Alana McCarthy

Alana McCarthy – Designer

One stop shop for illustration, lettering and design for book covers and picture books. Award winning illustrator with 20 years experience.

Overview

Take the stress out of bringing your book to life. I provide my clients with illustration and layout design for picture books and novel covers, I also specialize in hand lettering for your book title. When you work with me there's no need to hire a separate designer - I'm a one stop shop.


I love capturing the worlds written within books. I'm extremely versatile and can go from elegant illustrated covers to animated children's book characters. I'm also well versed at hand lettering and can make your title completely unique.


I've worked with Scholastic, Penguin Books, Disney/Pixar, Adobe and many other top tier brands over the years. I'm super professional, easy to work with, respect deadlines and your time.


I'm also a magical unicorn of an illustrator who LOVES being art directed and bringing YOUR idea to life. Let's chat about your project!



Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Chick Lit Coming of Age Humor & Comedy Mystery & Crime Picture Books
Non-Fiction
Nature
Languages
English
Awards
  • Communication Arts Award
  • Gemini Award
  • American Illustration - Chosen
  • HOW Magazine Design Award
  • Applied Arts Award
  • OCAD Illustration - AOCAD with Honours
  • Royal Dragonfly Book Award

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 2002 — Present

I make beautiful custom illustrations, murals, design and lettering to help brands and businesses stand out. I've worked with book publishers, editorial, advertising, marketing and design clients.

With almost 20 years of professional creative experience, and a bunch of awards, I'm an expert visual problem solver. I'm based in Toronto, but work with clients worldwide.

Some of my clients include:

• Adobe
• Taco Bell,
• Absolut Vodka
• Penguin
• Scholastic
• Berkley
• Owlkids
• Crayola
• Disney/Pixar
• Nickelodeon
• Oxford Press
• The Wall Street Journal

Portfolio

Hummingbird

Grant, Fran

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Little Big Girl and Daddy Go to the Park (Coloring Book)

Barnes, Reginald Q.

Reginald Q. Barnes

Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Little Big Girl and Daddy Go to the Arcade (Coloring Book)

Barnes, Reginald Q.

Reginald Q. Barnes

Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Little Big Girl and Daddy Go to the Arcade

Barnes, Reginald Q.

Reginald Q. Barnes

Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Little Big Girl and Daddy Go to the Park

Barnes, Reginald Q.

Reginald Q. Barnes

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Shorts, Book 1: From a Tiny Acorn, A Giant Tale

Hughes, Thomas

Walnut Run Books

Cover Design Illustration Typography
Rosie's Backpack

Albright, Jess

Jess Albright, LLC

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Spoilers: Essays That Might Ruin Your Favorite Hollywood Movies

Greaves, Carlos

Cover Design Illustration Typography
World's Coolest Grandpa

Golden, Lamar

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
There's No Such Thing As Happy Endings

Long, Aaron

Cover Design Illustration Typography
I’m Going to Be a Hockey Star

L. Wegwerth, A.

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
A Firefly's Journey

D'Ambola, Kat Rees

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Strum and the Wild Turkeys

Daniel, Noa

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
ANIMAL DEFENDER

Casner, Chip

Cover Design Illustration Typography

Alana has 14 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Kimberly N.

Kimberly N.

Apr, 2024

Pinned
I recently had the pleasure of working with Alana on a pendant design for my book, and I couldn't be more impressed with her talent and professionalism. Alana not only met but exceeded my expectations with her artwork. The pendant she created perfectly captured the essence of the story, adding a unique and captivating dimension to it. Alana's attention to detail and dedication to her craft are...
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Alana M.
Kimberly was wonderful to work with. She had a very clear image of what she wanted for her interior illustration and was very good at communicating it - making the whole process super easy. I'd lov...
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Jess A.

Jess A.

Sep, 2023

Pinned
I can't say enough amazing things about Alana! From the very beginning I truly felt that I was seen and heard. She understood the pieces of my vision, and magically brought my book to life. It's better than I ever imagined it would be! As a first time author, I had NO idea what I was doing and was so nervous! Alana helped me through every step and beyond. She was incredibly kind, patient, supp...
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Alana M.
Jess was so fantastic to work with! Even though this was her first book she approached it with professionalism and grace and was open to taking suggestions. She was supportive and appreciative of m...
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Kat D.

Kat D.

Jul, 2021

Pinned
Alana was an absolute delight to work with. She brought my story to life with her stunning artwork! She was always responsive to questions/requests and even offered some guidance for a clumsy new author. :) I now have one of the most beautiful picture books I’ve ever seen (yes I’m biased but it’s true!) thanks to Alana. Highly recommend!
Trudi W.

Trudi W.

Oct, 2024

I've had the pleasure of working with Alana on two projects, and both have exceeded my expectations. Her creativity knows no bounds, and she has an uncanny ability to translate the essence of a story into a visually stunning cover. Her attention to detail and commitment to quality are evident in all her designs. Whether it's capturing the mood with the perfect colour palette or finding just th...
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Alana M.
Trudi you are too kind! Your clarity of direction and quality of writing make for projects that run smoothly. So happy to have worked with you on two books now. Good luck with your launch and I can...
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Trudi W.

Trudi W.

Sep, 2024

The book cover that Alana designed for me is incredible. She's one of the most creative people I've ever met, and I'm looking forward to working with her on my next book cover. Thanks Alana.
Alana M.
Trudi was wonderful to work with. She had a clear vision, communicated it well, provided prompt feedback and kept the creative process flowing smoothly. Thanks Trudi! Looking forward to working wit...
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