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…

Stephen

5.0 (1 review)

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…

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. 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

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent
Spanish; Castilian
Fluent
German
Fluent
Italian
Fluent

Work Experience

Graphic Novel & Comic Book Artist at Independent Comic Press
August 5, 2025 - January 29, 2026
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 at Self-Publishing Author Services
May 16, 2025 - Present
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 at Indie Authors & Publishing Partners
March 30, 2025 - Present
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 at Creative Media & Game Art Studio
February 13, 2025 - May 19, 2026
Developed model sheets, turnarounds, and digital paintings for fantasy novels and interactive fiction. Utilized hybrid digital workflows combining Photoshop and Procreate to deliver multi-layered art assets optimized for print, web previews, and social media marketing campaigns.
Lead Book Illustrator & Formatting Specialist at Self-Published Authors & Indie Publishing
January 11, 2022 - Present
Deliver end-to-end illustration services for independent authors and boutique publishers, specializing in children's picture books and cover artwork. Oversee character design consistency, full-page spread layouts, and complete print-ready pre-press preparation. Ensure 100% compliance with Amazon KDP and IngramSpark formatting standards, including bleed margins, CMYK color profiles, and spine calculations.
Digital Pre-Press & Layout Designer at Self-Publishing Print Solutions
October 29, 2021 - December 8, 2023
Managed technical formatting and file preparation for print publishing. Processed illustrator line art, adjusted bleed boundaries and margins, calibrated CMYK color profiles, and prepped print-ready PDF/X files for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and local print houses.
Children's Book Illustrator at Self-Employed / Freelance
March 16, 2021 - Present
Collaborate directly with self-publishing authors to illustrate multi-page children’s picture books from initial storyboard to final publishing files. Deliver expressively drawn, consistent characters across all scenes, full-color spread layouts, and print-ready files tailored to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark specifications.
Book Cover Artist & Typographer at Indie Book Publishing Projects
August 11, 2020 - November 29, 2022
Designed custom, genre-focused front and back covers for fantasy, romance, and young adult novels. Combined digital painting techniques with professional typography, precise spine layout calculations, and high-resolution CMYK exports for paperback, hardcover, and Kindle e-book editions.
Freelance Character & Cover Designer at Digital Media Studio
June 10, 2020 - September 9, 2021
Created custom digital illustrations, character concept art, and high-impact book cover designs for digital publishing and game media clients. Worked closely with clients through initial sketch phases, line art, and final digital painting passes while maintaining strict project timelines.
Comic & Graphic Novel Illustrator at Indie Comic & Media Press
July 26, 2019 - April 7, 2022
Illustrated multi-panel comic pages, chapter headers, and graphic novel interiors. Handled pencil roughs, dynamic ink line art, color flats, and visual narrative pacing to maintain visual consistency across long-form story arcs.
Concept Artist & Character Designer at Creative Media & Game Studios
January 19, 2019 - May 12, 2021
Developed turnarounds, model sheets, and emotional expression guides for narrative-driven characters. Worked alongside creative leads to produce visual worldbuilding art, costume variations, and visual assets used across digital publishing, tabletop games, and promotional art.

Education

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Industrial Design & Visual Communication at Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)
October 10, 2018 - December 8, 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 at Coursera / California Institute of the Arts
January 10, 2024 - September 25, 2024
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.

Qualifications

Adobe Certified Professional in Graphic Design & Illustration (Adobe Illustrator)
January 11, 2024 - February 12, 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 Specialist
March 11, 2025 - April 16, 2025
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 Art
January 9, 2024 - September 18, 2024
Mastery of character continuity, emotional storytelling, double-page picture book layouts, and visual pacing tailored for early reader and picture book formats.

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Education, Consumer Goods, Other

Skills

Experience Level