Children’s Book Illustrator — Ongoing Series

ILLUSTRATOR JOB DESCRIPTION Children’s Book Illustrator — Ongoing Series Project Overview We are seeking an illustrator to bring to life a heart-centered children’s book series featuring two bulldog characters, Santino and Louie, inspired by real dogs. The series focuses on emotional development themes such as anxiety, calm, bravery, friendship, and self-regulation, aimed at infants, toddlers, and young children. This is a long-term opportunity for the right illustrator, with 25+ books planned. Illustration Style Warm, gentle, and emotionally safe Soft watercolor or gouache feel (digital or traditional) Visible paper texture Loose, organic linework Not hyper-realistic Not flat/vector Not slapstick cartoon Think: Giraffes Can’t Dance Little Blue Truck Modern nursery aesthetics Character Direction Santino: smaller bulldog, curious, expressive, energetic, occasional underbite/tongue peek Louie: larger bulldog, calm, grounded, protective, steady presence Important: Louie must always appear visually larger and heavier than Santino. Responsibilities Illustrate book covers and interiors (12 spreads per book) Follow detailed illustrator briefs and page-by-page prompts Maintain consistent character design across books Capture emotional nuance through posture, spacing, and expression Collaborate on revisions and refinements Ideal Candidate Experience illustrating children’s books Strong emotional storytelling through illustration Ability to work from real-photo reference without copying directly Comfortable with gentle themes around feelings and regulation Open to long-term collaboration Deliverables Cover illustration Interior spreads (12 per book) Final files suitable for print (CMYK, high-res) Compensation Competitive, per-book or per-project pricing Long-term series potential To Apply Please include: Portfolio (children’s work preferred) Brief explanation of your illustration process Confirmation that you can maintain consistency across a series CREATIVE DIRECTION — SERIES RECAP Series Vibe Warm. Gentle. Safe. Cozy. Emotion-first. The world of Santino & Louie should feel like: “A place a child wants to curl up in.” Visual Storytelling Rules Emotion comes from posture, eyes, and spacing — not exaggeration White space is allowed (and encouraged) Calm moments matter as much as action Bravery is quiet, not loud Character Dynamics Santino explores the world Louie anchors it Santino looks outward Louie looks toward Santino Physical closeness = emotional safety. Color Palette Creams Warm browns Sage greens Dusty blues Muted skies Avoid: Bright primaries Neon High contrast Environment Farm settings (grass, fences, sky, barns) Cozy interiors (dog beds, rugs, blankets, warm lamps) Backgrounds should support the emotion, not overwhelm it Apply tot his job