Ambient Illustrations for your books, maps and more.

Explore the unique worlds Daniel creates for self-publishers and indie studios

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What I offer

I create artistic, atmospheric visuals

 From book covers to landscape, abstract, and cosmic illustrations — blending experimental

textures, fractals, and cinematic depth into immersive, emotionally charged imagery.

Custom Book Covers

Ambient, textured artworks, crafted specifically for your story.

Landscape Illustrations

Raw, cinematic environments filled with depth and mood.

Abstract Artwork

Texture-driven, experimental visuals built from fractals, organic structures, and layered forms.

Space & Cosmic Art

Expansive, vast worlds ranging from deep-space abstractions to ethereal cosmic environments.

Work process

How we work together

1. Request and early ideas

Briefing of your request, discussing details of the contract. After the contract is signed by both parties, early ideas are brainstormed and discussed.

2. Thumbnails and Moodboard

Thumbnails and Moodboard for placing elements and searching for the best composition. This is typically done in black and white and in a rough manner.

3. Refinement Process

After the decision for a thumbnail that works best for the final cover, it would go into the stage of refinement and creating the final rendering.

4. Typography and Layout

Once the cover art is done or in a stage of getting done, the graphic design aspect with choosing fonts with the client and making them flow with the overall theme of the book would come into place. Optional material worked on afterwards.

faq

Common Questions

  • What are your business hours?

    I work on my own time schedules during the week, so there are not exactly fixed working hours. On weekends I do not do any kind of work. Exception would be a tight schedule or if something is very urgent.

    Usually, I do not look at my mails after 6:00 PM CET Time Zone.

  • How frequent are updates/status for feedback?

    In my business I send updates and ask for feedback on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, depending on the workload or if something is urgent.

  • What if the formats I got are off?

    Sometimes it happens that formats are slightly off, so the solution to that is just adjusting it to the needed formats, which the client can provide by testing the cover format at the desired publishing house. This can also happen, when the final page count is not yet known and then the artwork can be adjusted to the final format.

  • What software do you use?

    I mainly use Photoshop and Indesign. At some point Affinity Photo and Affinity Publisher. I also often times use Mandelbulb 3D and Chaotica Studio to create fractal renderings that were used for environments as a base to work on. I also lean more and more towards Krita.


    In terms of Map Design, I now look into Wonderdraft and Dungeondraft.

  • Do you use any A.I. in your work?

    I don’t use A.I. for anything I create myself, and I have no plans to start. Some of the assets I use for map making come from third-party packs, and I can’t say for certain whether A.I. was involved or not in making those. Also in one case a client wanted me to use provided material generated by him, be it for reference or using part of those to implement in the artwork. If you want a project that’s completely A.I.-free, just let me know—I’ll make sure only fully hand-crafted assets are used.

  • What payment methods are available?

    Mainly Stripe is used. Paypal can be used as an alternative, if needed.

  • Do you just use digital painting or do you use other mediums or tools?

    I use a high variety of tools and techniques to create the worlds for your book. These include custom brushes, third-party assets, photo textures, 3D-Fractals and more.

  • Since you do map design, would you also work on board game projects?

    If that opportunity would come, I would gladly take it, as it looks like that map making will become a bigger part in my portfolio.

ABOUT ME

I create best in stillness.

My work style:


My work place at home is where I can fully immerse myself into the worlds I create.
I’m drawn to roughness, abstraction, atmospheric depth, and the joy of exploring and experimentation.


Fractals, textures, and organic patterns, combining them with cinematic light to build images is what I do everytime.

My work is not polished for perfection — it’s shaped for growth and authenticity.


Perfect, to be imperfect!

A bit about myself:


  • Learned Communication Design at BTK Berlin( 2010 - 2013 )
  • Worked for a couple small indie game studios at the beginning of my career and was in a design studio inhouse for a short time
  • Discovered my passion for landscapes and environments very early on at art school
  • Did some cover art for Science and Nature Magazine in collaboration with Mount Visual
  • Worked on exhibition art for Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe
  • Later on at 2018, I decided to go for Cover Design. I was at Reedsy.com from 2018 - 2024
  • Liking to explore and experiment with fractals, which to use as a base to work on
  • For clear and structural work, I prefer to use email messaging. This I have been doing successfully for the most part of my freelancing career( since 2014 )

My Visual Style

I rarely create “clean” visuals

My images are shaped by rough textures, depth, and a cinematic sense of space.


I prefer going wild on the canvas, letting myself go with the flow.

Why My Visual Worlds Work

The Journey is the Destination!

Atmospheric Depth

I create images that communicate feeling through environment and mood — whether landscapes, cosmic spaces, or abstract forms.

Cinematic Composition

Wide perspectives, a sense of depth, and strong contrasts — visuals that feel like they belong to another world.

Experimental Fractals & Textures

I mix fractals, grains, rough surfaces, organic structures, and abstract layers to shape visuals you won’t find in standard design workflows.

Vibrant Colour Palettes

Colors are chosen for mood and resonance, not trend — sometimes unusual and surreal.

What You Can Expect

A focused, calm, and thoughtful collaboration

- A focused, calm, and thoughtful collaboration

- Work created in a quiet home environment, occasionally with heavy metal though :D

- Unique, non-generic images

- A signature style rooted in rawness, texture, and abstraction

Pricing

Find the best plan for your project

Cover Illustration Only

( Does not include title/author typography or print-ready formatting!

Individual offers and discounts are possible! )

Dark Legacies cover showing a mech facing a large ominous structure with twisted trees and mist in a gothic landscape

580 EUR

For debut authors who need strong ebook cover art.


  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 visual cover concepts
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting and atmosphere
  • Professional color grading to enhance mood and genre cues
  • Optimized for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and major ebook platforms
  • High-resolution front cover artwork
  • 2 structured revision rounds



Delivery:


  • Final cover provided in JPG and PNG formats
  • Ebook front cover art only

Epic fantasy scene of a fortress on mountains with adventurers below and a colossal dragon roaring atop under a stormy sky

780 EUR

Full paperback cover art wrap, best for print authors.


  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 visual cover concepts
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting, textures, and atmosphere
  • Professional color grading to enhance mood and genre cues
  • Optimized for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and other major print platforms
  • High-resolution artwork for front, spine, and back cover
  • 2 structured revision rounds


Delivery:


  • Final cover art provided in JPG  and PNG files or files of your choice
  • Complete paperback cover artwork only (Front, Spine, Back)

Cover of Afterburn showing a flaming eye in space with a burned planet in its pupil against a dark starry background

995 EUR

Complete cover art package


  • Includes everything from both packages
  • Ensures your book looks professional in all formats
  • Delivered files of your choice
  • Artworks in optimized sizes for additional typography/layout/lettering

Pricing

Cover Design Packages

( Title/Author typography or print-ready formatting included!

Individual offers and discounts are possible! )

Dark Legacies cover showing a mech facing a large ominous structure with twisted trees and mist in a gothic landscape

650 EUR

For debut authors who need a strong ebook cover design.


  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 visual cover concepts
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting and atmosphere
  • Professional color grading to enhance mood and genre cues
  • Optimized for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and major publishing platforms
  • High-resolution front cover artwork
  • 2 structured revision rounds
  • Custom typography designed specifically for your project
  • Research and selection of suitable fonts that match the book’s mood and audience
  • 3 font variation concepts for review
  • Seamless integration with your ebook

Delivery:


  • Final cover provided in the formats you need e. g. jpeg, png, tiff, pdf.
  • Ebook front cover design only

Epic fantasy scene of a fortress on mountains with adventurers below and a colossal dragon roaring atop under a stormy sky

930 EUR

Full paperback cover art and design wrap, best for print authors.


  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 visual cover concepts
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting, textures, and atmosphere
  • Professional color grading to enhance mood and genre cues
  • Optimized for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, and other major publishing platforms
  • High-resolution artwork and design for front, spine, and back cover
  • 2 structured revision rounds
  • Custom typography designed specifically for your project
  • Research and selection of suitable fonts that match the book’s mood and audience
  • 3 font variation concepts for review
  • Print-ready files, fully adjusted for spine width, bleed, and cover formatting
  • Seamless integration with your paperback cover

Delivery:


  • Final cover provided in the formats or your desire e. g. jpeg, png, tiff, pdf.
  • Complete paperback cover design (Front, Spine, Back)

Cover of Afterburn showing a flaming eye in space with a burned planet in its pupil against a dark starry background

1280 EUR

Get both ebook and paperback covers with cohesive design and consistent branding.


  • Includes everything from both packages
  • Ensures your book looks professional in all formats
  • Maintains consistent style, mood, and genre cues

Graphic formats in different varieties

Options that can be added:

  • Hardcover: + 50 EUR
  • Dust Jacket: + 50 EUR
  • Audiobook Cover: + 50 EUR
  • 3D-Mockups( 5 different views ): + 150 EUR
  • Social Media Cover Photos: + 80 EUR
  • Social Media Adverts: + 80 EUR
  • Ads for Web and Emailing( 10x formats ): + 80 EUR

Pricing

Map Illustration and Design

( Typography/Layout included!

Individual offers and discounts are possible! )

Dark Legacies cover showing a mech facing a large ominous structure with twisted trees and mist in a gothic landscape

450 - 600 EUR


  • Pure black & white OR single-tone (sepia, etc.)
  • Basic continent/island layout
  • Simple terrain indication (mountains, forests, coastlines)
  • 15-25 labeled locations
  • Basic compass rose
  • Clean, straightforward style
  • 1 revision round

Price varies based on complexity and number of locations.

Epic fantasy scene of a fortress on mountains with adventurers below and a colossal dragon roaring atop under a stormy sky

750 - 950 EUR


  • Colored water/seas (blues, greens)
  • Parchment-toned landmasses
  • Monochrome terrain details (black ink or sepia)
  • Detailed continent/archipelago mapping
  • Multiple terrain types with texture detail
  • 30-50 labeled locations
  • Custom decorative compass rose
  • Moderate decorative elements
  • 2 revision rounds

Price varies based on map size, detail level, and location count

Cover of Afterburn showing a flaming eye in space with a burned planet in its pupil against a dark starry background

1000 - 1300 EUR


  • Full color palette throughout
  • Colored water AND colored terrain
  • Rich colored detail (green forests, brown mountains, yellow deserts, etc.)
  • Detailed continent/archipelago mapping
  • Multiple terrain types with texture detail
  • 30-50 labeled locations
  • Custom decorative compass rose
  • Moderate decorative elements
  • 2 revision rounds

Price varies based on map size, detail level, and location count

Pricing

Artworks / Illustration Packages

Quantity discount applies to illustrations!

Every 10th unit, there is a 10% discount on each illustration. Caps at 70%


Example: 30x illustrations = 30% discount each unit.


( Individual offers and discounts are possible! )

Brush-stroke illustration of rolling grassy hills with a small figure kneeling in agony, evoking isolation and emotion

300 - 450 EUR

  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 concept drafts to explore visual possibilities
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Basic, rough, sketch-like style
  • Expressionistic and very paint-like
  • Color correction
  • Technical optimization for your desired formats (print, web, social media, etc.)
  • High-resolution, original sized artwork
  • 2 structured revision rounds



Delivery:


  • Final files in JPG and PNG formats
  • Fully optimized for all requested platforms

Abstract illustration ‘Camp of the Enemy’ with dark jagged shapes and textured brush strokes evoking chaos and danger

500 - 800 EUR

  • Creative direction & early concept development
  • 1–3 concept drafts to explore visual possibilities
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting, textures, and atmosphere
  • Professional color correction and atmospheric grading adjustments
  • Technical optimization for your desired formats (print, web, social media, etc.)
  • Original ultra-high-resolution artwork
  • 2 structured revision rounds



Delivery:


  • Final files in JPG and PNG formats
  • Fully optimized for all requested platforms

Fantasy map of Caelunarra showing mountains, forests, rivers, and labeled regions in a detailed hand-drawn style

850 - 1200 EUR

  • In-depth creative direction & brainstorming
  • 1–3 fully developed concept drafts
  • High-quality, custom image creation (no generic templates)
  • Cinematic compositing with detailed lighting, textures, and atmosphere
  • Professional color correction and atmospheric grading adjustments
  • Technical optimization for all desired formats (print, web, social media, advertising, etc.)
  • Original ultra-high-resolution artwork, optimized for large-scale print and digital use
  • 2 structured revision rounds (expandable upon request)
  • Optional integration with series branding or marketing campaigns



Delivery:


  • Final files in JPG and PNG formats
  • Fully optimized for all requested platforms

Payment via Stripe


Stripe charges transaction fees as the following:


Standard cards within the EEA: 1,5 % + 0,25 €

Premium cards within the EEA: 1,9 % + 0,25 €


International payments by cards of the UK: 2,5 % + 0,25 €, + 2%, if currency conversion is required.

International payments by foreign cards: 3,25 % + 0,25 €, + 2%, if currency conversion is required.

I always let payments to be made in installments, so that it can be managed in a flexible way. Usually I split the installments in several parts, but if the price is reaching a critical point for an individual, I grant the price to be paid in a monthly matter. Of course those payment plans can be changed, if the client is able to pay much faster than expected. The last installment is not neccessarily equal to the estimated finishing date, which means that the finishing date can be planned independently.


Do not hesitate to ask, if anything is unclear. If you are interested and would like to work with me or have any questions regarding my service or work, please feel free to send me a request.

I am based in Germany so my design skills can be offered in both German(native) and English(fluent).

I look forward to your projects!


Send Request

Testimonials

What Clients Say:

” Daniel was a pleasure to work with. He was very knowledgeable and patient with me as a newbie. I never felt like I was asking too many questions as he was very happy to provide answers. My cover is very cool and I can’t wait to collaborate with him again soon on the sequel!

D. Andrews

Commission: Afterburn

Via Reedsy.com



”Daniel designed a superb cover for my book. He communicated with me throughout all of the process, and was always keen on aligning both our visions throughout the production of the cover. He frequently sent "Work In Progress" files and took feedback very intently. The result was an amazing cover that got me genuinely impressed. I fully recommend his work.

Victor Klayin

Commission: Death's Flow

Via Reedsy.com



”Daniel's illustrations for my book are absolutely spectacular, each and every one! They have added an indescribable allure and magic to my poetry which has been unbelievably mind-blowing. Daniel was also a gem to work with, always communicating in great detail about any changes in pictures and schedules. His approach is positive and supportive at all times, a delight. I am so grateful to have had the good fortune to work with such an awesome and talented collaborator!

Corey Elizabeth Jackson

Commission: Death Kindly Stopped For Me

Via Reedsy.com




“He did wonderful. Exceeded my expectations, and I will definitely hire him on for the rest of the series since I can see the passion that he puts into his artwork.”

T.D. Ward

Commission:  Rewyn - The Amnesiac

Via Reedsy.com



“This is not my first review for Daniel, and I hope it won't be the last either. Daniel is such a great person to work with. Excellent art, speedy delivery, professional attitude, and the patience of a saint to boot! Seriously, he's your guy!”

T. A. Bruno

Commission: At the Threshold of the Universe

Via Reedsy.com


“Really enjoyed working with Daniel! He was communicative and professional, fostering a collaborative process with frequent check-ins.”

Michael Woodworth

Commission: Cityscape Illustration

Via Reedsy.com


“Daniel produced work of extremely high quality in a timely fashion. He worked with me extensively to determine what I wanted and then quickly produced an initial design and then immediately responded to all of my feedback and suggestions. There may be less expensive designers to work with, but you get what you pay for when you try to do things on the cheap. If you want the best possible work, I think it is more than worth the money to hire Daniel.”

Ric Simmons

Commission: Diary Of A Chronic Suicide

Via Reedsy.com



Daniel was an incredible resource and provided valuable insight on the cover he created for me. In addition, his communication was outstanding, answering all of my questions while delivering my requested materials without any delay. I would (and hopefully will) work with Daniel again on future books.”

Brendan OMeara

Commission: Cut From Stone

Via Reedsy.com



“This is my second collaboration with Daniel and it's been amazing see what he can bring a described vision through illustration. After our first cover art appointment, I had such a great experience and admired Daniel's cover art so much, that I asked for a stand alone illustration depicting a location in my fantasy world. The results, again, are pretty spectacular. I look forward to keeping discussions and future projects open with Daniel!”

John Malone

Commission: A Sanctum Of Swords

Via Reedsy.com



Authors

C. Ella Marie • Dan Holmberg • Gino C. R. Marchetti • James Zech • Cosimo Yap • Alex M Brandt • T. D. Ward • Yuval Kordov • Adam B. Davy • Alan Priest • Andy Giesler • Asa Rubin • Brandon Baltes • Brendan O'Meara • Brian H. Roberts • Colin J. D. Crooks • Corey Elizabeth Jackson • John Malone • D. Andrews • T. A. Bruno

Companies

Cavebear Games • Dark World Studios • Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe • Mount Visual • Science Magazine • Nature Magazine

Contact

Let us work together

COMMISSIONS OPEN!!

Send A Request