Project case
A focused project built around practical decisions and constraints.
A small independent publisher approached me with a recurring problem: every season, their team struggled to coordinate illustration commissions, print deadlines, and festival appearances. The booking process lived in scattered emails and spreadsheets, and by the time a project reached the studio, the timeline was already tight.
The goal was straightforward — build a workflow that made seasonal planning visible, reduced back-and-forth, and gave everyone a clear sense of what was happening and when.
We started by listing every step between a commission request and the final delivery. That included initial briefs, reference gathering, sketch approvals, print checks, and the occasional last-minute change from a festival organiser. The key was to keep the process flexible enough for creative work while still setting firm checkpoints.
The final workflow had three clear phases: intake, production, and handoff. Each phase had a defined owner, a set of deliverables, and a buffer for revisions. We also agreed on a simple rule — no new commissions accepted after the 15th of the month before a major deadline.
The publisher adopted a shared calendar with colour-coded statuses for each commission. I set up a standard intake form that captured the essentials upfront: format, audience, deadline, and reference material. This cut the average briefing time from several emails to one focused conversation.
For my own studio, I created a simple checklist that follows each project from sketch to final file. It sounds basic, but it removed most of the friction that used to come from unclear expectations. The publisher now knows exactly when to expect proofs, and I know what information I need before I start drawing.
The most noticeable difference was in the quieter months. Instead of scrambling to fill the calendar, we could plan ahead and leave room for personal work and experimentation. The publisher also reported fewer missed deadlines and less stress around festival season.
The workflow is now a shared reference document that we revisit at the start of each season. It is not a rigid system — it adapts when a project needs something different. But having a clear structure in place means the exceptions are easier to handle.
The project produced a few practical tools that are still in use: a one-page intake form, a seasonal planning calendar, and a revision checklist. These are simple documents, but they carry the whole system. They are also easy to adjust, which is probably why they have lasted beyond the initial setup.
Client Feedback
Notes from publishers, festival organizers, and private clients on how the work landed in practice.
"The botanical series arrived with a clear note on the process, from the first ink studies to the final washes. That context helped us place the work in our spring catalogue without much back-and-forth."
Mara Venter
Editor, Fern & Field Press
"The festival posters were delivered in a tight timeline, and the files were organized exactly as our print team needed. The terracotta and sage palette translated well across both digital screens and large-format prints."
Thabo Nkosi
Programme Manager, Cape Town Arts Festival
"I commissioned a custom portrait as a gift. The initial sketch was shared within a week, and the final watercolor captured the subject's quiet expression better than any photograph I could have provided."
Sarah Botha
Private client, Port Elizabeth
Each collaboration starts with a short conversation about the intended use, the audience, and the timeline. That keeps the process straightforward and the final work useful beyond the initial brief.