Children’s books, covers, illustrated stories
Books
I illustrate books for authors, publishers and people preparing to publish their own project.
What kinds of book can I illustrate?
I work on children’s picture books, covers and stories that need narrative images. A collaboration can focus on one cover, a set of key scenes or a complete illustration programme designed across the whole book.
Every project begins with the text, its audience and its rhythm. Book illustration should do more than decorate a page: it establishes a world, supports the reading experience and gives characters a consistent presence from one scene to the next.
I can work with a publisher, support an author or collaborate directly with someone preparing to publish their own book.
How does illustrating a book work?
We begin by clarifying the text, readership, format and intended uses. I then gather useful references and develop characters, atmosphere and composition. Early sketches allow us to test the storytelling before choosing a direction.
Once that direction is approved, I build the images as a complete sequence so the book retains a continuous visual language. Clear decision points structure the work. Final production prepares files suited to layout and publishing while retaining the material quality of the original drawing.
This progression, from understanding the subject to the finished form, is described in more detail on My method.
Why do traditional media matter?
I work in gouache, watercolour, charcoal and ink. These media bring density, variation and a quality of line that give an image a tangible presence. Observational drawing also helps me construct a gesture, volume or expression before simplifying it.
Digital tools then support finishing and production. They allow me to adjust, compose and prepare files precisely. I look for a balance in which technical flexibility serves the story while the hand remains visible in the image.
Nicole’s two books
Both English-language children’s books were self-published and are available on Amazon.
Our Species Appropriate Diet — Tiger’s Mystery in Lionland
December 2023 · 48 pages · 48 illustrations
The Truth About Our Plates: Tigrette & Lionard Tales
February 2025 · 51 pages · 51+ illustrations
What does my self-publishing experience bring?
I wrote, illustrated and self-published Our Species Appropriate Diet — Tiger’s Mystery in Lionland, followed by The Truth About Our Plates: Tigrette & Lionard Tales. This gives me a practical understanding of the relationship between writing and images, as well as the decisions that connect a manuscript, an illustrated sequence and the published object.
I know that an independent project needs both visual ambition and a legible process. My role is to make that process understandable, identify the choices that matter and produce a coherent whole rather than a series of isolated pictures.
What budget should you plan for an illustrated book?
Picture book
24–32 pages, approximately 12–15 illustrations
from €4,500
Book cover only
from €900
How can we begin a book project?
Tell me about the text, its audience, the project’s current stage and the images you need. I can then reply with next steps suited to the book.