Illustrating a book series for a swimming school

I’ve been working on a book series called Adventures From Bluestone Island for a UK-based swimming school. My goal is to make swimming enjoyable, relatable, and exciting for young learners.

I started by creating the brand’s main characters during the visual identity phase — fun, friendly underwater creatures designed to help kids feel confident in the water. Now, I’m bringing those characters to life across a full series of stories.

Based on the map we created during the branding phase, our characters will journey from one location to another across Bluestone Island, discovering new swimming styles at each stop. The adventure begins at Bluestone Lagoon, where we meet our first character — Flo the Swimasaurus, a cheerful and curious guide who helps young swimmers take their very first strokes.

After gathering references, I jumped into sketching — the part where the story really comes to life.

I played with shapes, expressions, and poses to give each character a fun, friendly personality that kids can connect with.

When choosing colors, I focused on bright, cheerful palettes that reflect each animal’s unique traits. I kept the backgrounds soft and simple so the characters and action stay front and center.

This is just the beginning of the journey! In the next posts, I’ll introduce more characters, share design decisions from the Bluestone Island map, and give a closer look at how each location teaches a new swimming skill. I’m excited to keep sharing the process as the story unfolds.