We design the casts of children’s books: the protagonist, the family, the animals, the one who causes the trouble. We work with self-publishing authors and independent publishers worldwide, across the US, Canada, the UK, Australia and Europe. Each character comes as a turnaround and an expression sheet with fixed colour values, so they stay recognisably the same across thirty-two pages. Drawn by hand, for readers aged 2 to 12.
We design the cast of a children’s book before any pages are drawn. Each character comes back as a turnaround, an expression sheet and a set of poses, so they stay recognisably themselves from page one to page thirty-two. A character set takes about three business days, includes three to four rounds of changes at the sketch stage, and the copyright transfers to you in full on final payment.
| Turnaround sheet | The character from four angles, so any scene can be drawn from the sheet |
|---|---|
| Expression sheet | A dozen faces and moods, decided once rather than invented page by page |
| Pose sheet | The character doing what your story actually needs |
| Colour palette | Swatches fixed, so the colour never drifts between spreads |
| Files | Layered source files plus flattened artwork at 300 dpi |
| Typical turnaround | About three business days |
| Rounds included | Three to four, at the sketch stage |
| Drawn by | Amna Zaki, Noor or Ayesha — by hand, never generated |
| Copyright | Transfers to you in full on final payment |
Character design is the first of three stages: the cast, then the whole book in storyboard, then the cover.
Our Character Design Portfolio showcases a variety of original characters created for children’s books, storybooks, educational materials, and digital projects. Each character is thoughtfully designed to bring stories to life, express personality, and engage young audiences.
At The Rainbow Stories, our Character Design Services focus on creating memorable, visually appealing characters that match the tone and theme of each story. From playful and whimsical illustrations to more realistic or educational designs, our characters are crafted to connect with readers, support storytelling, and enhance the overall reading experience.
A picture book runs to thirty-two pages, and your character appears on most of them — running, sitting, upside down, half in shadow, at the back of a crowd. If the design is not settled first, the character drifts. The nose changes. The jumper is a different green on page nine. Children notice this long before adults do, and it quietly breaks the spell the book is trying to cast.
So we settle it first. Every character comes with a turnaround showing them from each side, an expression sheet covering the moods your story needs, and fixed colour values written down. Whoever draws page twenty-eight is working from the same sheet as whoever drew page four.
Character design is the second stage of a longer sequence — how a picture book gets illustrated, start to finish shows what comes before and after it.
Consistency is the whole point of the exercise — why a character has to look the same on page 3 and page 27 explains what goes wrong when it slips.
You can commission one character or the whole cast. Authors often start with the protagonist, see how it feels, and then commission the rest.
Amna Zaki, our founder and lead illustrator, has illustrated more than 50 children’s books over seven years, and holds Top Rated Plus status on Upwork with a 100% Job Success Score. The other illustrators each bring five or more years of children’s book work. Between us, The Rainbow Stories has illustrated more than 100 children’s books; more than 50 of those are Amna’s own.
Every character is drawn by hand. None of it is generated by AI — which matters more than it used to, because an AI character cannot be redrawn consistently across thirty-two pages, and because the copyright position is settled when a person drew it. The Great Barrier Reef case study shows the same cast carried across two books in one series.
Most authors who commission characters come back for the interiors and the cover. We illustrate complete books — interior spreads, covers, and print-ready files for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Barnes & Noble and EPUB. See how we work with authors or the full range of services.
Send us the manuscript, or just a description of who is in it. We will come back with what the cast would involve, what it costs and how long it takes — within one business day.
Most need one or two leads and three to five supporting characters. A busy story with a crowd scene needs more; a quiet bedtime book sometimes needs only one.
A description is enough. Authors often send a rough sketch, a photo of someone's hair, or a book whose style they like — all useful, none required.
That is what the sketch stage is for. You see the character in rough before any colour goes down, and we refine from your notes — three to four rounds at that stage, included.
Yes. Full copyright transfers to you on final payment, including commercial use.
Usually within three business days, counting the time you take to send feedback.
Tell us the page count, the characters and your deadline. We will send back a quote and a timeline within 24 hours.
Start your briefTakes about three minutes. No obligation.