A studio service
How-to-draw books a child can follow.
The test of a how-to-draw book is the child's own drawing at the end. We break each subject into small steps from simple shapes, show the new lines clearly and leave room to practise.
N° 01Small steps
Small steps
Four to eight steps per subject, each adding only a few lines.
N° 02New lines stand out
New lines stand out
What to draw next is shown in a second colour or a darker line.
N° 03Space to draw
Space to draw
Practice space sits beside the steps or on the facing page.
N° 04A finished picture to aim for
A finished picture to aim for
Each lesson ends with the painted version in our watercolour look.
N° 05How it is made
How a book like this comes together.
01
Subjects in order of difficulty
The book starts with subjects made of two or three shapes. Later subjects reuse shapes from earlier lessons.
02
A page of basic shapes
An opening page can show the circles, ovals and lines the lessons use.
03
One grid for every lesson
The steps sit in the same positions in every lesson, so the child always knows where step one is.
04
Steps in plain line
The steps are drawn in a simple line a pencil can copy. Colour and texture are kept for the finished picture.
05
Each lesson is tested
Every step adds only a few lines. If a step asks for too much at once, it is split into two.
N° 06What goes wrong
Common mistakes, and how to avoid them.
01
A jump between steps
The classic fault is a step where half the drawing appears at once. Each step adds only a few lines.
02
A final picture that adds extras
If the finished picture has details the steps never taught, the child's drawing looks wrong beside it. The painted version follows the last step line for line.
03
Steps printed too small
New lines cannot be seen in a tiny step. The number of steps per page is limited so each one is large enough to read.
04
Guide lines that are never explained
Construction lines confuse a child if they stay in the drawing. They are drawn lighter and the step where they are erased is shown.
N° 07Your brief
What to send us to get started.
You do not need all of it. Send what you have and we will ask in writing for anything missing.
• The subject list, in order
• The age of the child
• How many steps you want per subject
• Examples of your own method, if you have one
• Where the practice space goes: beside the steps or on the facing page
• Trim size and where you plan to print
N° 08Peek inside
Pages like these.
Sample artwork made by Kompanie to show the kind of pages we make. Not client work.
N° 09Investment
Three packages, fixed prices.
Little Book
From $1,125
Board books, first-words books and short picture books. 4–5 weeks.
- Up to 2 characters, with a character sheet
- Up to 12 pages and 8 illustrations
- Cover illustration and title lettering
- One revision round on sketches
- Print-ready PDF and ebook cover
Picture Book
From $2,175
A full 32-page picture book. 6–8 weeks.
- Up to 3 characters, with character sheets
- 15 illustrations plus cover
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Endpapers and title page
- Print-ready PDF and fixed-layout ebook
Big Book
From $3,675
Longer books, nonfiction, cookbooks and books for older readers. 8–12 weeks.
- Up to 4 characters plus settings
- Up to 30 illustrations
- Diagrams, maps or step-by-step art where needed
- Two revision rounds per illustration
- Print-ready PDF, EPUB and fixed-layout ebook
Before you choose
What you get
- A fixed price for the scope listed
- Sketches or a first draft to approve before anything is final
- Print-ready and editable files, yours to keep
What we don’t do
- Writing or editing the story
- Printing and shipping
- ISBN, publishing account setup or marketing
- Translation
Extra pages, slides or revision rounds are quoted before we start them.
N° 10Questions
The answers we give most often.
- How many subjects fit a package?
- A Little Book covers up to 8 subjects. The Picture Book and Big Book packages cover longer subject lists; we count each subject's steps as one illustration set and confirm it in the quote.
- Can you follow my teaching method?
- Yes. Send examples of your steps and we draw in your style.
- Will pencil and crayon work on the paper?
- Paper is chosen by your printer. If children will draw in the book, ask for uncoated paper.
- Do you write the instructions for each step?
- Writing is not included. Steps are numbered and most need no words; any wording you want is set from the text you supply.
- Can the inside be black and white?
- Yes. The steps are line art and print well in black and white. The finished pictures can then appear in grey inside and in colour on the cover.
Start your book
Ready to make your book?
Tell us what you're making. You'll get a fixed price and a schedule within two business days.