Creating Custom Holiday Illustrations for a FlowArt Coloring Book

I’m excited to share a recent commission I completed for Lifelines: a holiday coloring book packed with custom illustrations and hand-lettered messages designed for the brand’s FlowArt™ format. This project let me combine two of my favorite disciplines—vector line art and hand lettering—to build pages that are joyful, legible, and ready for kids (and kids-at-heart) to trace and color.

What is FlowArt (in a nutshell)

FlowArt

is an interactive coloring experience where a special light-activated marker reveals traceable line art before you color it in. For artists, that means designing illustrations that read clearly when “revealed,” then hold up beautifully once colored. It’s a fun design puzzle with practical production constraints—right up my alley.

The creative brief

Lifelines asked for winter scenes, cozy seasonal icons (think ornaments, scarves, mugs, snowflakes), and short, uplifting hand-lettered messages. The tone needed to feel festive without skewing too busy, and every page had to balance clarity, readability, and delight.

Illustration approach: clarity first

Because the artwork is traced, I prioritized clean vector line art with consistent weights, generous negative space, and clear silhouettes. I sketched in Procreate, then refined in Illustrator to ensure smooth curves and precise anchors. Motifs were simplified into graphic shapes so they’re recognizable at a glance—important for children’s activity design where confidence and flow matter.

Key decisions:

• Line weights: Calibrated for crisp reveals and comfortable tracing.

• Shape language: Reduced detail where needed to avoid visual noise.

• Focal points: Compositions guide the eye from headline lettering to supporting elements.

Hand lettering: message and rhythm

For the hand-lettered phrases, I built a hierarchy that reads instantly, even in partial reveal moments. Headlines have strong rhythm and spacing; secondary words and flourishes support the message without competing. I aimed for a balance of clarity and character—expressive enough to feel festive, restrained enough to trace easily.

Production and file prep

Deliverables were built as production-ready vectors with organized layers, consistent stroke styles, and print-safe layouts. I provided page variations and placement options to help the team slot artwork into the FlowArt™ structure efficiently. The result: files that move smoothly from studio to prepress.

Collaboration with Lifelines

This was a true team effort. Lifelines’ feedback helped dial in the coloring-book pacing and the mix of motifs across pages. Quick review cycles kept momentum high, and reference boards ensured the final set hit the right notes for educational play and seasonal cheer.

The final result

The finished book—Illuminate & Create: Winter Cheer—pairs custom holiday illustrations with hand lettering to create pages that are satisfying to reveal and color. It’s thoughtful, playful, and built for hands-on creativity, which makes me especially proud of how the system works from page to page.

Takeaways

Designing for interactive coloring sharpened my focus on legibility, composition, and user experience. If your brand needs custom illustrations, hand lettering, or vector line art tailored to activity books, kits, packaging, or education-forward products, I’d love to help shape a system that’s beautiful and functional.

Interested in a similar commission?Get in touch to discuss scope, timelines, and deliverables. I’m happy to share a concise proposal and sample pages tailored to your brief.