Mariana O.

Mariana O. – Designer

Illustrator and designer specializing in books for toddlers & early readers. Worked on +30 books. Open for projects starting in May :)

Overview

About Me


Hi, I’m Mariana—a children’s illustrator specializing in bright, joyful art for picture and board books. Originally from Brazil and now based in Europe, I bring stories to life with a playful, expressive style that resonates with young readers. I’ve worked with authors and publishers around the world to create engaging books for children.


📙My Process


The illustration process is divided into four key stages:

1️⃣ Sketching: The early phase where ideas, concepts, and rough sketches take shape—no colors or effects yet.

2️⃣ Coloring & Final Art: Once sketches are approved, I apply colors, lighting, shadows, and all necessary details.

3️⃣ Cover Illustration & Lettering: After the interior art is complete, I design the cover and create the title lettering. Once approved, everything is finalized and delivered in high resolution.

4️⃣ Book Design: I lay out the text and prepare print-ready files, following the specific guidelines of the author’s chosen printing service.



📌 Important Notes:

▪️The fees include 2 revision rounds per phase of illustration and 3 in the design phase; extra revisions cost $20 per correction.


▪️Final File Review: The author is responsible for carefully reviewing all materials before the final files are sent to print, or, if preferred, hiring a professional to handle this step. This ensures the files are fully aligned with expectations and ready for book production, helping to avoid errors in the printed version. The designer is not responsible for the final proofing.


▪️I don’t create animations.


▪️ My schedule opens based on availability—I work on a maximum of two books at a time to give each project my full attention.


I’d love to bring your vision to life—let’s create something incredible together!

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Picture Books
Languages
English
Certifications
  • Character Design Complete Course on ICS Art School Brazil
  • Picture Book illustration course on ICS Art School Brazil
  • Illustrating Children's Stories - Complete course on Domestika
  • Childrens illustrations for Editorial - Complete course on Domestika
  • Colorful animal illustration with Photoshop - complete course on Domestika
  • Creative Techniques for character design - complete course on Domestika
  • Atmospheric Scenes in Procreate: Paint with Color and Light - Complete Course on Domestika
  • Bachelor in Graphic Design - University of Estate of São Paulo (Brazil)
  • Masters in Applied Sciences - University of São Paulo (Brazil)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2021 — Present
Illustration and design for board books, activity books, and picture books. Clients include Porto Editora, FyeN Publishing Services, and independent authors worldwide.

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
Rosie the Unicorn Does Gymnastics

Laferriere, Lisa

Tiny Dreamers Publishing

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Slinky Dinky Doo: and the Razzle Dazzle Sprinkles

Kalmes, Megan

Snuggle Bug Press

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Ivy's Dinosaur Tea Party

Buck, Carrie A

Carrie A. Buck

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
My Mom's Got No Qualms

Blake Carey

Shenzhen Swift Printing Co., LTD

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
The Skunk Stunk

Palmer, Jean

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Someone to Cherish

Olayinka, Victoria E.

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Scribble Pigs

Mireles, Amanda

Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration
Stella in the Kitchen

Nunes, Andrea F

Cover Design Illustration
Cover Design Illustration Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration

Mariana has 6 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Carrie B.

Carrie B.

Aug, 2024

Pinned
Mariana was an absolute joy to work with! She was always available to answer questions and responded quickly. Her artwork is amazing and absolutely captures the characters perfectly. I didn’t have many suggestions, but the ones I did have she was completely open to making adjustments. I couldn’t ...
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Mariana O.
Thank you so much Carrie! You're amazing too and I'm super happy and excited for our next book!
Blake C.

Blake C.

Mar, 2024

Pinned
I am blown away by Mariana! She was incredible. She was responsive, helpful, and so talented! I actually waited to do this project until she was available because I like her style so much and she did not disappoint. She guided me through this whole process, was patient while I figured my own idea...
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Mariana O.
Oh, Blake! Thank you so much! You were amazing throughout the project, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been chosen by you for the book. I wish you a lot of success and all the best with the...
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Jeff H.

Jeff H.

Oct, 2023

Pinned
Mariana was great! Super upbeat and fun to collaborate with. She had many great suggestions but was always more than happy when I wanted to go in a different direction. She was very fast and in fact, was able to beat our deadline by a couple of weeks. I would definitely work with her again and if...
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Mariana O.
Oh, Jeff! Thank you so much! It was a pleasure to work with you on this amazing project and I wish you all the success! And hope we can work together again! Thank you!
Lisa L.

Lisa L.

Feb, 2025

We absoluately loved our collabration with Mariana on Rosie the Unicorn Does Gymnastics. Her work was outstanding and she was very responsive and helpful. We cannot recommend her enough! Thank you, Mariana, for everything. You're the best!
Mariana O.
Thank you so much, dear Lisa! Working with you and Marc was such a smooth and joyful experience. You made the entire process incredible, and I feel truly happy and grateful for your trust in me. I ...
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Megan K.

Megan K.

Dec, 2024

I don’t even know where to begin! I can’t imagine working with anyone but Mariana on my children’s books. She was fantastic to collaborate with from start to finish. When I saw her mockup, tears filled my eyes, and I knew she was THE ONE! She truly exceeded my expectations and everyone else's wor...
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Mariana O.
Meg, I have no words to thank you. I’m also incredibly happy with our collaboration and truly hope to always give my best to your books. Through this project, we’ve built more than just a professi...
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Most recent contributions

As a standard, how many concepts and rounds of revisions do you offer in your quote?

I love working closely with authors, making them an integral part of the process at every step. Typically, we begin with the sketch phase, during which I offer two free revisions. After that, we move on to approving the color palette together, and again, the author has the opportunity for two fre...
Read more

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