Mariya V.

Hi, I'm Maria — a watercolor illustrator with 14+ years of experience and higher art education. My work has been featured on Behance in the Illustration category 🏆 I specialize in whimsical watercolor, hand-drawn illustrations for children's books, storybooks, kids magazines, educational materials, and apps. My style has been refined over years of practice — it's playful and colorful when a story calls for energy and fun, and soft and delicate when the mood asks for something quieter, more tender. That range is what makes each project feel truly its own. Watercolor is what I've been doing for almost my whole life. I work in both traditional and digital watercolor. When I paint traditionally — on real paper — I scan the artwork at high resolution and process it carefully, so you receive a print-ready file that keeps all the texture and warmth of the original painting. Character design is where my heart really is. I create cute and expressive characters for children's books, apps, websites, and stories — for kids and adults alike. As an illustrator, I'm always as happy as a child when a new character I've created goes out into the world and starts living its own life, helping and accompanying children or adults, teaching or entertaining, and bringing benefit to people. I carefully think through and develop each character's unique anatomy and create an emotion sheet. If you'd like, I can also prepare layered files for further animation. Another area I specialize in is custom portraits in a cartoon style, of people and animals, in watercolor (both digital and traditional). It's a wonderful way to turn a moment from life into art, keep it as a memory, or give it to someone close to you. Portraits aren't just for people and animals — houses can have portraits too. Architectural illustration and sketching are also among my skills. It could be a watercolor sketch of a home where you used to live or live now, or a drawing of an important place or building as a keepsake — something you can print and hang on your wall, smiling every time you walk past. I also design illustrated maps — cartoon-style, with cute details and a playful touch. Whether it's a map for a kids' camp, a festival, or a camping adventure, I love turning real places into whimsical little worlds. 👇 My skills include: ✅Watercolor illustration ✅Children's book/storybook ✅Character design ✅Cartoons ✅Custom watercolor portraits ✅Map illustration ✅Landscape illustration ✅Architectural sketch ✅Botanical illustration ✅Wildlife illustration If you're looking for a professional illustrator who cares about every detail — from the first sketch to the final files — I'd love to hear about your project. Whether you need a children's book illustrator, a character designer, or a freelance illustrator to bring your ideas to life, let's create something special together. I am happy that my work as an illustrator brings joy and benefit to people and makes the world a little bit more beautiful. Hope you like my vision and style :)