Digital Illustrator for Children's Books
I create magical worlds that bring your vision to life.
I create high quality, unique illustrations to bring your manuscript to life.
By working with me, you will get to hold a beautiful, finished book in your hands. You don’t need to wait for a publisher to make it happen. Instead, you and I work as a team, along with an editor and book formatter to get these books into the hands of excited young readers!
Do you dream of seeing your book published, but feel discouraged by the traditional publishing route?
You’ve written a killer manuscript, and you can’t wait to see it in the hands of young readers whose eyes will light up at the story you’ve woven for them to enjoy. By now you’ve realized that the traditional publishing route is too boxed-in for your liking, and you’re ready to explore how you can self-publish your book so that you can bring your magic to children everywhere.
You know that self-publishing a book is hard work, but you love the fact that going the self-published route allows you to have way more say in the style and details of your illustrations and book cover.
You may have even published a book or two already, and now you’re at a point you’re ready to elevate your illustrations with the help of a trusted and experienced partner who can bring your vision to life in print.
I’m glad you’re here!
As a digital artist and illustrator, I’m on a mission to create magical worlds that bring your vision to life, while simultaneously generating a curiosity and love for books that will make children life-long readers.
When we work together, you’ll see your words come alive with a high quality, professionally illustrated book.
Plus, your book will stand out because of my unique illustration style that is unlike anything on the shelves.
Meet Marissa
I’m a (fun and quirky) mom, gardener and digital artist in love with creating out-of-this-world illustrations for self-published authors.
You’ve created a unique world in your manuscript, and now I can bring it to life with my style, tools, knowledge, and experience.
When we work together, you’ll have peace of mind that your book is in the right hands, and you’ll find the support you need to format, edit, and print your new book, so that we can make sure it ends up in the hands of excited young readers.
Available Services
Book Illustrations
High quality, full page digital illustrations created custom for your book in my unique style.
Books Covers
Digitally drawn book covers that make your work stand out on the shelves to engage young readers.
Spot Illustrations
Custom spot illustrations that are created uniquely to coordinate with the first page of your chapter book.
Testimonials
The Process
Just Six Easy Steps to Working Together
1. Discovery Call
An initial chat where we can discuss your project, timeline and illustration style.
2. Manuscript Review
After our call I'll sign an NDA (if you wish) so that I can review your manuscript.
3. Design Collaboration
Once you've signed my contract we'll collaborate to map out your illustrations.
4. Illustration Process
This is my happy place, where I take your ideas and bring them to life through digital illustrations.
5. Format + Finalize
You'll review all the illustrations and we'll refine them to perfection, then it's time to format your book for print.
6. Launch Your Book
Your book will be sent to print and before you know it you'll have a copy in your hands!
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the investment look like for having you illustrate my book?
Every book and project are unique, so to properly understand your vision we’ll start with a conversation to determine the style, timeline, illustration type (spot vs. full spreads, for example), level of detail and story content.
The final, custom-quoted price will reflect the scope of your project.
To gain an idea of my base prices, visit the Services page.
Do your proposals include revisions?
Yep! I know I’m not 100% right the first time, every time, so each project includes an initial round of sketches, one round of feedback, the final illustration, and one round of refinements to get your pages just right.
Further rounds of revisions may be offered at a rate commensurate with the work needed.
Want to see what my sketches look like, and how they translate into the final design? Get a behind the scenes look on my Before & After page.
Can I use your illustrations for paperback, hardcover, POD services, off-set printers, or e-books?
Yes! My illustrations will be delivered to you in a CMYK color profile, 300 dpi, high quality PDF file which can be used for any of those publishing methods. I work with your printing company and/or book formatter to make sure they have files they need.
Can I make changes after you finish an illustration?
I’ve created a collaborative design process that almost always negates the need for any additional changes. I work hard to understand your needs and vision in the beginning, in order that we will both be on the same page – no pun intended – by the time we get to the final illustration.
That being said, your quote includes revisions to the initial sketches and a period of refinements (small changes) to perfect the designs.
Additional rounds of revisions may be offered at my sole discretion.
If you want to learn more about how this process will work for your project, check out the in depth information on my Process page.
What tools do you use for your work?
Your illustrations will be hand-drawn using Procreate, an award-winning design app that is perfect for children’s book illustrations.
Working digitally in this way allows for maximum ease for making edits, while also preserving the natural look of traditional art.
Do you take commissions for illustrations that aren't for books?
I am not taking other commissions on a regular basis, but if my style would be perfect for something you have in mind, feel free to contact me and tell me about it — and from there we can decide if we’re a good fit for working together.
