Category: Books
8/28/23
We’re thrilled to announce the publication of Ruth Burrows’ new
“how-to” book which she wrote and illustrated. Read our interview with the inimitable Ruth, below.
| The Illustrators Guide to Procreate: How to make digital art on your iPad, written and illustrated by Ruth Burrows, published by David & Charles.
Buy it here.
“Artist and illustrator Ruth Burrows takes a beginner-friendly, jargon-free approach to explaining how to get the most from Procreate, delivering not a heavy technical manual but rather, an inspirational workbook that encourages you to play, make mistakes and seek out your own way of using the app.” |
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| From Ruth:
I’m very proud of writing and illustrating my own book about Procreate.
I love the fact that the book is now out in the world, people are reading it and doing the projects and sending me messages to say how much it is helping them! |
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| What did you learn from doing this project?
I learned that I actually enjoy writing and really enjoyed the process of breaking down the projects into steps and organising the screenshots in a way that helps the reader understand how the app works.
Were there challenges on this project?
The challenges were all time-related. I had to kind of start and finish each project in one sitting so I didn’t lose momentum. That made for some pretty late nights!
What was the original inspiration for the book?
I was approached by the publisher who had the original idea to do a book about Procreate for illustrators.
Where did you find inspiration for this project?
I found inspiration from my own practice. I love to apply my illustrations and artwork to different products like greetings cards, tote bags, fabric, mugs and coasters. I wanted the people to understand that the work you make on Procreate can be applied in so many different ways.
How long did you work on writing the book?
All the ideas were planned out in one, almost day long meeting. I then went away and developed the projects further. The whole process took about a year but if I’m honest, I did the bulk of the work in the last 3 months! |
| Images, right: A project from The Illustrator’s Guide to Procreate. |
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| Where is your Studio? Where do you live?
My studio and art shop is located in the historic market town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, UK
What are your favorite art materials?
When I’m not hunched over my iPad using Procreate I love to go mad with acrylic paint, covering sheets of paper with bold shapes and colours. I then cut them up and collage them into semi-abstract works or photograph them to use as textures in my digital work. |
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| How do you surround yourself with inspiration?
I am surrounded by art materials and supplies in my shop and I also have a lot of creative people dropping in to buy stuff, I always ask them what they’re working on and have some really inspiring chats throughout the day!
What is “a day in the life” like for you?
Wake up in my tiny cabin and take Sandy for a walk; Drive 20 minutes to the studio and shop; Work on client work in between serving customers; Take Sandy for a walk beside the river around 5pm.
I sometimes work late at the shop if I have things to finish but if it’s client work, I take it home, listen to a podcast and work into the night.
Then go to bed in my tiny cabin! |
| Right, above: Ruth’s shop in Lincolnshire, UK
Right, below: Sandy the studio dog (@sandystudiodog ) outside the shop. |
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| Thanks Ruth!
The Illustrators Guide to Procreate: How to make digital art on your iPadis available now. Buy it here!
See more of Ruth’s gorgeous illustration work here. |
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4/11/22
Yup, you read that right. We’ve taken on two new artists!
It’s like an artist shopping spree around here. When I teach over at
Make Art That Sells, I have the enviable job of watching students grow into incredible artists, and there are always many I swoon over.
We just couldn’t resist these two stellar artists, who consistently wowed me with their class assignments. You’ll see below how brilliant their kid book work is.
I bet you’re not even reading this and just scrolling down to see who we’ve picked, and I don’t blame you for a minute! 🤣
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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We’re delighted to welcome Maria Gabriela Gama to our group! Her vibrant work depicts charming characters in magical, imaginative scenes. We find that strong colors often do well for artists and when you pair that with detailed environments, you’ve got a winning combination. She’s a gem and you’ll love working with her.
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São Paulo, Brazil
“I’m a Brazilian illustrator who loves everything colorful.”
What illustration job would you love to get (your dream job)?
Any job where I get to represent different cultures and people is my favorite job!
What do you listen to while you work?
It depends on my mood. I might watch someone playing games on Youtube, true crime documentaries, or I’ll be listening to upbeat music.
Washington State, USA
“I’ve lived my whole life in the Pacific Northwest region of the US. It’s beautiful and full of inspiration, especially for someone who loves to draw. Which is something I’ve been doing since I can remember. Usually, I draw cute things — but sometimes I’ll draw things that I think are cool…cutely.”
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Please give a big round of applause to Brian Lambert!
These days, I primarily find artists to represent in my classes. Brian was one of those students that consistently crushed each assignment. His characteristic bold colors were complimented by his soft, painterly rendering. Plus, he’s an absolute pleasure. I know you’ll enjoy working with him.
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Hurry! Class starts April 30th. Space is very limited. Join me!
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3/7/22
Do you know that when an artist sends us their work for a gig, we can’t show it until it’s published? Even though we are dying to show you? So today, agent Kim Fleming gathered a bunch of ‘ok to show’ images for you, and wow!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
“Fifty female figures who have shaped belief are profiled in
this beautiful and empowering take on women’s biography,
written by the cultural historian and broadcaster and illustrated
in Walsh’s bold, vivid art.”
-Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
(Nosy Crow)
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“This lyrical picture book connects the love that nurtures plants with the love that nurtures our relationships.”
Out now! (Quarto)
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A picture book celebrating grandmas and all that makes them “magic”.
(Doubleday Books)
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Made With Love: Donuts! (Chronicle Books)
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Family Calendar (Polestar)
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Poster for “Got Milk” campaign
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64-pc puzzle (Streamline NYC)
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“Daydreams” fabric collection
(Clothworks)
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Class starts TODAY!
Mar 07 – Apr 18, 2022
My Toy Pitch: Illustrating for the toys and games markets. Create a winning toy pitch and hop into the world of play.
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Turn play into pay! In this course, innovative art agent Lilla Rogers and brilliant children’s toy and game creative director Riley Wilkinson will guide you through the playful world of the toy and game market.
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They’ll share industry secrets and show you how to showcase your unique art on products that’ll capture the hearts of children as you create an exciting original toy and develop your own winning, playful pitch.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
2/10/22
Today I’ve gathered six of my favorite children’s book-inspired images by some of our artists from the Menagerie.
If you haven’t checked out the brand-new collection of over 250 stunning images by our artists in our 6th Annual Lilla’s Art Menagerie, don’t wait!
Click on this special link to see all the brand-new work that you’ve been waiting for, available for licensing or for ideas to commission.
If prompted, enter this password: shinynewart
Once in the gallery, be sure to click “View All”.
Check out this selection of inspiring children’s book-style imagery our artists have created to inspire you to commission them for their next book. (You know what else? These images would make amazing puzzles or kid toys and games, too.)
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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the Menagerie here. Password: shinynewart
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Many of these artists are heavily booked, so contact us now to chat about your project. We’d love to hear about it! Still haven’t seen the Menagerie gallery?
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Hurry! Last day to sign up
for my new MATS class Character Play
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Click here to see your teachers, children’s book art director Zoe Tucker and toy and game agent Riley Wilkinson, talking about all about the incredible insider information you’ll get when you sign up for Bootcamp Special: Character Play!
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
1/19/22
Agent Kim Fleming selected these fabulous images for you today. What a stunning range of products for which our artists were commissioned to create art. Enjoy!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project.
This is my most favorite recent book. I was blown away by the art and text. C = Choose compassion, D= Discussing differences, P = Practice peace, R = Resist rumors. This book will change children’s lives and help create a new, even more kind and progressive generation.
Pairing big ideas like generosity, respect, and joy with the letters of the alphabet, Letters to Live By is a beautiful picture book that encourages children to make the most of each day and leave their mark on the world.
(Running Press)
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This is a charming new board book series illustrated by Åsa Gilland that presents plants, animals, and the environment to early readers and helps them connect to the natural world. (Workman)
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We love the gorgeous, soothing cover illustrated by Mara Penny for the Emily Dickinson Cookbook (Quarto)
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Wow! We love this mosaic kit illustrated by Tara Lilly for Djeco. There are four gorgeous animal designs to be completed with small pieces of glittery foam that work like stickers.
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Here’s a pretty 1000-piece puzzle illustrated by Venice artist Marco Marella called Cities of the World (Legami). How fun would this be to do?
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Jenn Ski’s mid-century artwork was licensed by Rug & Kilim for rugs. Brilliant.
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Join Riley, Zoe and Me
Monday, February 7th
for our newest course,
Character Play
Why take this course? Character art gets you work in children’s book, toys, games and so much more. Be sure to have this kind of imagery in your portfolio. Plus we’re always on the hunt for new illustrators to represent from MATS courses.
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Click here to see your teachers, children’s book art director Zoe Tucker and toy and game agent Riley Wilkinson, talking about all about the incredible insider information you’ll get when you sign up for Bootcamp Special: Character Play!
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We’ll teach you how to make characters in our newest course, Character Play.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
1/4/22
Happy New Year!
This is the book we need right now! Get your copy here.
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A Year of Weeks, by Erica Root
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Above: A few interior pages from Erica Root’s book,
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Amazingly, we have over 4,400 images by our artists in our database keywords with #lettering and #inspiration. Agent Kim and I had the pleasure of selecting a few favorites for your enjoyment. Enjoy!
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Illustrations from Plant Inspiration by Storey Publishing
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This was a manifesting worksheet that I made for one of my Make Art That Sells courses that my artists Erica Root and Anke Rega brilliantly filled out.
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Ruth created this colorful pitch image for affirmation cards
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Above: Both are available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing
as of this writing
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Available for license as of this writing.
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From the Kindness Calendar by Amber Lotus
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
12/13/21
Agent Kim Fleming here. Today I’ve gathered up a selection of my favorite holiday gifts and festive items by our artists, available for purchase. I want to set my table with Kay Wolfersperger’s Santa party paper set!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
Party paper holiday collection for Sunny and Ted.
The collection features Santas with different skin tones,
holiday motifs and magical pops of gold.
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An amazing collaboration
between LRS artists!
Zoë Ingram did the cover, with internal activities by Flora Waycott and
Clairice Gifford.
For Usborne Publishing.
Above: Zoë Ingram
Left: Flora Waycott.
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Amazing collection by Kelly Anne Dalton for 180 Degrees.
Find them at your favorite local gift store.
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Snap up some classics!
Alma Publishing.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
11/29/21
Let me help you make 2022 your best year ever. I’ve taught thousands of students over the course of forty years, and I have a lot to share. MATS is a place where you can focus on your art in the company of like-minded people, stay inspired, and enjoy the guidance and structure you crave to be the very best artist you can be. Many of my students have gone on to be represented by me and by other agents.
Download your FREE copy of our gorgeous Cyber Sale guide and start plotting and planning your year ahead. It’s got student galleries, course information, and some arty worksheets, and back by popular demand, the Armadillo worksheet for you to dream up your goals for 2022.
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Above, from left: Me, Zoë Tucker (Illustrating Children’s Books & Character Play), Margo Tantau (Creating Collections for Home Décor & Home Decor Plus), Beth Kempton (MBA), Riley Wilkinson (My Toy Pitch & Character Play), Tamisha Anthony (Redrawing Black History).
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Join me and my brilliant
including
6 course giveaways,
top tips, and more.
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A variety of Studio products
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Some recent work by our artists
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
9/27/21
Personally, we love getting mail and we love sending you our pretty postcards with our artists’ latest and most gorgeous work. We’ve scaled way back due to Covid, but we’re thinking of rebooting the card mailings. Loads of our art directors tell us they love them, save them, and pin them to their walls.
Here’s the rub: We know lots of you are still working from home, so we wondered if you’re getting your business mail. Susan and Kim called around and got a mix of responses. Some of you are going into the office sporadically and getting your mail; some of you are back in the office full time, and some are getting your mail forwarded to home.
So we thought: let’s do a poll. We’d love to hear from you.
Above: Our postcard front, mailed in July of this year to our art directors, editors and others who buy art. This card featured cherished original paintings by our artists, past and present.
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See what I mean? Our cards are pretty.
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Art directors, editors, art buyers: we’d love to hear from you.
(The poll only lets you pick one answer, just so you know.)
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We’re thinking of sending out our pretty postcards again. Which one applies?
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I’m back in the office and get my mail there.
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I work from home but my mail is forwarded to me.
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I work from home and my mail is NOT forwarded to me.
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I go into the office about once a week or so and get my mail.
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I go into the office like once a month or whatever and get my mail then.
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I don’t go into the office. I don’t get my mail. I’m sure there’s a giant pile.
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Above: One of our postcards
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Are you an art buyer or editor? Would you like receive our postcards which we send out about 7 or 8 times a year? Or are you already on our mailing list but would like to give us a new address?
Simply reply to this email.
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See amazing artwork and products by our artists below!
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Above: Illustration for Martini & Rossi Fiero
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These three fully-illustrated books by Zoë Ingram are now available!
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Above: Dare to Dream 1,000 piece puzzle by Sarah Walsh for Flow/Workman
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Above: A recent greeting card by Kelly Anne Dalton for Sellers Publishing
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Above: A recent greeting card by Clairice Gifford for Sellers Publishing
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Above: Fish illustrated by Jessica Allen for Texas Highways Magazine
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Class starts October 18th!
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Basically, my philosophy is this:
Creating a unique picture book comes from understanding what makes you unique and discovering the story you’re excited to tell. To help you do this, I’ve created a playful, personalized and structured course called
My Kid Book Pitch that will bring out your special story. It’s packed full of quirky worksheets, Magic Cards, fun exercises and weekly interactive LIVE videos that will guide you step by step to create your own special brilliant story – the story that only you can write.
I hope you’ll join me October 18th! Learn more or sign up here. Personally, I can’t wait for this one.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out our site to see more. Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs. xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
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6/3/21
What I love about art with a kid book vibe is that it’ll pull in a variety of gigs like commissions for backpacks, tattoos, and cheetah lockets. You never know. Enjoy the show!
Plus… stay tuned for some BIG NEWS coming next week!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project.
I’m (almost) Always Kind illustrated by Åsa Gilland
(Usborne Publishing)
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The Healthy Motherhood Journal (Sounds True)
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Can you believe all these fabulous books Sarah Walsh has illustrated? You can see why she’s in such demand.
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Notre Planète illustrated by Daniel Roode (Editions Gründ)
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Tiger Backpack & Animal tattoos (Petit Monkey)
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Sweet cheetah bracelet illustrated by Tara Lilly for Djeco
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Book cover lettering for The Secret Garden (HarperCollins)
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
