“Couriosity is an Adventure.”
Your Visual Pit Stop for Picture Book Art and Graphic Design.
My Journey.
A while back, I decided to do a career shift and pursue an old dream of mine: to illustrate picture books.
My hope for our time is that children’s books will continue to be printed in the future, as they are tactile and hold the fascinating event of the visual page-turn. I believe in the intimate moment of reading out loud to children and the shared discovery of looking at a picture. As a visual storyteller, I enjoy the tension of figuring out what will be illustrated and what will be said in writing, creating a narrative that drives the superb magic of a page turn in the tangible form of a printed book.
If you are visiting because you have an editorial assignment or need a graphic designer, remember that your projects will help support my picture book projects.
When Trees Fly
Maple, the tree, casually tells his friends about the birds he vaguely remembers flying when he was little. The unbelievable story falls upon deaf ears. After all, no bird has ever seen a tree fly.Mockingbird makes things worse by broadcasting that "TREES CAN FLY" all over the forest. Maple's best friend, the wise Owl, attempts to solve the puzzle by talking to Bear, Moose, and Turtle.In the surprise ending, the autumn wind has the answer.
The Monster in the Bathroom
Webster is boisterous and lonely. He is a spider who lives under the bathroom scale that he calls home. He is terrified of all the bathroom visitors, especially the ginormous creature that showers. Webster's excellent hiding skills fail when the monstrous two-legged creature spots him and calls him a monster. The feeling is mutual. Will he ever meet a friend of his own size, or will he be smooshed by a dustpan?
The Queen's Favorite Teapot
Look, this is the last picture of me before the closing door to the Queen's throne room smashed my spout. I blacked out, and this is wherethe modern-day fairy tale of my recovery begins. Will my badly smashed spout be repaired, and what about having tea with the Queen again? After many painful setbacks, I find myself unexpectedly whole again.
Picture Books in Progress
My picture book projects are steadily moving forward. Some are currently in the dummy book layout stage, undergoing careful tweaking in both imagery and text. If you're interested in the specific development stage of each book, I'd be delighted to share more details with you. I cherish an opportunity to connect with you, especially if you are an agent for author-illustrators. Your interest and support mean a great deal to me. If you'd like to be part of the journey and support any of my picture books, I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter.
Illustration and Graphic Artwork
The mini gallery is frequently updated and provides a quick overview of my adventures in the illustration and graphic world, mixing the brand-new with the past.
MAP Art
Ulster County Map
Since we all have GPS in our phones, a real the map seems to be outdated, and yet it holds that great potential from an illustration perspective by giving the viewer an instantaneous view of the lay of the land while highlighting attractions. In this section, you also find charts and life path maps.
Cover Art
Cranium and Addiction
I created the cover about addiction for the Boston Globe. The brain struggles with the choices between, more or less, sugar, coffee, alcohol, coke, etcetera. In this section, you find book covers, editorial section covers, magazine covers, and proposed covers. Covers are always an honor to create because they represent the beginning of an article or story.
Editorial
Hollywood Boardroom Changes
If you ever wonder why there are so many movies about violence.
Very few women are on the board of directors in the movie industry, which could be the main reason for the dilemma of too many die-hard movies. The illustration was published for Variety Magazine. For more editorial illustrations, hit the link below; if that is not enough, go to Addition Editorial in the pull-down menu.
Picture Book Art
Moose Meets Owl
One of the many reasons I like about picture book art is that it allows me to slow down the readers visually by placing details that can only be seen while seeing the book itself or the art on a larger scale. Like the tiny frog wearing a pink t-shirt and a peace sign neckless while sitting perched on a marsh cattail or the swan in the distance who wears a baseball cap backward.
Logo Design
Organic Font Usage
A good friend told me the first Mexican Restaurant in Zürich called Tres Kilos closed after 30 years of business. I did design the logo for it shortly before I left for the United States. Some of my logo designs stay around for a long time, and sadly, some end sooner than I expect them. My main point is I put in a serious effort to ensure your logo lasts for some time without the need for a redesign next year. The From the Ground Up logo
was created a decade ago for a local women's group.
product Design
Now it Sells Like Crazy.
Change the color to match your brand or vision, add your logo, choose the perfect layout, modify menu settings, add animations, add shape dividers, increase engagement with call to action and more.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Blog
Allyson Levy & Scott SerranoCo-Founders & Co-Directors of Hortus Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
We are so happy with the branding that Christoph Hitz designed for the arboretum, from our clever logo, maps, and all the eye-catching display signs in the gardens. Visitors consistently acknowledge how much they like the design of the garden's map.
Richard WeigandArt Director, The New York Times
Over the many years that I have worked with Christoph, I have always said he is the most talented professional in a very overcrowded field.
He is thoroughly reliable and applies the same focused thinking to whatever assignment.
In a perfect world, I would hire him every time illustration was called for.
He is simply the best!
Natasha Williams, Writer of The Parts of Him I Kept
Christoph has a whimsical yet sophisticated design aesthetic. I feel lucky to have employed him to design my book cover - a cover that everyone raves about. It catches the eye and conveys something essential about the book's insides. I would trust Christoph's design sensibility to draw readers of all ages, to create compelling logo brands, and to find just the right complementary color pallet to catch the eye.
—Joe Paschke, Art Director at Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Interactive, Associated Press
I've worked with Christoph for many years. His creativity, versatility, and talent are masterful. He is a reliable go-to source for any Art Director
- Giorgia Virgili, Art Director at STANFORD Magazine
I've been lucky enough to work with Christoph Hitz for many years now and always look forward to our collaborations. He's so smart, easily able to translate complex ideas into clear, creative concepts. His illustrations are full of charm and fun—he even managed to bring that playful touch to a story about Stanford's new ACC mascots. I always trust Christoph to make me look good as an art director; he brings insight, talent, and a lightness that makes every piece more engaging.
Minh Uong, Visual Editor. NY Times Sunday Business.
I love Christoph's artwork. The scenes he created with crisp, fluid lines and a sophisticated color palette stand out from a field of vector-based illustrators. He's a natural at communicating complex concepts. I'm glad to see Christoph applying his artistic talent to a narrative format of children's books.