clear license agreement, so the artwork is yours to use without copyright surprises down the road. No prompt-generated images, ever.
05 What file formats and deliverables do I receive? +
Print-ready CMYK PDFs with bleed and crop marks for the printer, plus layered source files (PSD or Procreate) and high-resolution PNGs for promotion. If you self-publish, I also handle the cover layout, interior text setup, and paper and format advice. Everything your printer needs, ready to go. You do not need a separate designer or DTP person on top.
06 Who owns the copyright to the illustrations? +
Standard contract: exclusive license to the agreed use - the book edition, reprints, promotional materials. Full assignment of economic rights is possible and priced separately, usually higher than a license. Moral rights stay with me by law - that is the European norm. The license scope is spelled out in the contract so there are no surprises about where and how you can use the work.
07 How many revision rounds are included? +
Each phase has revision rounds built into the price - concept sketches, storyboard, color phase, finals. You approve step by step, so you never get hit with a surprise invoice at the end. Larger structural rewrites after a phase is signed off are scoped separately, but small adjustments are part of the standard process. The goal is to catch direction issues early, not late.
08 What languages do you work in? +
Polish and English, both fluent for project communication. Briefs, calls, contracts, email - either works. Most of my international clients are publishers and brands in the EU, UK, and US, and English is the default for those projects. If your team prefers Polish, we switch. Contracts can be issued bilingually if your legal team needs it for review.
09 How do I get in touch and how fast do you reply? +
Fill out the inquiry form on the contact page with what you need, your timeline, and any references. I reply within 48 hours - usually faster on weekdays - with either a scoped quote or a short list of clarifying questions. No automated funnel, no nurture sequence. You write to me, I write back. That is the whole process.
10 Which services are available internationally vs Poland-only? +
Illustration work - books, covers, editorial, advertising, packaging - is fully remote and available worldwide. Live painting - wedding and event - is Poland-only because the format requires me on-site. If you are an international brand hosting an event in Poland, that works. If you need live painting abroad, I would refer you to a local artist rather than overpromise.
11 Who are you and what is your background? +
I am Anna Karwala, an illustrator based in Poland with a fine arts degree and over a decade of professional practice. I work on children's books, editorial illustration, advertising commissions, and live painting at weddings and corporate events. My studio is small on purpose - the illustration work is entirely my own hand, no ghost-illustrators, and the portfolio is the work I do. For bigger live-painting events I bring in a small, hand-picked team of painters so everyone gets a portrait, but the studio and its standards stay mine.
Use cases
Where it works.
- 01
Classic children's stories
A classic story led by one hero. I illustrate the scenes, design the character and set the mood - so text and picture work together on every page.
- 02
Picture books
Picture books for the youngest - a few words per page, the images tell the rest. As a picture book illustrator, I let the spreads carry the story, square or A5.
- 03
Educational and nature books
A book that teaches through pictures - nature, the world, curious facts. A simplified form shows more than a photo. The child looks and understands before they even read.
- 04
Poetry and rhyme books
Children's poetry runs on rhythm - the illustration has to keep that breath. For each poem I pick an image that completes it rather than repeating the words.
- 05
Fairy tales, retold
A well-known fairy tale in a fresh, original take. New style, redesigned characters, a contemporary mood - the same story your child hasn't seen told quite like this.
- 06
Reissue of an old book
Already have the text but the illustrations have aged? I create a new look - characters, cover, spreads - and prepare print-ready files for the reissue.
Good to know
Before you ask.
01What does character design for a children's book involve?+
Character design means building the hero who carries the whole story - their silhouette, expressions, clothes, the way they move. I draw the character from several angles, so on every page and on the cover they read as the same, recognizable person. A good hero shows their personality with the whole body, not just the face. It's the foundation, and the rest of the illustration builds around it.
02How do you design a children's book cover?+
A cover has 3 seconds to convince someone to pick the book up. My book cover design has to work both ways - as a large object on the shelf and as a tiny thumbnail in an online store. I mind the hierarchy - title, author, illustration - and keep it consistent with the mood inside. I usually design the cover last, once I know the feel of the whole book.
03What style do you illustrate children's books in?+
As a children's book illustrator I work in my own original style - digitally, in Procreate and Photoshop, layering paper textures that give the artwork warmth and a handmade feel. I also paint in watercolour when a story calls for softness and spontaneity. I always match the style to the text and the reader's age - a rhyme for a 3-year-old looks different from a story for a 7-year-old. We settle the direction at the start.
04How many illustrations does a children's book need?+
It depends on the format and the reader's age. A classic picture book usually runs 32 pages, with an illustration on almost every spread - because there the image, not the text, leads the story. A book for older children may carry fewer illustrations, set between passages of text. We settle the count and placement at the storyboard stage, before I start painting, so nothing catches you off guard later in the quote.
05Does the illustration have to match the text exactly?+
No - and often it's better when it doesn't. An illustration is a language of its own, saying what the words leave out: the atmosphere, the emotion, the second layer of a scene. A simplified image can show more than a literal copy of the sentence. My job isn't to repeat the text but to reinforce it - so the child reads one layer in the words and sees another in the picture.
06Can I commission just character design, without the whole book?+
Yes. Sometimes you need the hero first - to show a publisher or prepare a pilot. I then design the character alone: silhouette, expression, a few angles and colour variants. It's a common first step for a self-published book - you test the character with your illustrator before committing. If you later go ahead with the whole book, the hero is ready and consistent from page one. Scope and quote follow the form, and I reply within 48 hours.
From the studio blog
More from my studio.
10 latest of 60 - scroll to see more.
Blog originally in Polish - English translation in progress.
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Jak wybrać idealnego ilustratora do książki dziecięcej - 6 kryteriów
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Jak ilustruję książkę - mój proces krok po kroku
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Jak ilustruje się książkę
Etapy ilustrowania książki w mojej pracowni - rozmowa, szkice, poprawki, malowanie na czysto, okładka i przygotowanie do druku. Praktyczny przewodnik.
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Czy ilustracja jest sztuką równą malarstwu? Subiektywny pogląd ilustratorki na to, dlaczego ilustracja zasługuje na miano dzieła sztuki.
→All posts
60 topics
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.