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Eva Pola Illustration & Design

@evapolakovic

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Book cover design, illustration & risoprints
Based in Inverness 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
𓅫 For collaborations or buying my art for your home, click below:

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One of my favourite risoprints of last year, ‘Swallows’, printed in medium blue and fluorescent orange at my beloved studio @riso_pop .

Would you like to know about how I prepared this print? If so, let me know in the comments.

Available in the @artattackshop.sk . An amazing online independent art shop based in Bratislava. They ship internationally. by @evapolakovic

For this autumn I have prepared something fun - 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 with clients who have commissioned me to work on their book cover. ⁣
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In this first one, I am happy to introduce you to 𝗝𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗵 @j.trustman , the author of the novel 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧 for which I designed the book cover last year. I loved our collaboration on this book and here is a bit more about it. ⁣
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In the interview I talk to Judith about what she liked about the book cover and the feedback she’s had so far on the book and its cover.⁣
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿?⁣
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It perfectly captures the layers of feeling shared by the characters, expressed in the context of the book’s title. Beautifully composed!⁣
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𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁?⁣
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This is a novel about two mothers who lose their children to adoption, their endurance in the face of loss and the joy of reunion.⁣
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸/𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿?⁣
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Everyone has loved the book, in particular because it uncovers the secrets of the adoption world no one gets to see. The book cover has been commented on time and again, most notably by Deborah Alma, Founder and Owner of The Poetry Pharmacy who said ‘Gorgeous cover!’⁣
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𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀?⁣
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Eloquent, poetic, beautiful.⁣
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If you are looking for a good read or a Christmas present, you can find Judith’s book in Waterstones or you can order it to your local bookshop.
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#bookcoverdesign #bookcover #bookcoverart⁣ by @evapolakovic

Here is my latest 4-colour riso print of a rowan tree that has such an important place in the Scottish folklore. It was believed to ward off evil spirits and offer protection against magic. You will see them growing next to many houses here in Inverness and Highlands. I love the changing colour of their leaves now in autumn and their bright orange berries enjoyed by the wood pigeons, blackbirds and many other birds.

It was printed at the amazing @isle_of_riso by Alice as part of The Riso Ramblers Print Club (find more info on how to join on her website).
We printed in 4 colours (crimson, yellow, hunter green and black) and I am so happy to see how nicely they mixed together. Alice also shared a few copies without the black layer (see the 3rd image) and I love it!
This is a limited edition of 20 A5 prints, so I f you would like one, just reach out to me via PM or send me an email 📧

#risoprint #risoprinting #risograph #risografika #risographprint by @evapolakovic

Pozor, živá ilustrátorka☝️| Eva Pola
Konkrétne tento druh sa vyskytuje najmä v špecializovaných kaviarňach. ☕
✨ Pri milom stretnutí vždy preberieme témy naprieč životom, zhodnotíme situáciu na domácej i zahraničnej pôde, poodhalíme rodinné vzťahy, ktoré nás formovali a vyjadríme si navzájom nádej v lepšiu budúcnosť. 😅
🕊️ A Eva samozrejme prinesie svoje najnovšie výtlačky, ktoré vyrába výhradne v risografických ateliéroch. Spoznáte ju podľa organických štruktúr, výhľadov na krajinu či oblohu a holubov v najrôznejších variáciách.
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🔗 Všetky risografiky od Evy Pola nájdete na artattackshop.sk by @evapolakovic

The first collaboration of this year: This Way Forward by Tyler Lares McCraw!

I loved working with Tyler. He let me read his beautiful poetry collection and gave me all the freedom to create, trusting my creative process.
When I work on a new poetry book, the first task is to find the themes and motifs that visually speak to me. As I read and delve into the work, I sketch in response to what the words I’m reading make me think and feel. Tyler’s poetry is full of beautiful visual metaphors and it was such a pleasure to explore different approaches for the book cover. I used a subtle yet distinctive soft colour palette and created tactile stencil textures on paper to convey atmosphere and emotion…

Tyler said this about our collaboration:

‘Eva was an incredible partner. This was my first time going through the process of working on a book, and she was so gracious in her creative process with me. She was timely, extremely communicative, and her art was just...well, it was everything I envisioned.’

About the book:

At its heart, This Way Forward is a meditation on identity, healing, and the quiet courage required to become yourself. Through intimate reflections on family, masculinity, queerness, grief, wonder, and love, Tyler Lares McCraw invites readers to look backward with compassion, forward with hope, and inward with honesty.
For anyone who has ever wondered how to make peace with the past while continuing toward the future, these poems offer a hand and a simple invitation:
This way forward.

Do you have a book cover that you like illustrating? Reach out via Reedsy (link in bio).

#illustration #bookcoverdesign #bookcoverart #queerpoetry #queerliterature by @evapolakovic

As an illustrator, I’ve been busy helping writers to capture attention on the bookshelf, and I’m excited to share that I’ve worked on more than 15 books last year, making it my busiest year ever!

From a poetry book trilogy by Christopher M. Tantillo about navigating love, loss, grief, heartbreak, hope, betrayal and death, to the First Story anthology of new writing by students who took part in creative-writing workshops, to a beautiful novel by Judith Trustman about belonging and the ties that endure across time and distance – and about love, I’ve collaborated with a range of authors to translate their words into imagery that encapsulates the atmosphere and emotion of their story and visually speaks to their readers.

Here are some of my favourites!

#bookcoverart #bookcoverdesigner #bookcoverillustration

@christophermtantillo @j.trustman @imanmartzel @deparisi_ @firststory_uk by @evapolakovic

And my last submission for @slowdownstudio print call out! This one is new, called ‘Night Flowers’.

Let me know what you think ❤️

#slowdownprint2026 by @evapolakovic

My second submission for the @slowdownstudio print call out: ‘Swallows’ originally prepared for and printed by a risograph. All elements were printed first as stencils using black ink and sponge. I will share more about the process later 💙

#slowdownprint2026 by @evapolakovic

I am submitting my favourite risoprint ‘Hebridean Sunset’ to the @slowdownstudio art print call out ❤️

#slowdownprint2026 by @evapolakovic

I loved working with Macy on her first book!

She said this about our collaboration:

‘Eva is absolutely amazing and my cover turned out to be even better than I could’ve possibly imagined! Eva is extremely patient, hardworking, and an enormously talented artist. She took the time to read small excerpts from my book to really understand my vision. She listened thoughtfully to all of my ideas and added some of her own creativity and ideas as well to really make the cover stand out. She was both friendly and professional throughout the entire process and was happy to answer all of the many questions I had being a new author. She also gave plenty of opportunities to make changes if needed, which was very appreciated. I am so impressed with her work and am in love with the final product—it’s absolutely gorgeous! I would highly recommend working with Eva!’

Do you have a book cover that you like illustrating? Reach out!

🔵 BEHIND THE SCENES: Swipe left for the process video and some concepts sketches 😊 by @evapolakovic

V JARNOM SLNCI.
20.3. 2025 (veruže dávno)

Táto séria portrétov pre úžasnú @evapolakovic - grafičku a grafickú designerku, ktorej signifikantné diela môžete obdivovať už takmer po celom svete. 🙏🏻🫶🏻😇. Milujem Tvoj rukopis Evi! A teší ma, že môžem byť jedným zo šťastných majiteľov tvojho umenia! 🫶🏻🫶🏻
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#photoportrait #goldenmood #canonportrait #eva #graphicdesigner #artist #daylightphotography by @evapolakovic

Two days, two techniques, one word: WOW 💫

Cyanotype magic meets Riso colour explosions 🙌🏽and the results are amazing!

Thank you @evapolakovic for sharing this beautiful technique with us! 🥰

#risopop #cyanotype #printing #printmakingstudio #mixingtechniques #colourexplosion by @evapolakovic