Commercial Proposals
New Project Proposals & Commissions
If you have a new assignment or collaboration to propose, please visit our CONTACT US page.
To help us evaluate your request efficiently, please write to our Shannon Associates Team via email info@shannonassociates.com (Phone: +1 212.333.2551) with everything we should know about the project, including:
• The Timeline & Schedule
• The Budget & Usage
• The Style & Aesthetic Direction
• The Number of Images & Subject Matter
• The Project's Objectives & Goals
Our team will review your proposal and provide you with all the necessary information quickly. Many thanks for your help!
Direct Contacts & Credits
Special Projects & Fine Press
For limited editions, private commissions, or special artistic collaborations, you can reach our studio directly.
Please visit our CONTACT US page and fill out our contact form. Your request will reach us immediately. We welcome proposals for:
• Gallery exhibitions, art shows, and museum invitations
• Stock Image Licensing (to use our existing images, please visit our STOCK LICENSING page)
• Interviews and press/blog features
• International competition jury invitations
• Talks, lectures, and panel proposals (please note: we do not conduct workshops)
• Non-profit initiatives and special events
The Folio Society Editions
Sisters In Science Picture Book 
Graciela in the Abyss 
Illustrated Books & Fine Art Editions
© 2000-2026 Anna and Elena Balbusso. All rights reserved. | Contact: info@balbussotwins.com
All Balbusso Twins images and content are copyrighted. No Machine Learning, No AI. You may not use our images, our name (as authors), or any content of this website (including any caption information, keywords, or other metadata associated with the content) for any machine learning and/or artificial intelligence purposes.
The artworks featured on this website cannot be used for commercial purposes by any third parties without explicit written permission from the copyright holders, Anna and Elena Balbusso Twins. Any violation of this right constitutes an infringement of copyright law and is subject to legal prosecution.
A Curated Selection of Illustrated Book Work Spanning Over 50 Published Titles.
Welcome to our Illustrated Books page.
Throughout our career, we have illustrated more than 50 books for major publishing houses worldwide. Our passion for visual storytelling is driven by a multidisciplinary, artisan artistic approach and deep conceptual research. For us, creating a book is like directing a movie—it is a unique, unrepeatable journey. Embracing a philosophy akin to Haute Couture, we ensure that every publisher receives an exclusive, one-of-a-kind masterpiece that can never be replicated.
Our studio is fully equipped to interpret and visually elevate any text or literary genre, operating without boundaries in terms of subject matter or theme. Whether dealing with complex historical narratives, intricate fantasy worlds, profound classical literature, or dystopian fiction by contemporary authors, our visual language adapts seamlessly to the essence of the word.
We intentionally reject a purely literal or educational approach to illustration. Instead, we elevate the image to the exact same artistic value as the written text. Our illustrations never serve a subordinate role; they enrich the book by adding an authentic, independent artistic interpretation. In this sense, creative freedom in the choice of subjects and visual interpretation is essential to our process, allowing each project to be deeply guided by our own artistic sensibilities.
Our signature work relies on an innovative mixed media technique that creates a continuous dialogue between our two distinct creative souls: the painterly and the graphic. Grounded in a deeply artisan philosophy, we intimately merge traditional fine art mediums—such as pencil, pen, watercolor, gouache, tempera, collage, and frottage—with advanced digital technology.
By executing textures and brushstrokes entirely by hand on paper before scanning and digital layering, we intentionally avoid flat digital processing. There are no shortcuts, digital tricks, virtual brushes, or pre-made filters in our workflow; every single brushstroke is crafted by hand. This meticulous artisan process achieves a striking visual depth and an organic analog grain. The final technical and painterly quality of our artwork is fully comparable to that of museum paintings.
Limited edition exhibition catalog
Balbusso Twins.
Illustrating with Two Souls.
Solo exhibition Society of Illustrators NY
Our gorgeous new exhibition catalog has launched! 150 pages featuring all 130 artworks, available now at the Society of Illustrators and through their online shop.
A special thanks to Pentagram Austin for their generous support in bringing this project to life. We are deeply grateful to DJ Stout and Davian-Lynn Hopkins for expertly curating the design and visual narrative; they’ve created a true art book that captures the full intensity of the exhibition experience.
This page features a curated selection of our published illustrated books, displaying the actual book covers alongside their official credentials—including title, author, publisher, and year of publication. Please note that internal illustrations are not on display in this gallery.For the complete chronicle of our published works, please visit our Bibliography page, while our internal book illustrations can be fully explored within the dedicated pages of our Portfolio section.
Featured Edition: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Suntup Editions)
Centenary Edition of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Officially SOLD OUT in All Editions
We are deeply moved to finally hold our author copies in our hands. Seeing our visual narrative come to life through the exquisite craftsmanship of Suntup Editions for Agatha Christie's masterpiece, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, is an extraordinary feeling.
Following the official release of this centenary edition, the response from the global collecting community has been overwhelming. We are incredibly thrilled to announce that all limited formats—including the Lettered, Numbered, and Artist editions—are now completely out of print. Seeing our work embraced at this lightning speed is a monumental milestone for us.
We want to express our deepest gratitude to every collector, supporter, and collaborator who contributed to this extraordinary success. Thank you to everyone securing the final remaining books for recognizing the artistic value behind this investment.
We are also incredibly proud that a selection of these original artworks is currently featured in New York City for our solo exhibition, “Balbusso Twins: Illustrating with Two Souls”, hosted by The Society of Illustrators, and has been officially juried into the legendary Illustrators 68 annual exhibition (Book Category).
A visual overview of the published centenary edition of Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Suntup Editions, showcasing the actual book, deluxe slipcase, and binding details. Full-color fine art illustrations and book design by Anna and Elena Balbusso.
1. Deluxe & Limited Editions
Exclusive, premium illustrated books created for prestigious international publishers like The Folio Society, Suntup Editions, and Beehive Books. These luxury editions are designed for art collectors who appreciate avant-garde visual concepts and exquisite publishing craftsmanship.
2023 Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray,
Oscar Wilde Reclam Verlag
2023 Der Horla, Guy De Maupassant
Reclam Verlag
2022 The Great Gatsby by Scott Fitzgerald
Illuminate Edition, Beehive Books US
2018 Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Folio Society UK
2018 The History of The Merrion Hotel, Design HQ Ireland
2016 Twelth Night by William Shakespeare, The Folio Society UK
2013 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, The Folio Society UK
2014 The Queen of Spades and other stories, The Folio Society UK
2012 The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Folio Society UK
2011 First Love by Ivan Turgenev, The Folio Society Uk
2012 Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin, The Folio Society UK
2010 The Song of Roland The Folio Society UK
2. Illustrated Classics & Children's Literature
A versatile selection of timeless masterpieces and vibrant picture books. Operating without boundaries in terms of subject matter, our goal is to interpret any text through our unique visual voice, elevating the image to the exact same artistic value as the written word.
Children's Picture Books: A curated showcase of our classic illustrated albums and picture books, where stories come to life through a rich and evocative painterly narrative designed for young readers.
2023 Sisters in Science. Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood By Linda Elovitz Marshall, Random House Knopf Books US
2025 Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina, Candlewick Press USA
2021 Me+Tree by Alexandria Giardino, Creative Editions, The Creative Company USA French edition: Éditions L'Arbre et Moi, Éditions Plume de Carotte 2022
2012 Tapis tapis moi di Christine Beigel, Editions Sarbacane, FR.
2022 La Terra è tua compagna by Patrick Lewis, Rizzoli Libri IT
2017 Make the Earth your Companion by J. Patrick Lewis, Creative Editions The Creative Company USA
2010 Le Horla by Guy De Maupassant, Éditions Milan, FR.
2009 Tristan et Iseult by Anne Jonas, Éditions Milan, FR.
2007 Les Cygnes Sauvages by Hans Chiristian Andersen, Gallimard Jeunesse FR.
2008 Florica’s winter by Cecil Kim (English by Joy Cowley) Tan Tan Global kids, Yeowon Media, Seul, Sud Corea
2008 Leather shoe Charlie by Gyeong Hwa Kim (English by Joy Cowley) Yeowon Media, Seul, Sud Corea
2009 Indira Gandhi by Paola Capriolo, Edizioni El, IT
2006 Isadora Duncan by Sabina Colloredo, Edizioni EL, IT
2000 Arturo nel pozzo by Elena Cerri, Cartacanta, Milano IT
1999 Mio nonno era un ciliegio by Angela Nanetti, Einaudi Ragazzi, IT
Illustrated Literary Classics (Educational Editions): Bespoke illustrations and author adaptations of world-class literary masterpieces curated for language learning publications. (A complete list of classic illustrated novels can be found in our Bibliography ).
2014 The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Black Cat - De Agostini, IT
2017 The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Black Cat - De Agostini, IT
2015 The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, De Agostini, IT
2013 Beowulf, Reading & Training, Black Cat - De Agostini, IT
2012 Power and Ambition in Shakespeare by William Shakespeare, Black Cat-Cideb, IT
2010 Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Black Cat-Cideb, IT
2009 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Black Cat-Cideb, IT
2004 The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, Black Cat-Cideb, IT
2008 The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, Black Cat-Cideb, IT
2009 The Nutcracker by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Green Apple, Cideb IT
3. Special Projects: Illustrated Books Dedicated to Nature
A dedicated visual journey focused on environmental storytelling, where our unique mixed media approach explores the beauty, depth, and complex narratives of the natural world.
2013 An earth that nourishes, CCPB Il biologico, Giunti Progetti Educativi, IT
2011 Find your spirit animal by David Carson, Watkins, UK