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Blog · Illustration

Blog: illustration.

Articles on children's book illustration, working with publishers and self-publishing authors, briefs, color and composition. Notes from the Bujnowłosa studio.

Seven books lined up spine-out in rainbow colours, from purple through green and yellow to red, standing on a white surface against a light wall

Illustration · 12 min

How to publish a children's book - the complete guide

What you need to know to publish a children's book - publisher vs self-publishing, editing, illustrations, print, ISBN, distribution and promotion. Step by step.

A child holding an open board book with colourful fabric-collage illustrations on their lap, seen from above in warm light.

Illustration · 11 min

How to prepare a brief for an illustrator - a guide for authors

The brief is the foundation of working with an illustrator. What it should contain, what to avoid, how to describe characters and scenes - a practical guide for children's book authors.

A round painting palette full of squeezed-out paints in many colours - reds, yellows, blues, purples and white - with a brush resting on it, against paint-stained fabric.

Illustration · 10 min

The psychology of colour in children's illustration

How colours affect children's reception of illustrations. Warm and cool tones, contrasts, a palette by age - a practical guide for authors.

Stack of colorful children's picture books with a mug decorated with animal faces on top

Illustration · 9 min

The 5 most common mistakes when commissioning book illustrations

Commissioning illustrations is a process full of traps. The 5 most common author mistakes and concrete solutions - from the perspective of a children's book illustrator.

A hand in a maroon sleeve holds a brush over a white palette of watercolours in blue, green, orange and red tones, with paper pads, brushes and a jar of water nearby.

Illustration · 12 min

The process of creating book illustrations - from sketch to final version

The whole book illustration process in 7 stages - from immersion in the text to final print files. Why good illustrations take time.

Colorful children's books on a bookshop display

Illustration · 14 min

How to choose the ideal illustrator for a children's book - 6 criteria

Choosing an illustrator is one of the most important publishing decisions. 6 evaluation criteria, a practical checklist and traps worth avoiding.

Man in a cap painting a watercolour landscape of a bay outdoors, holding a paint palette in his hand

Illustration · 10 min

How illustration differs from painting - a guide for beginners

Illustration vs painting - two art forms, two different goals. What connects them, what divides them, where the boundaries blur. A practical guide.

Open illustrated children's book showing a watercolor market scene with fruit and vegetables, on a yellow background

Illustration · 9 min

How I illustrate a book - my step-by-step process

The whole book illustration process in my studio - from the first conversation with the author, through sketches and revisions, to print-ready files.

Open illustrated children's book showing a watercolor market scene with fruit and vegetables, on a yellow background

Illustration · 9 min

How a book is illustrated

The stages of illustrating a book in my studio - conversation, sketches, revisions, clean painting, cover and print preparation. A practical guide.

A woman in a pink blouse sits on the windowsill of a bright, cosy room by a window with floral curtains, holding a mug, with a green garden visible outside

Illustration · 8 min

Organising the workspace through an illustrator's eyes

How to organise an illustrator's studio in a small flat - separating work from rest, desks, cabinets, lighting. Practical tips from experience.

Illustration as a field of art - an illustrator's reflection

Illustration · 7 min

Illustration is a field of art

Is illustration an art equal to painting? An illustrator's subjective view on why illustration deserves to be called a work of art.

Hand-painted mugs with a portrait - Mother's Day gifts

Illustration · 8 min

Original gifts for Mother's Day

Personalised Mother's Day gifts - hand-painted mugs with a portrait, portraits for framing, custom illustrations. Ideas from my studio.

Types of illustration - the second part of the guide, artistic illustration

Illustration · 8 min

Types of illustration - part II

The second part of the guide to types of illustration - pictograms and icons, book illustration, standalone artistic illustration. Focused on art.

Illustration types - iPad and lens in an original illustration

Illustration · 8 min

Types of illustration - part I

The first part of the guide to types of illustration - photography as illustration, realistic illustrations, diagrams and technical illustrations.

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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.

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