Stephen

Available to hire

I'm a designer from Abuja, Nigeria, specializing in children's book illustration, cover design, and character development for self-publishing authors and indie publishers.

About

I’m a designer from Abuja, Nigeria, specializing in children’s book illustration, cover design, and character development for self-publishing authors and indie publishers. I combine rich visual storytelling with strict technical print precision, ensuring every manuscript is transformed into a market-ready product. What sets me apart from other illustrators is my end-to-end expertise in Amazon KDP and IngramSpark formatting—handling exact bleed specifications, CMYK color profiles, and spine calculations—so clients receive print-ready assets without technical headaches. With deep sector experience across self-publishing platforms, children’s literature, and fantasy worldbuilding, I bring consistent character design, engaging layouts, and seamless communication to every project.

Employment and project experience

Lead Book Illustrator Self-Published Authors & Indie Projects
January 2022 - Present

Freelance Character & Cover Designer Digital Media Studio
June 2020 - December 2021

Languages

  • EnglishFluent
  • Spanish; CastilianFluent
  • GermanFluent
  • ItalianFluent

Industry experience

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Education
  • Consumer Goods
  • Other

More experts in Abuja, Nigeria

Projects · 15

Classic watercolor interior spread design, typesetting, and book mockup created for an illustrated gift edition of a timeless literary story[cite: 23].

THE BRIEF:
The client requested an elegant, vintage-style chapter opener featuring classic watercolor illustration paired with traditional book typography[cite: 23]. The goal was to capture a nostalgic, Victorian aesthetic showcasing Alice following the White Rabbit through an ornate garden gate, formatted as a physical hardcover mockup[cite: 23].

WHAT I CREATED:
• Watercolor Story Illustration: Detailed full-page watercolor artwork depicting Alice in a blue dress with a white pinafore peering through a rose-covered iron gate at the White Rabbit holding his pocket watch[cite: 23].
• Classic Typography & Typesetting: Designed a vintage chapter opener layout with an ornate drop cap (‘A’), classic serif text styling, and decorative section dividers printed on aged parchment paper texture[cite: 23].
• Editorial Book Presentation: Styled high-resolution product photography featuring the open physical book alongside traditional watercolor palettes, brushes, and binding ribbons for portfolio display[cite: 23].

TECHNICAL SPECS:
• Software: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Procreate
• Deliverables: Print-ready 300 DPI CMYK interior layout files with custom drop-cap assets and high-resolution marketing mockup imagery[cite: 23].

Classic Illustrated Edition Interior Spread – "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Book Interior Design & Formatting Showcase – "Rosie and the Lost Puppy"

Comprehensive 6-page interior layout, typesetting, and prepress formatting showcase for a children's picture book projectcite: 18]. THE BRIEF: The client requested a complete, end-to-end interior design system showing layout versatility across various page types—including chapter openers, text-and-illustration spreads, full-bleed artwork pages, moral/lesson summaries, and a technical formatting breakdown for publishingcite: 18]. WHAT I CREATED: • Multi-Page Layout System: Designed 6 distinct page variations featuring drop-cap chapter headers, spot illustrations, full-bleed village spreads, and a structured "What We Learned" moral pagecite: 18]. • Typography & Hierarchy: Established an easy-to-read font system tailored for early readers, balancing clear headings, body text margins, and custom decorative flourish borderscite: 18]. • Formatting Overview & Specs: Integrated a technical breakdown highlighting font selection, text hierarchy, white space management, illustration placement, and page numbering for client transparencycite: 18]. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Procreate • Deliverables: Complete interior book layout template (300 DPI, CMYK), print-ready PDF/X export with bleed and trim guidelines configured for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark picture book dimensionscite: 18].

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Picture Book Front Cover – "Rosie and the Lost Puppy"

Front cover illustration, main character design, and custom typography created for a heartwarming children's picture book (Ages 3–7)cite: 17]. THE BRIEF: The author needed a compelling, high-contrast front cover featuring a young girl named Rosie comforting a lost golden puppy on a rainy, cobblestone village street at duskcite: 17]. The artwork needed to convey warmth, empathy, and hope against a rainy evening backdrop, with bold title typography that catches the eye on Amazon KDP listingscite: 17]. WHAT I CREATED: • Front Cover Illustration: Expressive digital artwork featuring Rosie in a yellow raincoat and red rainboots gently cradling a golden puppy, framed by wet cobblestone reflections, streetlights, and cozy storefrontscite: 17]. • Custom Typography & Branding: Designed bold, glossy title lettering ("Rosie and the Lost Puppy") with paw-print and heart accents, a golden ribbon banner for the subtitle, and decorative chalkboard sign details ("Kindness Makes Every Day Better")cite: 17]. • Atmospheric Color & Lighting: Balanced warm ambient streetlamp glows with cool rainy blues to create an inviting, cinematic atmospherecite: 17]. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK front cover file formatted to exact print specifications for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and digital eBook distributioncite: 17].

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Early Chapter Book Spread – "Bubble Battle!" (Chapter 5 Intro)

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout created for a dynamic middle-grade or early chapter book seriescite: 22]. THE BRIEF: The author required an action-packed, chaotic bathroom scene introducing Chapter 5, where brothers Max and Ben turn routine tooth-brushing into a wild foam and bubble fightcite: 22]. The visual needed to express high energy, comedy, and sibling antics while incorporating bold chapter header typography, story text overlays, and a highlighted bottom quote calloutcite: 22]. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: Detailed, high-energy bathroom environment filled with flying toothpaste, floating bubbles, sudsy foam, dynamic water splashes, and an excited family dog joining the funcite: 22]. • Character Continuity & Dynamic Acting: Maintained exact character consistency from earlier chapters, capturing Max leaping mid-air in a "SPLAT!" shirt alongside Ben getting caught in the crossfire while holding a foaming toothpaste tubecite: 22]. • Graphic Design & Layout Integration: Designed explosive, comic-style title typography ("BUBBLE BATTLE!"), paint-splat chapter badge elements, and clean left-aligned text typesetting for effortless early-reader comprehensioncite: 22]. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK print-ready spread with precise safety margins and bleed allowances formatted for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark publishing standards.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Early Chapter Book Spread – "Meet The Brothers" (Chapter 1 Intro)

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout created for a middle-grade or early chapter book series. THE BRIEF: The author required an energetic introductory chapter spread introducing two contrasting brothers—Max (wild, creative, and chaotic) and Ben (smart, organized, and cautious). The visual needed to convey their opposing personalities through dynamic character poses, environmental storytelling in a messy bedroom, bold typography headers, and playful directional callouts. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: Detailed bedroom environment packed with character personality cues—scattered LEGOs, sports gear, toy rockets, wall posters ("Game On!"), and a humorous "Do Not Disturb" sign. • Character Contrast & Acting: Rendered Max in an exuberant, leaping pose wearing a "CHAOS" shirt, contrasted directly with Ben’s calm, seated posture holding a structured plan notebook. • Dynamic Typography & Graphic Layout: Integrated bold, comic-style title typography ("Meet The Brothers"), color-coded arrows linking character introductions, and a paint-splat narrative callout block. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK print-ready spread with safety offsets and bleed allowances tailored for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark chapter book printing.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Picture Book Interior Spread – "Emma at the Community Playroom"

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout created for a diverse, values-driven children's picture book. THE BRIEF: The author required a detailed interior scene set in a cozy community playroom, showing the main character, Emma, observing a group of diverse children playing happily with simple toys. The image needed to convey themes of gratitude, community, and imagination while providing dedicated space for text overlays, framed quotes, and page numbering. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: A warm, sunlit playroom scene filled with cozy details—a rainbow rug, play tent with fairy lights, wooden blocks, craft tables, and diverse character interactions. • Character Expression & Diversity: Rendered Emma’s thoughtful expression as she observes her peers, while portraying a multicultural cast of children engaged in collaborative play. • Layout & Typography Integration: Formatted the left-side narrative text with high-contrast color hierarchy for dialogue and included framed sign details ("Imagination Makes Anything Possible", "Share, Play, Be Kind") to reinforce core story themes. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK spread with full bleed margins and safety offsets formatted for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark publishing standards.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Storybook Interior Spread – "The Missing Apple"

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout designed for an early reader children's picture book. THE BRIEF: The author required an engaging narrative scene depicting a young monkey holding a bright red apple while conversing with a concerned deer along a forest riverbank. The artwork needed to feature expressive animal character interactions, clear dialogue balloons, and a distinct narrative text box while leaving ample space for page navigation markers. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: Bright, detailed forest landscape featuring a winding river, lush foliage, oak trees, and vibrant animal character art. • Dialogue & Layout Integration: Designed clean speech bubbles and a custom wooden-frame caption bar at the bottom to maintain high contrast and readability for early readers. • Character Continuity & Storytelling: Rendered expressive facial emotions and physical stances to clearly convey the interaction and plot development between the characters. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK spread with precise bleed margins and safety zone padding ready for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark print publishing.

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

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout designed for an inspirational, faith-based board book for toddlers.

THE BRIEF:
The author needed a heartwarming, family-centered interior scene capturing a young toddler taking her first steps toward her encouraging parents. The artwork needed to express unconditional love, safety, and joy while seamlessly balancing large-format typography, soft lighting, and scripture references.

WHAT I CREATED:
• Double-Page Artwork: Warm, sunlit living room scene with detailed indoor environment elements—including toys, plushies, wall art, and expressive family character design.
• Character Continuity & Style: Maintained consistent character traits for the toddler girl while establishing natural, loving expressions for the mother and father.
• Layout & Typography Integration: Designed clean left-aligned text hierarchy with whimsical title lettering (“You are chosen.”) and an integrated Ephesians 1:4 scripture callout.

TECHNICAL SPECS:
• Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign
• Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK spread with precise gutter allowance and rounded-corner board book trim specifications for Amazon KDP and print production.

Toddler Board Book Interior Spread – "You Are Chosen"
  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Inspirational Board Book Cover – "Wonderfully Made: Who God Says I Am"

Front cover illustration, character design, and custom typography created for a Christian board book for toddlers. THE BRIEF: The author required an uplifting, gentle cover illustration featuring a joyful young Black girl resting in a brightly lit bedroom with a teddy bear. The visual design needed to radiate warmth, self-worth, and innocence while featuring a prominent heart-shaped Psalm 139:14 scripture callout and clear target audience branding. WHAT I CREATED: • Front Cover Illustration: Expressive character artwork featuring soft lighting, detailed textures, and vibrant tones—including a playful bluebird and cozy bedroom details. • Custom Typography & Layout: Playful, hand-lettered title typography paired with clean subtitle hierarchy to grab attention on online retail platforms like Amazon KDP. • Target Audience Framing: Integrated a heart-shaped scripture badge and a ribbon badge ("A Christian Board Book for Toddlers") to ensure instant market placement and author appeal. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: High-resolution 300 DPI CMYK file formatted for standard board book specs, ready for print publishing and Amazon KDP catalog listings.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Picture Book Interior Spread – "A New Day, A Brave Heart"

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout designed for an inspirational, faith-based children's picture book. THE BRIEF: The author required a triumphant climax scene depicting Finn the Fox and his forest friends celebrating at sunrise as they emerge onto a path toward a "Safe Place." The illustration needed to evoke warmth, hope, and courage while seamlessly integrating the story text, page number marker, and a scripture quote card. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: Richly detailed sunrise forest landscape featuring golden atmospheric lighting, energetic animal character interactions (Finn, Bear, Rabbit, Owl, Hedgehog, and Squirrel), and custom wooden signpost details. • Character Continuity: Maintained full visual consistency with established character model sheets across expressions, clothing accessories, and textures. • Typography & Page Layout: Formatted story text with clean contrast against the shaded forest canopy, paired with a custom wooden scroll frame for the Joshua 1:9 scripture quote insert. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: 300 DPI high-resolution CMYK spread with full bleed margins formatted for Amazon KDP & IngramSpark standard picture book printing.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Character Model Sheet & Development – "The Little Fox Who Was Afraid of the Dark"

Comprehensive character design model sheet and visual development guide created for a children's picture book series. THE BRIEF: The author required a complete character development guide to establish visual consistency across a multi-page book project. The sheet needed to define main and supporting animal characters, capture emotional expression ranges, demonstrate dynamic poses, and outline the project's official color palette. WHAT I CREATED: • Character Design & Turnarounds: Designed the main cast (Finn, Lily, Mom, Dad) alongside supporting forest friends (Oliver the Owl, Henry the Hedgehog, Rose the Rabbit, Lumi the Firefly). • Expression & Pose Study: Detailed facial expression variations (happy, curious, scared, relieved) and action poses with key props (lanterns, backpacks) to guide interior book illustrations. • Visual Style Guide: Integrated custom color palette swatches, character trait notes, and an ambient night-scene concept to set the lighting and atmosphere for the book. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop • Deliverables: High-resolution master character sheet (300 DPI, CMYK), individual character PNG assets, and print-ready reference guide for production continuity.

  • Book Cover Designer
  • Book Illustrator
  • Children’s Book Illustrator
  • +2
Children's Book Interior Spread – "The Secret Treasure"

Full-color interior double-page spread illustration and layout designed for an adventure picture book and early chapter book. THE BRIEF: The client needed a key story scene illustrating the main characters—Emma, Luna, and Max—discovering and examining an old treasure map in an autumn forest. The image needed to convey wonder, curiosity, and excitement while leaving ample safe area for typesetting without obscuring the artwork. WHAT I CREATED: • Double-Page Artwork: Detailed autumnal forest scenery featuring warm lighting, falling leaves, character interaction, and an illustrated treasure map element. • Consistent Character Design: Maintained precise visual continuity across clothing, hair, and facial expressions from the cover design. • Typography & Layout: Balanced text placement with readable serif typography and custom page numbering integrated seamlessly into the scene. TECHNICAL SPECS: • Software: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign • Deliverables: 300 DPI high-resolution CMYK spread with full bleed margins formatted to match Amazon KDP & IngramSpark interior printing specs.

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

Work experience· 11 roles

Graphic Novel & Comic Book Artist · Independent Comic PressAug 2025 – Jan 2026 · 6 mos

Executed dynamic multi-panel layouts, pencil roughs, digital ink passes, and color flats for indie graphic novels. Delivered layered art files formatted for both webtoon/digital scrolling formats and traditional print publishing.

Senior Book Cover Designer · Self-Publishing Author ServicesMay 2025 – Present · 1 yr 7 mos

Designed genre-targeted front, back, and spine cover art for high-volume Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and direct-to-consumer paperback/hardcover releases. Prepared 3D product mockups, thumbnail-optimized graphics, and print-ready PDF/X files compliant with updated 2025/2026 KDP publishing guidelines.

Lead Children's Book Illustrator · Indie Authors & Publishing PartnersMar 2025 – Present · 1 yr 9 mos

Illustrated character-driven children’s picture books focused on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), mindfulness, and neurodiversity. Created nuanced character expressions and textured digital watercolor spreads tailored for both physical print runs and interactive e-book platforms.

Concept Artist & Digital Illustrator · Creative Media & Game Art StudioFeb 2025 – May 2026 · 1 yr 4 mos
Lead Book Illustrator & Formatting Specialist · Self-Published Authors & Indie PublishingJan 2022 – Present · 4 yrs 11 mos
Digital Pre-Press & Layout Designer · Self-Publishing Print SolutionsOct 2021 – Dec 2023 · 2 yrs 3 mos
Children's Book Illustrator · Self-Employed / FreelanceMar 2021 – Present · 5 yrs 9 mos
Book Cover Artist & Typographer · Indie Book Publishing ProjectsAug 2020 – Nov 2022 · 2 yrs 4 mos

Education

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Industrial Design & Visual Communication · Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)2018 – 2023

Specialized in visual graphics, digital illustration, and print media design. Coursework covered digital color theory, typography, sequential art, pre-press formatting, and user-centric visual communication.

Professional Certificate in Digital Illustration & Pre-Press Publishing · Coursera / California Institute of the Arts2024

Mastered advanced digital artwork production in Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, and InDesign, with dedicated focus on children's book layouts, CMYK color management, and Amazon KDP publishing standards.

Certifications and awards

Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Design & Illustration (Adobe Illustrator)2024

Certified proficiency in vector graphics creation, complex line work, color theory, digital artwork workflows, and high-resolution export standards for print and media publishing.

Certified Pre-Press & Book Layout Specialist2025

Specialty training in digital pre-press file setup, CMYK color space calibration, spine calculation formulas, and bleed margin alignment for Amazon KDP and IngramSpark publishing networks.

Certificate in Children's Book Illustration & Sequential Art2024

Mastery of character continuity, emotional storytelling, double-page picture book layouts, and visual pacing tailored for early reader and picture book formats.

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