Eric the Liontamer—written by Rachel Elliot

Details

Live brief set by Lucy Craig from Plum Agency & Inkygoodness

Scope

1 Book Cover and 1 double-page spread

Role

Illustration

“Eric the Liontamer”, a story written by Rachel Elliot, is a picture book live brief set by Lucy Craig from Plum Agency, as part of the Make Your Mark Bootcamp 2025 by Inkygoodness. I had the opportunity to illustrate a book cover and a double-page spread for the story while exploring the circus theme.

Mentored by Ella Bailey and supported by Lisa Hassell, I received valuable feedback throughout the project. My work was reviewed twice by Lucy Craig, who offered insightful guidance for which I’m deeply grateful.

This experience deepened my interest in children’s illustration, and I’m excited to take on more kidlit projects this year.

Keep reading to learn more about the brief, my process, and my final artworks.

a kidlit digital illustration showing a kid named Eric riding on the back of a Lion, but only lion's ear, eye and tale are visible. Eric's sidekick is Snail and his positioned on the top right corner. The headline is on the left. The background is a dark blue circus dome.
a kidlit digital illustration showing a kid named Eric riding on the back of a Lion, but only lion's ear, eye and tale are visible. Eric's sidekick is Snail and his positioned on the top right corner. The headline is on the left. The background is a dark blue circus dome.

Picture book cover that stands out

Coming up with an engaging, yet relatable cover for a picture book is a serious task. I did thorough research of the market, worked on strong characterisation, and delivered consistency over the rest of the book. The color palette choice is irregular – the circus dome is blue, and it enhances the overall magical feel.

Exciting compositions and adding whimsy in every detail were my main aims. I approached Eric as a cool, but slightly introverted explorer, an inclusive character who has vitiligo, but also the ability to befriend living beings with ease. Snail is his cute sidekick, his best supporter. Eric’s journey could inspire kids in similar situations to embrace their uniqueness and see themselves as adventurers.

“I think it’s a very joyful cover, and I think it would stand out really nicely on a shop bookshelf.”
Lucy Craig from Plum Agency

An unexpected double-page spread

For the double-page spread, I explored dynamic and unexpected compositions to engage the reader. Playing with unusual points of view led me to create the lion’s teeth frame on the recto — a playful surprise that invites children to look closer while naturally guiding the eye toward the central group of characters, arranged in a pyramid composition. On the verso, Snail takes center stage, soaring through the air with joy and performing his playful tricks. Throughout the spread, I focused on maintaining strong characterization and consistency, while carefully balancing the different scales of the characters.