Joseph Friday

Available to hire

I’m Joseph Friday, a freelance children’s book illustrator and book cover designer from Nigeria, focused on character-driven visual storytelling.

About

I’m Joseph Friday, a freelance children’s book illustrator and book cover designer from Nigeria, focused on character-driven visual storytelling. I create full, print-ready illustration and cover designs—building concepts through pencil sketches and digital coloring—so every spread, spot illustration, and text placement fits the publishing specs.

I also design customized book covers with thoughtful typography and back-cover blurbs, and I produce high-resolution digital and vector artwork for educational and media projects. With strong workflows for end-to-end creative delivery (including bleed, trim, and DPI setup), I help independent authors bring story worlds to life for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and similar platforms.

Languages

  • EnglishFluent
  • ItalianFluent
  • Spanish; CastilianFluent
  • GermanFluent

Industry experience

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Education
  • Consumer Goods
  • Other

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Projects · 8

Children’s Nature Book Illustration & Cover – "The Loons of Lake May"

Project Overview: Complete children's book illustration project featuring vibrant outdoor wildlife scenes, nature backgrounds, and character-driven animal art tailored for children's educational and storybook publishing. Key Deliverables: • Front Cover Design: Eye-catching lake landscape illustration paired with stylized 3D-effect typography, subtitle placement, and author/illustrator credits. • Double-Page Interior Spread: Full-bleed natural scenery featuring pine forests, water reflections, and integrated text placement zones designed for legibility. • Animal Character Consistency: Detailed character modeling for a family of loons (parents and chicks) with expressive storytelling poses maintained across different book scenes. • Print Specifications: Formatted to 300 DPI high-resolution CMYK print standards with proper bleed, trim, and gutter margins for Amazon KDP and print-on-demand publishers. Tools Used: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children’s Book Cover & Back Design – "Sissy, Why Do You Have To Leave?"

Project Overview: Complete front cover and back cover artwork designed for a sentimental children's picture book exploring emotional themes in family dynamics. Tailored specifically for self-publishing authors to create a heartwarming, professional presentation. Key Deliverables: • Front Cover Illustration: Soft, expressive digital artwork featuring strong perspective work (view through an open door) paired with custom typography and author attribution. • Back Cover Layout: Clean typography arrangement integrated smoothly with background artwork, featuring structured blurb placement designed for print legibility. • Character Design: Relatable young boy character rendered with expressive facial features and emotional depth maintained consistently across front, back, and spot art assets. • Print Specifications: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK file setup formatted with standard spine, bleed, and trim margins suitable for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark print-on-demand setups. Tools Used: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children’s Picture Book Illustration & Cover Design – "The Flashiest Fish"

Project Overview:Complete children's book illustration and cover design project featuring vibrant underwater environments and expressive character art. Designed for self-publishing authors targeting young readers. Key Deliverables: • Front Cover Design: Eye-catching 3D-style digital illustration paired with bold, readable typography customized for print and eBook formats. • Double-Page Spread Layout: Full-bleed interior page artwork structured to leave clean space for manuscript text without cluttering key visual elements. • Character Design: Expressive, consistent aquatic character models (fish wearing headphones/scarf, octopus) maintained across multiple story beats and emotional states. • Print Specifications: Formatted to 300 DPI high-resolution CMYK standards with proper bleed and trim boundaries ready for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark publishing. Tools Used: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Illustrator and KDP formatter

No AI was used for this project; it was created 100% from scratch based on the client's description—a complete project covering both illustration and KDP formatting.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Illustrator and KDP formatter

No AI was used for this project; it was created 100% from scratch based on the client's description—a complete project covering both illustration and KDP formatting.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Illustrator and KDP formatter

No AI was used for this project; it was created 100% from scratch based on the client's description—a complete project covering both illustration and KDP formatting.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Book Illustration

No AI was used for this project; it was created 100% from scratch based on the client's description—a complete project covering both illustration and KDP formatting.

  • 3D Designer
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • +2

Work experience· 6 roles

Book Cover Designer & Concept Artist · Self-Employed / Independent PublishingJun 2023 – Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

Created eye-catching eBook and paperback cover designs across fantasy, fiction, and children's genres. • Incorporated typography, title placement, and back-cover blurb layouts compliant with publisher print templates. • Conducted visual research and character concept sketches to align cover artwork with author manuscript themes.

Book Cover Designer & Concept Artist · Freelance / Independent PublishingJun 2023 – Present · 3 yrs 6 mos

Design custom book and paperback covers that incorporate custom typography, title placement, and back-cover blurbs formatted for publication. Develop character concept sheets and turnaround models to ensure visual consistency across multi-page children’s stories. Produce cohesive cover artwork aligned with publishing needs and creative direction.

Freelance Children's Book Illustrator · Self-Employed / FreelanceJan 2022 – Present · 4 yrs 11 mos

Collaborated with indie authors and self-publishers to deliver print-ready illustrations for children's books and YA novels. • Designed double-page spreads, character turnarounds, spot art, and full cover artwork. • Formatted layout files according to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark trim, bleed, and DPI specifications. • Managed full creative workflows from initial rough pencil sketches to final line art and digital coloring.

Freelance Children’s Book Illustrator · Self-EmployedJan 2022 – Present · 4 yrs 11 mos
Digital Illustrator & Visual Artist · Creative Studio / Client CommissionsMar 2021 – Dec 2023 · 2 yrs 10 mos
Digital Illustrator & Visual Artist · Creative Studio / ContractMar 2021 – Dec 2023 · 2 yrs 10 mos

Education· 6

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Fine & Applied Arts · Obafemi Awolowo University2017 – 2021

Specialized in visual arts, drawing, painting, and digital design. Completed a final portfolio project focused on children's storybook illustration and visual storytelling techniques.

Diploma in Digital Illustration & Character Design · Lagos School of Design2022

Intensive training focusing on digital painting, Procreate workflow, character consistency for books, and print formatting specifications (bleed, trim, resolution).

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Fine & Applied Arts · Obafemi Awolowo University2017 – 2021
Diploma in Digital Illustration & Character Design · Lagos School of Design2022

Certifications and awards

Adobe Certified Professional in Visual Design (Photoshop & Illustrator)2023

Certified in digital image creation, page setup, vector graphic manipulation, print preparation, and layout design standards.

Certificate in Children's Book Illustration & Character Design2024 – 2026

Completed professional coursework covering storyboarding, character expressions, color theory for storytelling, double-page layout design, and print prep for KDP and IngramSpark.

Prepress / Publishing setup (Amazon KDP, IngramSpark; trim, bleed, DPI, CMYK)2022 – 2026

Testimonials · 5.0 from 1 review

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