Line-Art Illustrator for Children's Book

Seeking a skilled line-art illustrator to create 20 ink illustrations with one accent color for a children's picture book. The project requires a playful and imaginative style, with each illustration featuring a different animal. The illustrations should be delivered in a high-resolution digital format. We are a family finishing a 24-page picture book called Phoebe, written by our eight-year-old daughter and her dad about our real golden retriever. It is a surprise for her ninth birthday, so the deadline is genuinely fixed. The book is designed for black-and-white line illustration with a single accent colour: hot pink, which is our dog's signature collar colour and appears on every page. This is a deliberate design choice, and it suits an illustrator with strong, confident ink or clean digital line work. The writing and page flow are locked. You will receive a complete brief on day one: the full text, an illustration note for every page (composition, focal point, mood), a character and style sheet, and reference photos for inspiration. Text is light (20 to 60 words per page). You will not be waiting on us. **Scope** - 19 full-page black line illustrations (one per story page; all single scenes, no panel layouts) - Front cover in the same style, with space for title and author text - 2 small spot illustrations (a half-title motif; "The End" hand-lettered within the final page's art) - One accent colour: hot pink (we supply the exact swatch), on a separate layer, appearing on the dog's collar in every scene, one headband, and the cover - Character consistency is the core skill this job needs: four family members plus one golden retriever who appears as a puppy on 4 pages and as an adult on 15 **Specs and rights** - Square format, approx 210 x 210 mm trim (final trim confirmed at contract), 5 mm bleed - Line art at 600 dpi or vector; the pink accent on its own layer; layered source files (or 600 dpi scans if you work traditionally) delivered with finals - Full exclusive rights transfer on final payment; you are credited as illustrator on the title page - Our reference photos include our children and our home. They must not be shared, posted, or reused anywhere. Tell us in your proposal whether you would want to show final art in your portfolio, and we will agree terms. **Process (fixed price US$300, milestones)** 1. Paid sample, US$25: one specified page, briefed by us, to confirm style and fit 2. US$90: character sheet plus first 6 pages 3. US$115: pages 7 to 19 4. US$70: cover, spots, and final print-ready files Rough sketch approval before inking for each batch, then one revision round on final inks. Milestone dates will be written into the contract; the final-files date does not move. **Requirements** - Portfolio must show (a) line or ink work and (b) the same character rendered consistently across multiple scenes - Hand-drawn or hand-digital work only. No generative AI at any stage. Layered or staged working files are required with every delivery as verification, and we may ask for a short process recording. Any AI use ends the contract. - Realistic capacity: roughly 1.5 to 2 finished line illustrations per day for about two weeks. Only apply if your current workload allows that. **In your proposal, include** 1. Links to 3 examples of one character appearing consistently across different scenes, ideally in line or ink 2. Confirmation you can deliver final files by 10 August given your current commitments 3. Two lines on your process and your typical turnaround per line illustration Budget is fixed at US$300 for the full scope. We know that is modest; the trade is a fully prepared brief, zero waiting on the client, fast approvals, a public credit, and a finished book for your portfolio if you want it.