Every journal cover starts as a rough idea, not a finished drawing — a mood, a phrase, a feeling we want the cover to carry before anyone's even opened the book. Here's what actually happens between that idea and the finished illustration.
Starting with a consultation, not a blank page
Before any illustration begins, we talk through what the piece needs to say — who it's for, what it's for, and what feeling it should leave someone with. This is the same first step we walk every custom illustration client through, whether it's a journal cover or a brand illustration: consultation before concept.
From consultation to concept
Once we know what the cover needs to carry, we sketch several directions rather than committing to one. Some lean literal, some lean abstract — seeing a few side by side is usually what makes the right direction obvious, both to us and to the person we're designing for.
Hand-drawn, not generated
Every illustration is drawn by hand before it's ever placed on a cover. That choice takes longer than picking a stock graphic, but it's also why no two Humanise covers feel interchangeable — each one carries the small imperfections that come from an actual hand doing the drawing.
Refining until it earns its place
A first draft rarely survives untouched. Line weight, spacing, how the illustration sits against the cover material — small adjustments at this stage are usually what separate a good cover from one that actually feels considered.
Where this comes from
This is the same process behind our Illustration services — custom, hand-drawn work for brands and packaging, not just our own journals. If you've got a project that needs an illustration built the same way, that page walks through what's included.
Frequently asked questions
How long does illustrating a cover take?
For a custom illustration project, we typically work within a 3–4 week window from consultation to final artwork — enough time to sketch, refine, and get it right rather than rush it.
Do you take custom illustration briefs from other brands, not just for Humanise products?
Yes — this is exactly what our Illustration services are for. Brand identity work, packaging illustration, and event collateral are all things we take on.
Is every illustration fully custom, or do you reuse elements?
Each brief starts from its own consultation and concept sketches — the goal is a piece built for that specific cover or brand, not a template with swapped colours.
Written by Shivani, founder of Humanise Studio.