H
Helen Ridley
Guest
- Thread Author
- #1
We’re spotlighting our Publishing Category shortlist, showcasing compelling narrative illustrations that jump off the shelf.
Image Credit: David Sobon
This year our Publishing Category is sponsored by Rebelle, the award-winning, hyper-realistic painting software.
In this category we celebrate intricate handmade books using traditional techniques like concertina, pop ups and riso printing. Alongside best selling novels and cook books!
Our new talent and professional shortlist uses dynamic composition, playful techniques and impeccable attention to detail to create bold illustrations to encapsulate diverse stories.
Take a look at some of the shortlist highlights. And you can check out the full WIA2026 Shortlist on our projects page.
Gvales:
New Talent
The “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” was created as a graduation project. Fot the subject Gvales chose her favourite story – a medieval poem which contains a timeless theme: a coming of age, a story about person on their way of life, about overcoming obstacles and gaining lessons.
The main inspiration was medieval art such as manuscripts, icons, and elements of architecture; it was combined with her own style, in which she give importance to composition, colours and symbolism.
Gvales is an illustrator who specialises in book design, based in France
Click Here To See The Full Project
Sanny Winters:
Professional
In a world filled with negativity, I created an alphabet of love—because love is what remains when all else fades. This book pairs each letter with beautiful literary excerpts.
Visual artist Sanny Winters shapes every letter into an icon: from the fiery, entwined H of ‘Horny’ to the beak-linked B of ‘Lovebirds’. Using only red, black, and white, she celebrates love in all its forms.
Sanny Winters is a visual artist based in Belgium
Click Here To See The Full Project
Professional
The aim of the zine was to celebrate the beauty of natural patterns while exploring variations among species found at different sea depths.
The illustrations were originally drawn with pen on paper, then digitally edited for screen printing. Ultramarine blue was added to create depth and emphasize their marine origins. Printed double-sided in an accordion-fold zine, the format allows continuous reading while reducing paper waste. The work was created in collaboration with the Thai screenprinter, The Archivist.
nnene.iie is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Click Here To See The Full Project
Daniela Fragoso:
New Talent
Daniela made Desencuentros as her final project for her illustration class as part of her undergraduate degree.
The goal was to create a wordless illustrated sequence that would spark an emotional reaction from readers, and print it as a fanzine using a risograph machine.
Daniela is an illustrator based in Mexico
Click Here To See The Full Project
Anaïs Herd-Smith:
Professional
This project was commissioned by MSD and Addiction Agency for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The brief was to create an educational and accessible book about the prevention of triple-negative breast cancer. Anais designed an illustrated book using cut paper, with a colourful and poetic visual language true to her universe. The central pop-up spread was created to clearly illustrate symptoms and prevention methods through a valley of stylised breasts.
Anais Herd-Smith is an illustrator based in France
Click Here To See The Full Project
Tessa Eckstein:
Professional
What experiences do we make with shame? What is considered “normal”? How can it be made visible? Tessa wanted to answer these questions through the real experiences of shame among female-socialized individuals.
Using almost shameless illustration, comics, and nonfiction texts, it explores experiences of shame related to body image, identity, and family, all the way to love and sexuality.
Tessa is an illustrator based in Germany
Click Here To See The Full Project
Víctor Escandell:
Professional
This graphic novel “Y un día. Formentera 1940” was born from a vital need to shed light on a dark period in Spanish history, the post-war period following the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in the Balearic Islands.
Victor created the illustrations for the comic. Writers Vicente Ferrer and Carles Torres wrote the scripts for the 15 chapters, and historian Toni Ferrer provided historical advice.
Victor is an illustrator based in Spain
Click Here To See The Full Project
Professional
These illustrations are from David’s fourth published non-fiction children’s picture book about the history of tea.
The book follows tea from myths and early origins to modern tables around the world. Through playful illustrations and storytelling, it explains how a simple leaf became one of the world’s most beloved drinks. David created the research, text, design, and illustrations himself.
David is an illustrator based in Slovakia
Click Here To See The Full Project
You can explore the full WIA2026 Shortlist and Illustrator Interviews on our Projects page..
Image Credit: David Sobon
This year our Publishing Category is sponsored by Rebelle, the award-winning, hyper-realistic painting software.
In this category we celebrate intricate handmade books using traditional techniques like concertina, pop ups and riso printing. Alongside best selling novels and cook books!
Our new talent and professional shortlist uses dynamic composition, playful techniques and impeccable attention to detail to create bold illustrations to encapsulate diverse stories.
Take a look at some of the shortlist highlights. And you can check out the full WIA2026 Shortlist on our projects page.
Gvales:
Sir Gawain and The Green Knight
New Talent
The “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” was created as a graduation project. Fot the subject Gvales chose her favourite story – a medieval poem which contains a timeless theme: a coming of age, a story about person on their way of life, about overcoming obstacles and gaining lessons.
The main inspiration was medieval art such as manuscripts, icons, and elements of architecture; it was combined with her own style, in which she give importance to composition, colours and symbolism.
Gvales is an illustrator who specialises in book design, based in France
Click Here To See The Full Project
Sanny Winters:
LOVE LETTERS
Professional
In a world filled with negativity, I created an alphabet of love—because love is what remains when all else fades. This book pairs each letter with beautiful literary excerpts.
Visual artist Sanny Winters shapes every letter into an icon: from the fiery, entwined H of ‘Horny’ to the beak-linked B of ‘Lovebirds’. Using only red, black, and white, she celebrates love in all its forms.
Sanny Winters is a visual artist based in Belgium
Click Here To See The Full Project
nnene.iie: Ocean Polka
Professional
The aim of the zine was to celebrate the beauty of natural patterns while exploring variations among species found at different sea depths.
The illustrations were originally drawn with pen on paper, then digitally edited for screen printing. Ultramarine blue was added to create depth and emphasize their marine origins. Printed double-sided in an accordion-fold zine, the format allows continuous reading while reducing paper waste. The work was created in collaboration with the Thai screenprinter, The Archivist.
nnene.iie is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Click Here To See The Full Project
Daniela Fragoso:
Desencuentros (Dis-encounters)
New Talent
Daniela made Desencuentros as her final project for her illustration class as part of her undergraduate degree.
The goal was to create a wordless illustrated sequence that would spark an emotional reaction from readers, and print it as a fanzine using a risograph machine.
Daniela is an illustrator based in Mexico
Click Here To See The Full Project
Anaïs Herd-Smith:
Histoires de Seins – A Pop-Up Book for Breast Cancer Awareness
Professional
This project was commissioned by MSD and Addiction Agency for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The brief was to create an educational and accessible book about the prevention of triple-negative breast cancer. Anais designed an illustrated book using cut paper, with a colourful and poetic visual language true to her universe. The central pop-up spread was created to clearly illustrate symptoms and prevention methods through a valley of stylised breasts.
Anais Herd-Smith is an illustrator based in France
Click Here To See The Full Project
Tessa Eckstein:
Blush Girl/An Exploration Of Female* Shame
Professional
What experiences do we make with shame? What is considered “normal”? How can it be made visible? Tessa wanted to answer these questions through the real experiences of shame among female-socialized individuals.
Using almost shameless illustration, comics, and nonfiction texts, it explores experiences of shame related to body image, identity, and family, all the way to love and sexuality.
Tessa is an illustrator based in Germany
Click Here To See The Full Project
Víctor Escandell:
Y Un Día. Formentera 1940
Professional
This graphic novel “Y un día. Formentera 1940” was born from a vital need to shed light on a dark period in Spanish history, the post-war period following the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in the Balearic Islands.
Victor created the illustrations for the comic. Writers Vicente Ferrer and Carles Torres wrote the scripts for the 15 chapters, and historian Toni Ferrer provided historical advice.
Victor is an illustrator based in Spain
Click Here To See The Full Project
David Sobon: History Of Tea
Professional
These illustrations are from David’s fourth published non-fiction children’s picture book about the history of tea.
The book follows tea from myths and early origins to modern tables around the world. Through playful illustrations and storytelling, it explains how a simple leaf became one of the world’s most beloved drinks. David created the research, text, design, and illustrations himself.
David is an illustrator based in Slovakia
Click Here To See The Full Project
You can explore the full WIA2026 Shortlist and Illustrator Interviews on our Projects page..