Anthony Michael Osakioya

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Michael, a creative professional focused on illustration, children's publishing, character development, and visual storytelling.

About

Hi, I’m Michael, a creative professional focused on illustration, children’s publishing, character development, and visual storytelling. I help authors, publishers, businesses, and creative teams turn ideas into engaging visual content designed for their intended audience and purpose.

Book Illustration & Publishing Design

Book Cover Designer, Book Illustrator, and Children’s Book Illustrator. I create book cover concepts, children’s story illustrations, illustrated book content, and visual assets that support storytelling, strengthen a book’s presentation, and connect with readers.

Character Design & Digital Illustration

Illustrator, Character Designer, and Digital Illustrator. I develop original characters, expressive poses, visual concepts, and digital artwork suited to children’s stories, educational content, creative projects, and character-based visual communication.

Comic Illustration & Storytelling

Comic Illustrator and Storyboard Artist. I develop sequential artwork, illustrated scenes, visual story sequences, and storyboard concepts that help communicate narratives, organise scenes, and bring ideas to life visually.

Graphic Design & Vector Illustration

Graphic Designer and Vector Illustrator. I create supporting graphics, clean vector artwork, visual elements, and design assets for publishing, educational materials, digital content, and other creative applications where appropriate.

How I Work

I begin by understanding your brief, audience, project goals, and preferred visual direction. From there, I develop a suitable creative approach, paying attention to composition, character consistency, visual clarity, and the intended use of the final artwork.

I value clear communication, organised workflows, attention to detail, and realistic timelines. My approach is to understand the requirements, agree on the deliverables, and work towards artwork that meets the project’s needs.

Whether you need children’s book illustrations, book cover design, character development, comic artwork, storyboards, digital illustrations, or supporting graphic assets, I aim to provide a thoughtful and professional creative experience.

Let’s Discuss Your Project

Tell me about your project, the audience you’re creating for, and the artwork you need. We can discuss the creative direction, deliverables, timeline, and next steps to establish an approach that suits your goals.

  • Joined October 2026

Languages

  • EnglishFluent

Industry experience

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Other
  • Wholesale & Distribution
  • Transportation & Logistics
  • Manufacturing
  • Real Estate & Construction
  • Non-Profit Organization
  • Media & Entertainment

More experts in Lagos, Nigeria

Projects · 6

Children’s Book Illustration | Lily and the Hidden Garden

Lily and the Hidden Garden — Children’s Book Illustration Project Type: Children’s Book Illustration Genre: Children’s Fiction / Adventure Project Status: Conceptual Portfolio Project Project Overview Lily and the Hidden Garden is a conceptual children’s book illustration project created to demonstrate visual storytelling, expressive character design, and imaginative scene development for young readers. The story follows Lily, a curious young girl who discovers a hidden garden and embarks on an adventure that teaches her about courage, kindness, and discovery. Illustration & Creative Direction The visual direction combines vibrant colors, expressive characters, lush garden environments, and warm lighting to create an inviting storybook atmosphere. Each illustrated scene supports the narrative, helping young readers connect with the character and experience the story through engaging visual details. The illustrations are designed to balance character expression, environmental storytelling, and clear compositions suitable for children’s publishing. Deliverables Children’s book cover illustration concept Main character design and visual development Full-color story illustrations Interior book spread concepts Background and environment illustration Storytelling-focused visual composition Book mockup and portfolio presentation Project Objective To demonstrate the ability to develop engaging children’s book illustrations that bring fictional stories to life through character expression, imaginative environments, consistent visual direction, and age-appropriate storytelling. This is an independent conceptual portfolio project created to demonstrate illustration skills. It is not commissioned client work.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Tammy and the Diary of Daisies Children's Book Cover Design

A whimsical children’s book cover concept designed to capture the warmth, curiosity, and imagination of childhood. The cover features a young girl reading her diary in a cozy bedroom, surrounded by soft pastel colors, delicate daisies, and gentle natural light. The typography and illustrated elements work together to create a charming, inviting design suited to young readers and children’s publishing. Design highlights Children’s book cover design Character-focused illustration Typography and layout Pastel color palette and floral details Visual storytelling and genre-appropriate art direction 3D book mockup presentation This project showcases my approach to children’s publishing design, combining engaging illustration, thoughtful typography, and a cohesive visual style to create an appealing book cover concept.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +1
Cinematic Book Trailer | Jack Smith and the Hand of Manugara

Cinematic Book Trailer | Jack Smith and the Hand of Manugara Project Overview A cinematic promotional video created to introduce and promote Jack Smith and the Hand of Manugara by Peter H. Thaiven. The video combines the book’s cover artwork, atmospheric landscape imagery, and a prominent availability announcement to create a dramatic promotional presentation for the book’s release. Creative Direction The visual approach uses a cinematic sunset landscape as the backdrop, creating an atmospheric setting that complements the book’s fantasy-inspired cover design. The book cover is positioned as the central promotional element, while bold on-screen typography communicates the key message: the book is now available on Amazon. The composition brings together the product artwork, background imagery, and launch messaging to create a clear promotional visual that draws attention to the book. Key Features Cinematic landscape imagery and atmospheric presentation Prominent book-cover display Bold promotional typography Clear book availability announcement Visual composition designed around the featured title Promotional messaging for digital book discovery Short-form video presentation for online promotion Project Objective To present a published book in a visually engaging promotional format, highlight its cover artwork, and communicate its availability through a concise cinematic video. Deliverable Cinematic book promotional video Book-cover presentation On-screen launch messaging Atmospheric visual composition Promotional video suitable for digital sharing Project Type Book promotion and video-editing portfolio project. Skills Demonstrated: Video editing, book promotion, visual storytelling, typography, cinematic composition, promotional content creation, and digital marketing visuals.

  • Video Editor
The Crown of Embers | Romantasy Book Cover Illustration

The Crown of Embers — Romantasy Book Cover Concept A self-initiated book cover illustration concept for a fictional romantasy novel, combining fantasy atmosphere, romantic tension, and cinematic visual storytelling. The cover features original characters, an enchanted setting, dramatic lighting, and refined title typography designed to appeal to fantasy-romance readers. The composition focuses on strong visual hierarchy, genre-appropriate artwork, balanced colour, and title readability at thumbnail size for online bookstores. Project Focus Original romantasy cover illustration Fantasy character design and visual storytelling Cinematic composition and atmospheric lighting Typography integration and visual hierarchy Genre-aware presentation for print and digital publishing Project Status: Self-initiated fictional portfolio concept. Not commissioned or published.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Freelance Digital Illustrator
  • +1
The Path of the GOD-ess | Book Cover Design Concept

The Path of the GOD-ess — Book Cover Design Concept A self-initiated book cover concept for a personal development and spirituality title focused on healing, self-discovery, inner strength, and personal transformation. The design combines cinematic mountain imagery, refined typography, a deep teal and gold colour palette, and a clear visual hierarchy to create an inspiring, premium presentation. Design Deliverables Front cover concept Back cover design concept Paperback and ebook mockups Interior page layout concept Coordinated typography, imagery, and visual styling Creative Approach The cover was developed to communicate the book’s themes at a glance while maintaining readability and visual impact across print and digital presentations. The supporting mockups demonstrate how the concept could extend across different book formats. Project Status: Self-initiated fictional portfolio concept created to demonstrate book cover design and editorial presentation skills. Not commissioned or published.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Graphic Designer
The Lost Forest | Coloring Book Illustration & Line Art

The Lost Forest — Original Coloring Book Illustration Concept The Lost Forest is a self-initiated portfolio project exploring how fictional story scenes can be translated into engaging black-and-white coloring-book illustrations. The concept follows a young explorer and a fox companion through a mysterious woodland filled with ancient ruins, winding trails, hidden clearings, and friendly forest creatures. Each illustration captures a different moment from the fictional story while maintaining consistent character designs and a cohesive visual style. Project Deliverables Black-and-white coloring-page illustrations Story-based scenes with expressive characters and environments Original character designs and reference sheets Clean outlines and clearly defined coloring areas Detailed woodland landscapes and environmental elements Consistent line art across multiple illustrations Illustration Approach The artwork focuses on clean contours, balanced compositions, readable silhouettes, and carefully controlled detail. Open spaces are preserved for coloring, while environmental textures and character details provide visual interest. Character proportions, facial features, clothing, and the fox's appearance are maintained across scenes to create a cohesive illustrated story. Project Purpose This concept demonstrates an approach to book illustration, digital line art, character consistency, and visual storytelling for coloring books and illustrated publications. It is intended as a portfolio demonstration for authors, independent publishers, and creative teams seeking original coloring-page illustrations based on fictional stories. Project Status: Self-initiated fictional portfolio concept. Not a commissioned or published book.

  • Book Illustrator
  • Character Designer
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2

Work experience

Freelance Illustrator & Visual Storytelling Designer · Independent Creative PracticeOct 2023 – Present · 3 yrs 2 mos

I focus on illustration, children's publishing, character development, and visual storytelling, developing creative concepts and visual assets for books, educational content, comics, and digital projects. My areas of creative practice include: Book Illustration & Publishing Design: Book cover concepts, children's book illustration, illustrated story scenes, book artwork, and supporting publishing graphics. Character Design & Digital Illustration: Original character concepts, character expressions, pose variations, digital illustrations, and visual assets designed to maintain a consistent appearance across multiple scenes. Comic Illustration & Storyboarding: Sequential artwork, comic panels, visual narratives, scene planning, storyboard concepts, and illustrated sequences that communicate stories clearly. Graphic Design & Vector Illustration: Supporting graphics, vector artwork, visual elements, and design assets for publishing, educational materials, and digital creative projects. I approach each project by considering its purpose, intended audience, visual direction, and delivery requirements. My workflow focuses on developing suitable concepts, maintaining visual consistency, refining compositions, and preparing artwork according to the agreed scope. I am developing a portfolio of self-initiated concept projects to demonstrate my creative approach, illustration capabilities, character development process, and ability to work across related visual storytelling disciplines. My professional goal is to collaborate with authors, publishers, educational content creators, children's brands, and creative teams on illustration projects, book-related work, character-based content, and ongoing visual development.

Education

Self-Directed Learning in Illustration, Character Design & Visual Storytelling · Independent Study and Practical Creative Development2021 – 2023

Developing practical knowledge and creative skills in illustration, children's book artwork, character design, digital illustration, book cover design, comic illustration, storyboard development, graphic design, and vector illustration. My learning focuses on visual storytelling, character consistency, composition, colour theory, illustration techniques, and the application of artwork to books, educational materials, comics, and digital content. Through independent study and self-initiated portfolio projects, I aim to strengthen my ability to develop visual concepts, create cohesive illustrations, communicate stories through images, and prepare artwork according to project requirements. Areas of focus include children's publishing, illustrated storytelling, character development, sequential artwork, visual composition, and supporting graphics for creative projects.

Certifications and awards

Professional Development in Illustration, Character Design & Visual Storytelling2024

Focused on developing practical creative skills in children's book illustration, on video production, book cover design, character design, storyboard development, and graphic design. Areas of study include visual storytelling, character consistency, composition, colour theory, video editing , sequential artwork, and visual communication for publishing and digital projects. Practical development focuses on creating self-initiated portfolio concepts, exploring different illustration styles, developing original characters, designing illustrated scenes, and understanding how artwork can support children's books, educational resources, comics, and other visual storytelling projects. The objective is to strengthen practical illustration skills, improve creative problem-solving, and develop a portfolio demonstrating capabilities across related illustration and publishing disciplines.

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