Client
Pingo Doce
Year
01/04/2021
In 2021, we had the opportunity to work on an inspiring project for the Pingo Doce Prémio de Literatura Infantil contest in Portugal, a highly regarded competition that celebrates the best in children’s literature and illustration. Organized by Pingo Doce, this contest aimed to find fresh, compelling stories for young readers. The contest-winning script, Assim Como Tu, by writer Raquel Salgueiro, was our foundation. The challenge was clear: we would bring this heartfelt story to life in a way that would engage children, meet contest requirements, and showcase our capabilities in children’s illustration.
Our main goals were twofold: to create an illustration piece worthy of our portfolio and to gain recognition within Portugal’s illustration community. The contest offered a substantial prize and the chance to be seen by prominent industry figures, motivating us to put our best creative skills forward while expanding our expertise in children’s book illustration.
With the prize money and career impact as motivating factors, we took this opportunity to challenge ourselves artistically. Working during the pandemic, we used this time to focus intensively on developing our skills in this specialized field, creating the kind of work that we would be proud to share with clients, peers, and even our own families.
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While we were ultimately proud of the final illustrations, we realized there was an important lesson here about understanding client expectations. During the process, we researched the contest judges’ preferences and recognized that they leaned towards editorial-style illustrations. While our approach leaned more into a personal style that resonated with us, we saw the importance of aligning closely with the client’s or judges' tastes and the project’s specific goals. This realization underscored the need to balance creative expression with strategic alignment—a valuable takeaway for any illustrator working on commissioned pieces.
The final product was an illustrated children’s book that we felt genuinely proud of. Each page reflected our personal dedication, from character designs inspired by our own family to the vibrant color palettes designed to engage young readers. The project itself became a portfolio piece that we would not only share professionally but also read to our own children—a testament to the personal connection we felt to the work.
The final product was an illustrated children’s book that we felt genuinely proud of. Each page reflected our personal dedication, from character designs inspired by our own family to the vibrant color palettes designed to engage young readers. The project itself became a portfolio piece that we would not only share professionally but also read to our own children—a testament to the personal connection we felt to the work.
In creating the main character, we looked to personal inspiration, drawing from traits of a beloved family member. This added a layer of authenticity and charm to the illustrations that resonated throughout the project. We referenced the styles of well-known illustrators like Loish and Aveline Stokart, using their work as a foundation to build a style that would appeal to modern children’s audiences while remaining uniquely our own.
Although we didn’t win the contest, the experience was invaluable. It provided us with hands-on experience in children’s book production, improved our storytelling techniques, and expanded our portfolio in a meaningful way. Even more rewarding, the project directly led to our first client commission in children’s illustration, marking our entry into a field we felt passionate about. While we didn’t receive feedback from the contest organizers, we gained confidence, insights, and new opportunities from the project itself.