Children’s Book Illustrator Needed – engaging whimsical Style (No AI Art)

Children’s Book Illustrator Needed – engaging whimsical Style (No AI Art) Budget: $500 – Fixed Price Project Type: One-time project (Work for hire format) Deadline: 9th November 2026 (flexible for the right artist) Trim Size & Bleed Details: Trim Size: 8.5" x 8.5" (Final PDF page size with bleed must be 8.625" x 8.75" / 219.1mm x 222.25mm) Final File Requirements: High resolution JPEGs, 300dpi CMYK About the Project: I’m looking for a talented, collaborative children’s book illustrator to bring my story to life with hand-drawn, human-made artwork (must be zero AI-generated elements) The book is aimed at children aged 2-8 years. It features a fun and heartwarming story I wrote for my children, and I decided I would like to turn it into a book! I am looking for illustrations that are vibrant and relatable to young readers and that will seamlessly complement the text. What I’m Looking For: • An illustrator with experience in children’s books (preferred) • An expressive, vibrant and dreamy art style – 100% no AI with consistent characters across the whole story • Sound ability to convey emotions and storytelling through illustrations • Final files in high-resolution (300 DPI, CMYK color profile). • Familiarity with print formatting final PDFs, trim sizes, and bleed requirements for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark (highly regarded). • Open and transparent communication Scope of Work: • Total book length is 23 pages. This requires 16 full-page story illustrations (including title page) 1 cover design (front & back wrap) and 7 pages of text-only layouts requiring background colours & decorative elements that match theme of the book – will discuss further upon hiring. • Character and scene development based on my manuscript • 2 rounds of revisions included with each project milestone (project will be paid via milestones) • Final files delivered in print-ready format Payment & Copyright Terms: • This is a one-time payment for hire agreement, with no additional payments, fees or other compensation payable to the illustrator in relation to the illustrations, or any use of them, after project completion. • The illustrator will retain Moral Rights under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). • The author (me) will receive an exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide license to use, reproduce, publish, adapt, distribute and sublicence the illustrations for the book (in current & future editions and formats) and for all related publishing, distribution and marketing activities without limitation. The Illustrator agrees to not grant any rights in the illustrations to any person or entity that would conflict this exclusive licence. Top candidates will be invited to a brief video interview via Upwork’s meeting tool to discuss the story and characters. A small paid milestone will be offered for sample scene sketches to ensure our styles align before the project is awarded. To Apply: • Please provide samples of previous children’s book illustrations (or portfolio link) • An estimate on your timeline for completion • Confirmation that all artwork will be hand-drawn, with absolutely no AI involvement • Confirmation that you can complete the work within my $500 budget – budget is firm due to self-funding. • If you’re interested, please click the Apply button and answer the screening questions. I look forward to hearing from you!