Now open for 2026 book projects! Download my tearsheet portfolio here!

QUICK GUIDE TO COMMISSIONING

I offer a range of cartoons services!

A children's book watercolour illustration by Dotti Colvin of a blond headed boy and a big brown dog. The boy is holding and egg and talking to the dog who has his tongue hanging out.
  • Character design and development
  • Complete BOOK service from manuscript to print-ready illustrated books
  • Cartoons and animated gifs for blogs and promotion.
  • Plus guidance for Indie authors on self publishing.

I am VERY happy to chat with you about your project, in fact it’s essential before we work together. However, to get the best out of your chat time, I’ve put together a quick guide and some questions which will help you to get one step closer to realising your project.

QUICK START - Guide to commissioning

3 min read

The secret is to know what you want, and what your budget is. ( Yep, I don’t work for free or for Prosecco haha that would be nice)

Once you know what is involved, you can ask and pay for things you understand.

See here for a full list of my services.

Thanks!

First, a few questions to ask yourself.

What kind of illustrations are you after?

My work is character based. Energetic, chaotic, and full of life. I love drawing characters, so if that’s what you need then stick around! If you want landscapes and tranquil, ethereal images, you are in the wrong place, but you probably understood that. LOL. 

What is it for?

That might sound obvious, it’s just a picture right? But where are you going to use it?  In a book, a magazine, for social media, for merchandise, or just for your wall ? This affects the size and pricing and the licensing.

Which style and finish do you want?

 I draw in my own style, but I can draw in sketchy pencil, ink or full colour. 

  • Which one of my drawings led you here?
  • Have a think whether you prefer colour or black and white?
  • What age range are you aiming at?
  • How many characters do you have? 
  • WARNING: If you only want me to copy someone else’s work, then please leave by the nearest exit.

What can you afford?

Well, how much does it cost? The million dollar question! Well, it doesn’t cost a million but you need a decent budget. I may well ask you what budget you have in mind, then we can see what is achievable.

Bear in mind that in general a 32 page children’s picture book costs anything from £5000 upwards as these are FULLY illustrated. But a beautiful picture book can sell 100,000s of copies!

Panel cartoons for magazine and print range from £125 – £300

Many things affect pricing but I always break down my quotes so you can see why things cost what they do. I have no reason to use smoke and mirrors and am happy to explain things.

If you book me in for a chat I will send you my cost calculator where you can play with the variables to hit your budget.

Below there are a few illustrations and an explanation of the differences to give you a general guide on what you need to ask.

Explanation of terms

Spot Illustrations

Focusing on the action or character without a background. 

dotti colvin cartoonist laughing

Full page colour Illustrations

These are generally more involved and include background details or many more characters. They can be either half page, full page or double page and range in price depending on the amount of characters and details present.

IMPORTANT: If you need more than one image for a blog series or an illustrated book, the price is calculated on a ‘per job’ basis rather than individual images. This will work out cheaper per image for much longer projects .

A double page children's illustration by Dotti Colvin showing a hallway of a family house with photos on the wall of all of the family members. The wallpaper has a colourful egg pattern and there are postcards and newspapers on the sideboard.

MOVE THE SLIDER! 

Happy client reviews

Frances MackayAuthor 'Baby Worries'
Great job thanks - had a good laugh! ... ...I can see you are having fun with it - which is great. You are amazeballs! You really capture the essence of it and how funny it can be in the right hands! Well done you.
Lizzie DaviesCEO @freelancemagic.co
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! This is so good and exactly what I was hoping for 😀 I can absolutely use this as it is and I think it will go perfectly with the content of the post.  I can't stop looking at it! 
Suzanne AndrewsAuthor and Coach @nitasworld.co
I want to read our book and look at it again and again since your images are so delightfully clever, calm, whacky and wild. Just incredible. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!. .... you are a magician!!
Rob AndersonCreative Director | Bigman Animation
"Highly recommended!! I have worked with Dotti many times over the years. She is right at the very top of my list of people to work with on projects, as any job she is involved in is far stronger for her input. A fantastic creative talent!"
Trish M.Creative Director | Sapphire Moon
I’ve worked with lots of artists at my ad agency over the past 35 years. Dotti is exceptional! She is outrageously talented, customer focused, creative, communicative and a ton of fun. Her great sense of humor shows in her cartoons and interactions. Dotti’s a keeper if you want concepts turned into masterpieces!
Lorraine StanleyCEO | S.W.A.D
We LOVE opening up your images - they never fail to put a smile on our faces!!!
Carey WaiteAuthor | Lance and The Boiled Egg
When we started I had no idea what any of the characters looked like and now they seem like real people. I know all about them and what they would do in a particular situation.  Thanks for that!
Karen CraneCEO | The Puppet Tree SE
This is a balm to my soul! Seriously Dotti... I have noticed all the finer details you have worked on and it looks 'ethereal'! THANK you a zillion times... YOU are making SUCH a difference!
Cindy RellaFounder | Rella's Strength and Wellness HUB
Oh, they are perfect! I've shown everyone today and they all said you have captured the boys perfectly. 

Whee! How do I get a quote?

Have a chat!

Because there are many variables, a chat is very useful and a great chance for you to ask your questions.

It’s also a way to make sure we are both human and can communicate with clarity and respect.

Send me a message and I can book you in for a quick 15 minute chat. ( free!)

I also offer a deeper 60 minute creative consultancy for £60 where we deep dive into YOUR project and get all your questions answered. The costs of which will be deducted off any future commissions.

Once we’ve had a chat I can give you a proper written quote for your project.

Trust is important and contracts are better...

Maybe you are nervous about showing me your manuscript as it’s such a great idea and you don’t want anyone to steal it.  I understand. I’ve read many manuscripts and you can trust me, but to reassure you I am very happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement which protects it against plagiarism.

Thanks for taking your time to consider things properly. If you are ready, then I am sitting here with my pencil, waiting for your call. Honest. Not at the pub at all…

Thanks so much!

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE ILLUSTRATIONS

an animated gif by Dotti Colvin of a ink drawing of a book dancing, on a pink background. The book is very happy and has eyes and is smiling.

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