Lucy Kagan

@cottonbook.bsky.social

677 Followers 257 Following

Illustrator, Zine-Maker, & Textile Designer repped by Adria Goetz at KT Literary (she/they) cottonbookgoods.com

Happy blushing raccoon with sparkles, wearing a flower crown and wreathed in a bouquet of dogwoods, azaleas, and roses, illustrated in watercolors.
Photo of a black woman’s hands crossed over her hip, bringing attention to the border print on the dress she wears in dark blue with a royal blue border and motifs of envelopes, packages, stamps, and many mail-related items, with fox and rabbit motifs dotting the stickers, stamps, and seals across it. The skirt is full and ruffly in a cottagecore sort of style, paired with a puff-sleeve shirt and eyelet lace wristcuffs.
Watercolor illustration of Kiki & Jiji carrying home groceries and looking yearningly at fancy shoes in a fashion shop window display, like the scene in the Ghibli movie Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Digital sketch in a cartoon-y style, all in yellows and oranges: A scenic view of the entrance to a farm that sprawls across rolling hills. A woman and her daughter buy produce from a stand in front of the gate, her daughter trying to get the mother’s attention as a jackalope dashes by. A young elf seated on the fence by some chickens turns to look, and another is focused on getting a cow to change direction, to no avail. The image is surrounded by a border of cabbage, kale, radishes, and squashes, with a jumping jackalope at the top center and a banner at the bottom center that reads “Jackalope Hills Farm."
Digitally drawn sketches in white, tan, and brown of a very cat-like gryphon looking out the window at a passing dog, lying down looking inquisitive, curled up to sleep in a ball, and sitting up begging for treats with a chiirrup sound. In the center there’s a full color enamel pin design of the gryphon overlooking an adventurer’s pack with the shop name Gryphon Outfitters across it. Text: 1.5” enamel pin! Link in bio! The kind and generous (and sleepy) shop-keeper
Two-color illustration in green with brown lineart, digitally using a charcoal-like brush: A friendly black elf with glasses and an updo, short sleeves rolled up and overalls on, rolls out a bolt of fabric on a cutting table in a fantasy adventurer’s outfitters shop, which we can see backwards in the shop window is Gryphon Outfitters. A friendly gryphon watches the process, curious, and an adventurer in a hood, boots, and with a sword strapped to his back carries another bolt of fabric and watches excitedly. All kinds of fabric, adventuring gear, and mannequins displaying clothes fill the surrounding shop, and a border of measuring tape, thread, pins, a gryphon head and wings, and a rucksack surround everything.
A fantasy shop of all kinds of goods, but mainly sewn goods, drawn in a rough charcoal brush in CSP. An elf rolls out some fabric on a cutting table, smiling and side-eyeing a gryphon who looks on interestedly, paws on the table. A rogue-ish wanderer in a hood holds a bolt of fabric at the table as he watches the elf work, excited to see the process.
A watercolor comic in soft greens and blues. A black goat looks up at the blue sky full of clouds. We see that they’re wearing a scarf and big sweater coat, carrying a staff with a lantern hanging from it. They’re in a sprawling meadow, the treeline nearby. They scribble something down on their map. They walk at night by lantern and moonlight along a strange beach filled with mysteriously shaped rocks. They check their compass. They’re now approaching a citadel surrounded by a moat, sparkling in the distance.
On a watercolor background of a fantasy map, banners show three 3-inch stickers with mocked-up holographic glow, featuring a goat in a scarf holding a banner that says “ALWAYS ready for Adventure” with a dangling lantern at the bottom, a leaping jackalope with radishes in its mouth with a banner that says “Jackalope Hills Farm,” and a gryphon perching over a backpack full of adventuring gear that says “Gryphon Outfitters."
Repeat pattern featuring a watercolor map locations in a fantasy world, such as Mirror Lake, the Grandmother Stone, and the River’s Mouth Mountains. A compass rose, a wandering goat with a lantern, and little map marginalia creatures are scattered about the design. All are in soft cool midtone green shades with dots of red, brown, and blue.
A watercolor illustration in a whimsical cartoony hand portrays an old baker woman waving her fingers in the air, conducting magical pink ghostly hands to stir a bowl of batter, knead dough, and carry a tray of cookies for the oven. Two children stare on in amazement, eager to see what’s going on. On the side, a banner says: Lucy Kagan LucyKagan.com Repped by Adria Goetz at KT Literary
Watercolor illustration in a lightly cartoon-y style: Two small children, a girl with red frizzy hair and a boy with dark short hair, cautiously and amazedly peer into a door they’ve just opened. The light from the hall illuminates a library covered with books, papers, found objects, and a couple of cats. in the center is a desk and chair with a large open book.
Illustrated in watercolor as if rendered in colorful felt, the Janni squad sits around a plate of snackies on a soft blanket while Astra confidently reads aloud from a board book of “BRAN GREMLINS,” Zelf looking skeptical in his baby chef outfit, Patty drinking Oo Moo and eyeing the cheese in front of them, and Janni clapping delightedly at Astra’s story. A plush of The Little Stranger sits behind Astra, and Bovel’s diary lies abandoned face-down on the floor amongst goldfish crackers.
An artfully composed photo of a stationery set surrounded with flowers and cottage trinkets: the set includes an envelope, sticker sheet, and writing paper which all feature the Secret Tea Shop design, full of tea cups, desserts, and a calm, sophisticated bunny who watches over the tea experience.
A scrolling banner tops a graphic showing digitally mocked up playing cards scattered on a cheerfully patterned peach background. The cards are soft cheerful colors that evoke golden hour, and each shows a watercolor illustration of a forest creature (or two or three) doing something described on the card. Mabel the possum happily ices cakes in the card Patissier Mabel, Opal the frog reads on a big propped up book in Opal’s Library, and several action cards outline activities like “Help a Neighbor” or “Make Music” with characters interacting in a cozy woodland world. Text: Cozy card game & board game art. Bring a gentle watercolor hand to your game design.
A game card with peach-y hues featuring artwork of a possum patissier piping some icing onto pink desserts. Text: Patissier Mable. The only thing that delights Mabel more than a decadent treat is baking them! You can count on this scrappy little patissier to make you the best cake ever.
A collection of 11 comic covers on a spooky cobwebbed background with the text “Spin Rack Comics Bundle” and “Available now on itch.io” with a QR code in the middle right area.
Watercolor illustrated playing cards are spread out on a wood table with a tatami mat beneath and cushions around. A title card reads “Hana no Hi,” with the maker “cottonbook” at the bottom. It lays out the five suits, Flag Iris (purple), Chrysanthemum (green), Morning Glory (pink/red), Peony (yellow), and Hydrangea (blue). One card of each suit is scattered around, and each has a corresponding pip for the number and suit, to help colorblind players.
Watercolor comic page. Panel 1: A sunflower. Text: They say to do what you would do if money was no object. But I would just be. Panel 2: Grandparents in a place filled with plants, moving a cyprus tree. Grandpa: I don’t want to deal with people any more, I just want to garden. Grandma: Well, we have to do something! Let’s open a plant nursery. Panel 3: Main character with freckles and long brown hair in a ponytail, hidden amongst clivias, begonias, and other potted plants. Text: I would just enjoy each moment as it comes. The textures, the light, Panel 4: A hand reaches out towards rosehips on the bush. Text: the smells, the breeze...
A snippet of a watercolor repeat pattern featuring letters, packages, labels, stamps, washi tape, pens, and motifs of foxes and a couple of rabbits, too! It mixes a regimented feeling in a stripe and some stamp motifs with a playful toss of the main items along the border.
A photo of a dark wood table covered with a plaid cloth on most of the left, protecting the table from the watercolor tray, water cup, and daubing paper towel shown around a 9x12” watercolor pad. A glass of matcha and a pencil complete the scene. The watercolor paper displays motifs of mail such as a mailbox, letters, a mail truck, and several images of a fox with a mailbag in various positions (attentive, waving you down to give you a letter, tired, etc.). Everything is done in a slightly cartoony, slightly rendered way.
Six people in Cottonbook garments stand talking and laughing in pairs, facing each other, on a tree-lined street in Pittsburgh. From left to right, Coterie appears as a faun with ears and antlers, and using sticks as a mobility aid, dressed in a red knit shirt with pointed edges (Peter Pan Tee) and an autumn leaf & mushroom print skirt (Autumn Spirits Skirt). Lily laughs in her flower crown, in the same Peter Pan Tee but in white, and a caramel-colored skirt decorated with framed images of possums and raccoons amidst blossoms like Rococo paintings (Possum & Raccoons’ Fête Skirt). Hope smiles at Bryce, wearing a yellow kerchief over peach-colored hair, the Autumn Spirits buttondown short-sleeved shirt, and an as-of-yet unreleased matching pair of cropped pants with a paper bag waist, and dark colored booties. Bryce wears a pistachio colorway of the Possum & Raccoons’ Fête skirt over a plain white puff-sleeve tshirt (Puff Sleeve Top) with lacy wrist cuffs, a flower crown over her long brown hair, tall white socks, and tan-colored oxford shoes. Juniper wears an Autumn Spirits kerchief over a clean shaven head, with a frilled beige and white collar layered over her red Puff Sleeve Top. She has wrist cuffs and frilled ankle socks as well as her petticoat peeking out from under the Autumn Spirits Skirt, with mary-jane shoes. Vasha smiles at her, hands on hips, wearing a tan beret with mushroom embroidery (Mushroom Magic Beret) over her loose black braid, a similar frilly collar to Juniper’s, and a white Puff Sleeve Top with the classic Possum & Raccoons’ Fête skirt, a lace underskirt adding length and ruffles to the look. She wears plain dark-colored shoes.
A collage of jfashion inspired outfits styled on various models, with motifs of fall leaves, moths, and mushrooms painted in watercolor. Some outfits evoke cottagecore and lolita fashion, and some are more fantasy or fairycore inspired. Text: Autumn Spirits 2025 Collection, Cottonbook
A watercolor illustration of an amanita mushroom, its top open fairly wide, frill showing below. This is a vinyl sticker design.
A screenshot in Adobe Illustrator of a pin design next to the ruler, showing it will be 1”. A cute little cartoon fox flops over a bag of mail much too big for it to carry, envelopes spilling out the corners and in front. The bag reads “cb post” with a fox emblem at the end.
A watercolor illustration: Four young bear cubs frolic through a meadow full of tall grass, dotted with big white flowers. You can see the path that each has carved to get to where they are, one just arriving towards the others at the center, one throwing up their hands in delight, one taking a long peaceful smell of a flower, and one up to their neck in the grass, seemingly just basking.
The model with short forest green hair gazes upward in a sun-dappled woodsy setting. They wear an ochre yellow cotton gauze blouse with long sleeves, a lace-trimmed off-white collar, a lace-trimmed kerchief that matches the skirt, and wine-colored tights with tan oxford shoes. The skirt itself is the statement piece with a wine-red background covered in identifiable North American fall leaves, moths of all types, a variety of mushrooms, and a crescent moon and stars glittering in the background. It is all in a soft watercolor hand.
A bright and cheerful watercolor illustration of a group of six people in different colored outfits, some with disability aids, cheering, putting their arms around each other, and holding up two flags. On the top, a banner declares in fun, playful lettering “FREE to be ME!” and on the bottom, the progress flag flies. Happy watercolor flowers dot the edges, bringing a sense of energy and hope.
A warm, watercolor illustration: A girl in a red sweater and acorn-shaped knit hat with a basket on her back gleefully observes an overgrowth of mushrooms in all kinds of shapes and colors. Her fox companion looks on curiously, wearing a red ribbon around their neck. In the foreground on the upper edges, turkey tail mushrooms and oyster mushrooms grow from an off-frame tree trunk, and on the lower edges, nameko mushrooms (left), wine cap mushrooms (center), and enoki mushrooms (right) fill the frame.
Watercolor illustration in warm yellows, reds, oranges, and purples: A crew of kids sits around a round dining room table, a fantasy map spread out before them, surrounded by snacks, character sheets, dice, and notebooks. On the left, a girl dressed as an elf rogue rolls two multi-sided dice. On her right, a kid kneels in their chair, excited, to get a better view; they’re dressed as a wolf-like archer. Next right is a boy in a dark purple wizard’s robe and glasses, looking up at the dice roll from two spell cards and a book he had been carefully consulting up until this moment. A GM sits at the far right, half crouched in her seat, scheming behind her GM screen, and dressed in patterned clothing with elaborate earrings and hair ornament.
A black-and-white pen drawing of Moomintroll and the Snorkmaiden holding hands, and a little bow, in front of a pale blue background in a heart shape, surrounded by ferns, grasses, flowers, and little hearts and lights.
A watercolor illustration in a whimsical kid lit style of a girl with tan skin, freckles, and red curly hair tied up in a bun with a thin ribbon. She stands in front of a few stones and sprouts that show her size as being small as a fairy. She holds a snail the side of a house cat and looks absent-mindedly over her shoulder, as if trying to decide what to do next. She wears an orange dress that sways gently with her, and the leaves above her head glow with sunlight filtering through them.
Pokemon Espeon and Umbreon on a heart-shaped lavender background. Stars, a moon, and some night-time clematis flowers, vines, and leaves make up the background that they play in. Both look playful, Espeon sitting upright and gazing at us, mid-movement, and Umbreon doing biiiig stretch.
A watercolor comic page. The first panel is in sunset tones, and the rest are in pinks, transitioning from an evening meal to a world of memories and stress.
A mint green banner that says “Critter Cafe” in the middle in playful script-y font. It shows a simple watercolor illustration scene of Mabel the possum getting a coffee from Opal the frog at a cafe counter, pastries on display and cans of coffee above. Mabel wears a bag shaped like an envelope and Opal wears an apron. On the right, Basil the raccoon vibrates with caffeine jitters, seated at a table by a ficus, a sign board with the day’s specials, and a window with an eyelet cafe curtain.
A light yellow heart shape on a peachy background take up the whole image. Centered on top is a watercolor drawing of the Pokemon Eevee amongst pillows and on top of a blanket with a hot cup of tea, steam rising, and Eevee looking contented.
A photo taken at an angle overhead of a large 2-page comic spread in progress. The watercolors are roughly blocked in, but the detail has only begun to be added. It shows scenes indoors in the morning and outdoors in a garden.
A photo of a hand holding up a small notepad with a border of watercolor hydrangeas and a possum happily screaming on the top. The background of the photo is leaves and flowers against a brick wall.
A watercolor illustration in a sunny yellow palette shows two mermaids, a sea dragon mermaid in more orange-y tones with a crown of kelp leans down from above, the surface shimmering behind her. A seal mermaid in more yellow tones swims up from below, wearing a crown of shells and pearls. They hold hands, delighted to meet each other. Kelp flows in at the edges of the scene and fish swim by as silhouettes in the background.
On top of a messy desk with art tools, several small illustrations of a bear in clovers, a bee having a nice day, and some honey-related food and drink such as iced tea with honey decorate a single sheet of watercolor paper. The bear is pictured relaxing at a cafe table, lying in the clover, eating a big slice of toast with honey, and watching the bee fly around. The bee gets into a daisy, rests on a clover, and tries to fly away with an entire jar of honey, straining to do so.
Watercolor illustration with a yellow wash background faded out on the edges. A little baby mushroom person, the cap of the mushroom like a hat on their head, and a puffy little white spotted outfit below, cries inconsolably. They clutch a spoon, and their bowl of soup is spilled on the ground in front of them. On the left, a bear-bumble-bee watches on, curiously, but unsure of how to help, like a sympathetic dog companion. On the right, a flower fairy offers a fresh bowl of soup and pats the mushroom cap, making a sympathetic face but with a slight smile that suggests everything is okay. She wears an oversized peony on her head, and her dress appears to be made of similar petals. Her wings are translucent and butterfly-shaped, tinged with pink and green.
A watercolor illustration with the edges rough and visible: On the right, a small girl with brown curly hair, a red pointed hat, red top, red pointy shoes, and yellow trousers blows a big colorful horn. She’s followed by some kind of allium/onion creature with roots for legs, a cloud person wearing a blue outfit and waving a long red banner, a cheerful purple ghost, and a curious creature made of mossy rocks, noticing some sprouts to the side of the dark forest path.
A work in progress watercolor illustration of a trio of children and their fantasy pack animal companion venturing into the dark woods, guided by a glowing blue compass.
A watercolor illustration of a ram in a green sweater and brown pants tucked into yellow wellington boots. They hold a garden rake as they wave, smiling. A dragon smiles back up in the sky some distance away. The sky is brilliant blue, full of big soft clouds, and the ocean shimmers below. The ram is standing in front of rows of sprouting plants, and some houses and trees are visible in the distance, leading down to the sea on what we presume to be a steep slope.