Mike Cañas

Mike Cañas – Designer

Freelance Illustrator specializing in children’s books and character design who loves to tell stories that will make you laugh!

Overview

Hello! I’m an illustrator located in Walnut, California. My style in a mixture of my love for children’s storybooks with a bit of a comic book influence. I especially love to tackle humorous subject matters as making others laugh brings me great joy! My love of humor, however, does not mean I won’t work super hard for you. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I truly enjoy the process of creating images that tell a story and also compliment any other elements that may appear on the final page, such as text. I’m also very detail oriented, almost to a fault, which ensures that I will give you exactly what you asked for.


I am currently a freelance illustrator working hard to make a career out of what I am truly passionate about—Illustration. Being a father of 2 little ones keeps me full of creative energy and also gives me an in with my target audience, who can be quite honest with me if they do or do not like what I am creating. I would love to work with you to bring your project to life, so let’s get out there and do it!


Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Comics & Graphic Novels Humor & Comedy Picture Books
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction Comics Non-Fiction Education & Reference
Languages
English
Certifications
  • California State University, Fullerton BFA - Illustration 2009

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2018 — Present

Walter Foster

Aug, 2010 — Aug, 2012 (about 2 years)

Interned at Walter Foster Publishing right after college. I worked on several in house projects in house. After my Internship I was hired to help Illustrate two "How to draw" books and also worked on two collaborations with Barnes & Noble.

Self-employed

Aug, 2010 — Present

Portfolio

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Cover Design Illustration Typography
Cover Design Illustration Typography
Made with Reedsy
When I Was A Baby, I Went Up To Space

Kimsly, Ezra Dutch

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Cooper Can Save

McKay, Danielle Lyn

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Puppy the Guppy

Allen, Tami

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Blue Rhapsody

Pomeroy, James

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Go Out And Play Soccer

Avadhani, Disha

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Gus & Major: Obedience School

Brinkley, Jorrel

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Emma and the Championship Game

Garza, Monica

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design
Made with Reedsy
Eat Like a Dinosaur

Speller, Jennifer

Cover Design Illustration Typography Book Interior Design

Mike has 14 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jeff F.

Jeff F.

Jan, 2024

Mike took my inspiration and created exactly what I was picturing. I cannot wait to see the final results - the initial sketches looked wonderful. jeff
Lamar G.

Lamar G.

Aug, 2023

Thank you, Mike, for making this book a reality. Your artwork and vision for taking a story and creating visuals for people to see are second to none. I look forward to the many more books I have lined up and am currently writing for you to illustrate for me. Mike is upfront, accepting of change, patient, and thoughtful to the authors feelings and wishes. If you have a story, you want tol...
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Lamar G.

Lamar G.

Aug, 2023

Poor Mike, had to deal with my 1,000 changes but let me tell you that Mike delivered and produced something original and amazing that blew my mind away. Mike's work is exceptional, imaginative and will shock the world. I will definitely work with Mike on many future projects!
Ginny E.

Ginny E.

Jul, 2023

An extremely talented artist!
Lamar G.

Lamar G.

Apr, 2023

Mike is an awesome illustrator, and his imagination is really from outer space, which is why I believe he can come up with characters that look amazing. I think when children read this story they will fall in love. For all those reading this, Mike's work is amazing and will bring any story you have to life so don't hesitate to hire him. Thank you, Mike, and don't take on too many more assi...
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