Character Designer Needed for Children's Book & Plush Toy Brand

Children's Book Character Designer & Brand Illustrator Project Overview I am creating a new children's book brand and I am looking for an illustrator to help develop a small cast of original animal characters. The project will begin as a children's picture book series and may later expand into plush toys, stickers, merchandise, educational products, and additional books. I am looking for an illustrator who can create memorable, lovable characters that children will immediately recognize and connect with. Style The style should be: - Warm and friendly - Playful and expressive - Colorful but not overly complex - Suitable for children aged 3–8 - Consistent and easy to recognize across books and products What I Need Character Design Package I would like a small group of original animal characters designed from scratch. For each character: - Full body front view - Side view - Back view - Several facial expressions - A few different poses - Color palette - Personality description Character Bible A professional Character Bible containing: - Character profiles - Expressions - Poses - Colors - Design guidelines - Consistency rules for future illustrations Deliverables - High-resolution PNG files - Transparent background versions - Print-ready artwork - Source files if available Important Requirements The artwork must be: - 100% original - Suitable for children's books - Suitable for future plush toy production - Suitable for stickers, merchandise, and branding - Easy to reproduce consistently in future books Rights I require: - Full commercial rights - Exclusive ownership of the final approved artwork - Worldwide usage rights - Permission to use the approved artwork as reference material for future creative projects and AI-assisted content creation related to the brand Portfolio Request Please send: 1. Children's book illustrations 2. Character design examples 3. Character bible examples (if available) 4. Estimated price 5. Estimated timeline Long-Term Collaboration I am interested in building a long-term relationship with the right illustrator, as this project may grow into a larger children's brand with multiple books and products. Thank you and I look forward to seeing your work.