Basia Tran - Designer
Book cover designer and professional illustrator specializing in children's book, middle grade, and the fantasy genre.
Request a quote
Verified identity
Overview
Hello! My name is Ngoc Diep Barbara Tran Fader, but I go by my Polish short Basia. I'm a Polish and Vietnamese illustrator specializing in children's books illustration. I am currently based in Jersey City, NJ.
Currently I'm only accepting commissions that include illustration work.
Availability: Starting in July 2022.
Business hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (UTC-5:00). Please, feel free to message me anytime with any questions you may have and I will get back to you during my work hours.
Thank you for your interest!
FAQ:
** Taxes are included in my quotes & payments are processed via Stripe which issues me a 1099-K, therefore there is no need for you to generate your own 1099 form for me - yay for less paperwork!
Currently I'm only accepting commissions that include illustration work.
Availability: Starting in July 2022.
Business hours: Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm (UTC-5:00). Please, feel free to message me anytime with any questions you may have and I will get back to you during my work hours.
Thank you for your interest!
FAQ:
1. How much do you charge for a children's book?
I'll send you Google forms to fill out and I'll be able to get back to you with a precise quote as the price varies depending on medium, size, amount etc.
Recommended reading before you hire an illustrator (please, remove spaces & brackets):
handsomefrank [.] com/insights/read/how-to-brief-an-illustrator
2. What's included in the quote?
Here's a typical breakdown of a children's book quote:
- character designs if applicable
- X full spreads; X single page; X spot illustrations
- full cover design
- interior design layout for the book
- EPUB format
- Print-ready PDF*
- 1 3D mockup and up to 2 social media adverts
- taxes**
- three revisions not exceeding 2 hours of work after the final render has been completed. After that they are $50/hour.
*I am experienced in working with Kindle Direct Publishing and IngramSpark. Other print services can be accomodated upon request and after a review of their documentation & requirements ($30 fee to review).
3. What is your process?
Here are the typical milestones in a children's book collaboration done in graphite and colored digitally:
1. Project start date
2. Character design sketches due
3. Character design linework due
4. Cover sketches due
5. Interior illustration sketches due
6. 2nd cover sketch pass due
7. 2nd interior illustration sketches pass due
8. Cover linework due
9. Interior linework due
10. Cover graphite render due
11. Interior graphite render due
12. Color pass on cover due
13. Color pass on interior
14. 1st pass on the final render of the cover due
15. 1st pass on the final render of interior illustrations due
16. Final render of cover due
17. Final render of interior illustrations due
18. Final files delivery due
2. Character design sketches due
3. Character design linework due
4. Cover sketches due
5. Interior illustration sketches due
6. 2nd cover sketch pass due
7. 2nd interior illustration sketches pass due
8. Cover linework due
9. Interior linework due
10. Cover graphite render due
11. Interior graphite render due
12. Color pass on cover due
13. Color pass on interior
14. 1st pass on the final render of the cover due
15. 1st pass on the final render of interior illustrations due
16. Final render of cover due
17. Final render of interior illustrations due
18. Final files delivery due
4. How do payments work?
I require a 10% payment upfront or $500 tops on the project's start date, which is then deducted from the entire fee. The remaining payments are then divided into installments, typically once a month corresponding with the delivery milestones. What you will be paying for is my work, the Reedsy fee, Stripe fee & taxes.
Services
Languages
English
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Fantasy
Middle Grade
Middle Grade Fantasy
Picture Books
Romance
Non-Fiction
History
Nature
Certifications
- BFA Illustration
Awards
- Society of Illustrators: 2016 Student Scholarship - 1 illustration
- Ringling College of Art and Design: Illest of Illustration 2015 - 1 illustration
- Ringling College of Art and Design: Illest of Illustration 2016 - 3 illustrations
- Best of Ringling 2016 - 2 illustrations
- Best of Ringling 2017 - 3 illustrations
Work experience
Freelance Illustrator & Designer
Self-employed
November, 2017
–
Present
(over 4 years)
Clients include: Kar-Ben Publishing, Capstone Publishing, Ben & Jerry, Yves Rocher, ASPCA, Roof Studio, Epipheo, codeheroes, and more.
● Created full-spread illustrations and visual development for children's books based on manuscripts received from writers.
● Drew beats, storyboards and produced 45” and 90” animatics.
● Created sketches and finished designs of environments, props and characters to be modeled in 3D.
● Completed mood paintings with great emphasis on lighting and color under tight deadlines.
● Assist the art director in creating 2D assets for animation, storyboards and concept designs for 2D &
3D projects.
Art Intern / Junior Designer
Roof Studio
June, 2017
–
October, 2017
(4 months)
Completed tasks for the advertising animation media with a high focus on artistry and originality:
● Created designs for projects differing in style and art direction.
● Worked in collaboration with art directors and modelers to meet their visual development needs.
● Generated explorative concept paintings with a focus on lighting and depth.
Game Art Intern
Hasbro
May, 2016
–
August, 2016
(3 months)
Accomplished tasks for future product lines under the supervision of the lead artist and design manager in
an innovative and creative environment of the Integrated Play Department:
● Created artwork for toy and game designs for direct production of digital applications, which included
ideation, sketching, drawing, painting and creating animation guidelines.
● Produced engaging 2D character designs and background art to be translated into 3D models, and
animations for digital experiences.
Portfolio (10 selected works)
My Footprints
Bao Phi
Every child feels different in some way, but Thuy feels "double different." She is Vietnamese American and she has two moms. Thuy walks home one winter afternoon, angry and lonely after a bully's taunts. Then a bird catches her attention and sets Thuy on an imaginary exploration. What if she could fly away like a bird? What if she could sprint like a deer, or roar like a bear? Mimicking the fo... read more
Sydney Porter: Dog Girl
Reed, L.G.
The Science of Defying Gravity
Reed, L G
Sydney A. Frankel's Summer Mix-Up
Joseph, Danielle
J is for Jollof: An African Alphabet
Fátúsìn, Dr Gloria
Two Parts of Me: I am More Than My Body introduces children to the dual nature of their lives on Earth – that they are both a physical being and an energy being. We are all more than a physical body and Two Parts of Me helps young children to understand the meaning and importance of the feelings emanating from their energy bodies. Children are encouraged to trust their innermost feelings and t... read more
Heroes of Hastovia Book 2: Rise of the Deathbringer
Boutros, Mark
The Death of Cupcake: A Child's Experience with Loss (Conscious Children's Books)
Nicholas, Susan, Betz, Amy, Tran, Basia
Heroes of Hastovia Book 3: In Memory of...
Boutros, Mark
Archer and Zowie
Hans Bluedorn
"Hans Bluedorn has encapsulated childhood imagination at its fullest."-- DeAnna Squire, ReedsyAuthor of The Fallacy Detective has written again. This time, he tackles friendship and self-esteem for kids using his comedy-of-the-absurd humor.This is a middle-grade sci-fi story about Archer and Zowie: Two mismatched kids who build a spaceship from a treehouse and travel into deep space. They are ... read more
Basia has 13 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Basia was incredible to work with! She brought my vision to life and then some. She was professional and very appreciative of my feedback. Sometimes, it is hard to give feedback and not come across as rude especially over messaging. But she took all my input with a leap and we worked together to fix what needed to be fixed. Basia makes a great person/teammate to work with for your book. I highl...
Read more
Ashley Allen, June 2022
Basia has been such a pleasure to work with. She asked pertinent questions to set up her visual interpretation of my stories character, and nailed it! I love the character she has created, and can’t wait to see more of her drawings, as she brings the rest of my story to life! She is professional, talented, driven, and punctual. Best of all, she’s super sweet!
Chris Roper, April 2022
This is the second project I've worked with Basia on, and I hope to work with her on more projects in the future. The illustration and design she did for our middle grade book are absolutely beautiful! Highly recommend her!
Heather Garbo, February 2022
Working with Basia was wonderful! She was clear with what she needed from me to get started and implemented all feedback to make sure I was happy with the final result. My cover turned out better than I thought it would.
Tayler Logue, October 2021
Really enjoyed working with Basia on my book cover. She went above and beyond and finished the project in a timely and professional manner. She was really patient with me bearing in mind it was my first self-published work. I would heartily recommend her to anyone.
Gloria Fatusin, August 2020
Reply from Basia Tran
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Julia Sanz
Versatile illustrator. I love children's illustration projects. My speciality is hitting the nail on the head with what you are looking for.
Seville, Spain
Brianna Harden
I'm a freelance book cover designer and illustrator with nearly a decade of in-house experience at a top publishing house.
New York, United States
