Project: Children's show mascot illustration - I need a professional illustrator to create the official character sheet for our mascot, Koala, based on the reference image attached.
Style reference: Soft watercolour, children's picture book aesthetic — similar to the style of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" meets modern Etsy nursery art. Warm, painterly, gentle brushstrokes. No harsh black outlines.
Character description — Koko the Koala:
Round fluffy grey koala, baby/toddler proportions (large head, small body, chubby limbs)
Large warm amber-brown eyes, slightly wide — expressing curiosity and wonder
Gentle eyelashes (not overly feminine — gender neutral)
Big shiny dark charcoal nose
Round ears with soft pink inner colouring and white fluffy edges
Rosy peach blush marks on both cheeks
Light cream/white chest and belly fur
Small stubby paws — rounded, not sharp claws
Eucalyptus leaf (green, glowing slightly) always present — either held in paw, tucked in ear, or nearby
Signature pose: both paws raised to mouth/cheeks in a "wonder and delight" expression
Small blue/teal sparkle details scattered around the character
What I need delivered:
Front-facing portrait (as per reference image) — watercolour style
Full body standing pose — holding a glowing green leaf
6 facial expressions on a single sheet: happy, curious, surprised, thinking, sad, excited
Flat vector version of the face only (for logo/app icon/merchandise use)
All files delivered as PNG with transparent background + original editable files (PSD or AI)
Colors to stay consistent across all versions:
Body fur: warm grey (#B4B2A9)
Inner ear: soft pink (#F4C0D1)
Eyes: amber brown (#A0522D)
Nose: dark charcoal (#3D4042)
Chest fur: cream white (#FAFAF8)
Signature leaf: eucalyptus green (#52B788)
IP requirement — mandatory:
Full intellectual property, copyright, and all design rights transfer completely to me upon final payment. The illustrator retains no rights to use, reproduce, or license these characters. Please confirm you agree to this before applying.
Please include in your application: 2–3 samples of children's character illustration work in a similar soft/watercolour style. Applications without relevant samples will not be considered.