AMELIA
This project was created for the Macmillan Children’s Book Illustration Competition, which challenged participants to both write and illustrate an original children’s book. The brief focused on developing a complete narrative alongside a visual world that could engage young readers through character, storytelling, and style. This submission explores how illustration and story work together to create an immersive, playful, and emotionally engaging reading experience.
CONCEPT
The concept behind this project was to inspire young girls while also teaching them something meaningful. The story retells the journey of Amelia Earhart through the character of a penguin, using metaphor to make big ideas easier for children to understand. Instead of directly addressing gender inequality, the narrative shows a penguin being told she can’t fly simply because she’s a penguin — mirroring the way Amelia Earhart was once told she couldn’t fly because she was a woman. This approach keeps the message light, playful, and age-appropriate, while still carrying an important theme. The story follows the penguin as she completes her own transatlantic flight, reflecting Earhart’s real achievement. At the end of the book, a dedicated page shares the true story of Amelia Earhart, helping young readers connect the fiction to real-life history.
DESIGN
After extensive trial and error in search of an authentic and distinctive visual language, the final illustration style developed into a digital mixed-media approach. This method combines a variety of pen tools within illustration software, allowing different textures and mark-making styles to coexist within a single image. Basic shapes were first constructed using clipping masks, which then acted as containers for the mixed-media pens layered inside them.
The characters were intentionally kept simple to ensure the focus remained on clear storytelling and cohesive imagery. This design approach allowed the mixed-media technique to shine without overwhelming the compositions, helping each illustration feel connected and visually consistent. By maintaining simplicity in form and detail, the overall style feels playful, accessible, and easy for young readers to engage with.
