NURSE FLORENCE ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustrating an award-winning children's health education book — and becoming a published artist

PROJECT OVERVIEW

ROLE: Digital Illustrator

TIMELINE: 6 months (May - November 2025)

CLIENT: Dow Creative Enterprises

INDUSTRY: Children's Publishing/ Health Education

Commissioned to create 18 original illustrations for an educational children's book, I developed a complete visual system from a single character description — defining the graphic style, building reusable assets, and delivering a cohesive illustrated narrative that helps kids understand blood science.

THE CHALLENGE

I was brought on with almost no visual direction — just a rough description of the main character, Nurse Florence, and full creative freedom to define the medium and style. After submitting an initial character concept for approval, I received the full manuscript: 18 illustrations, many with overlapping subject matter like "nurse explaining blood" or "nurse talking to kids."

The challenge was twofold. First, I needed to establish a cohesive visual language that could carry an entire book while remaining engaging for young readers. Second, I had to find creative ways to differentiate scenes that were conceptually similar — ensuring each illustration felt distinct while maintaining consistency across 18 final pieces.

Working independently with minimal feedback loops meant building systems that could scale efficiently without sacrificing quality or visual continuity.

INTERNATIONAL IMPACT BOOK AWARDS™ WINNER

A Published, Award-Winning Work

MY APPROACH

STRATEGY

Interpreted a minimal brief into a defined graphic style suited for children's educational content
Identified the need for a systematic approach to differentiate 18 illustrations with overlapping subject matter
Prioritized visual consistency to create a cohesive reading experience across the full book
Built in flexibility to work efficiently within a 6-month solo timeline

EXECUTION

Developed the character of Nurse Florence from a rough description, establishing her core look and personality through iterative concept sketches
Defined a graphic style balancing approachability for young readers with enough detail to convey educational content
Created a library of reusable digital assets:
- Character facial features and expressions
- Custom patterns and swatches for clothing consistency
- Background elements and compositional frameworks
Used these assets to build an efficient creative workflow — maintaining quality while meeting the timeline
Delivered 18 final illustrations, each visually distinct while unified by the established style system

ASSET SYSTEM

Modular asset library built for consistency and efficiency

scroll to see final illustrations

THE OUTCOME

This project marked a personal milestone: my first published work as an illustrator.

Beyond the professional achievement, the project carried real meaning — contributing to a book designed to help children understand their own health. Knowing these illustrations will be part of kids' learning experiences made the work deeply fulfilling.