Hello, I’m Sama Al Helou

Picture books, packaging and characters, drawn in Amman

I illustrate children’s books, magazine pages and brand mascots for publishers and companies across Jordan and the Gulf, for Arabic and English editions alike.

Commission a piece

Illustrator inking a botanical drawing at a desk full of coloured pencils

Recent pieces

A few recent pieces for books, brands and editorial clients.

Storybook illustration of two foxes in a green forest — Forest friends, picture book spread

Editorial illustration of a woman reading under a blossoming tree — Spring reading, magazine illustration

Gouache-style illustration of a river valley with a small house at sunset — River valley, art print

Illustration of city rooftops at night with glowing windows and a crescent moon — City lights, travel campaign

Watercolour of chamomile, mint and lavender in a teacup — Meadow tea, packaging artwork

Character illustration of a small round robot waving — Pip the robot, mascot design

Services

What I draw

Digital illustration

Colourful, textured artwork for websites, apps, social media and campaigns.

See campaign work — Digital illustration

Character design

Memorable characters and mascots with turnarounds and expression sheets.

Meet the characters — Character design

Editorial illustration

Thoughtful images for magazines, book covers and articles.

See editorial pieces — Editorial illustration

About

Drawing since I could hold a pencil

I grew up filling the margins of my school notebooks in Jabal Al Hussein. After studying graphic design in Amman, I spent six years in a children’s publishing house before going freelance. Today I draw picture books, packaging and characters, working with pencil and gouache first and finishing every piece digitally.

More about me Browse the portfolio

Sama gave our heroine a face that children recognise from the first page. She delivered all 32 spreads on time and treated the Arabic and English editions with the same care.

— Nora Bitar, Art director, Dar Al Yasmine Children’s Books