This project pushed me well outside my usual workflow. While I had previously completed many illustration commissions including pet-focused work this was my first time producing a large volume of illustrations for a single client, spread across a long timeline of roughly ten months.

The scope of the project introduced several new challenges. I was responsible for creating twelve individual illustrations, one for each month, each detailed enough to be engaging while remaining suitable for colouring in. Balancing visual interest with simplicity proved more complex than expected.

Maintaining motivation over such a long production period became an important part of the process. To manage this, I worked with the client to introduce seasonal and holiday-themed pages, similar to those found in traditional calendars. These pages offered slightly more complexity and creative freedom, and I intentionally saved them for later in the process as milestones to look forward to when momentum slowed.

Because the illustrations were created intermittently over many months, consistency became a key focus. I carefully tracked line weight, rendering style, and compositional balance to ensure the pages felt cohesive as a complete set. A central visual constraint the “world in a jar” concept came from the client, inspired by a colouring book series they loved growing up.

Working within a predefined budget was another valuable learning experience. While the long timeline could have encouraged overworking each page, it reinforced the importance of managing time intentionally and respecting the boundaries of paid creative work.

From a design perspective, this project taught me a great deal about restraint. I initially underestimated how thin the line is between an engaging colouring page and a visually overwhelming one. As my understanding improved, I revisited and reworked several early illustrations to better align with the style and clarity I had developed later on.