Lucy Kagan
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cottonbook.bsky.social
Lucy Kagan
@cottonbook.bsky.social
570 followers 210 following 340 posts
Illustrator, Zine-Maker, & Textile Designer
repped by Adria Goetz at KT Literary
(she/they)
cottonbookgoods.com
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cottonbook.bsky.social
I’ve always sought out board games / card games that have both great gameplay AND art I love, and it brings me a lot of joy to sit around the table playing games like that with friends.

As an illustrator, I would love to work with game designers, so I whipped up a mockup card game as an example!
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.
November 12, 2025 at 5:31 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
As a frequent illustrator of cute lil guys and lover of board games like Everdell and Raccoon Tycoon, I would LOVE to work on a board game or card game in that vein.

I’ve been playing with mocking up cards of my own little critters, Mabel and Basil, to see what that might look like, so more soon!
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 game card with leafy green hues, featuring watercolor art of a raccoon happily curled up under the leaves in a pile of “treasure,” that certainly most would consider trash. Text: Hoard of Treasures. Some may say that these are no treasures, only mere trinkets, but you know better. Every trinket is a treasure.
November 10, 2025 at 4:45 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
I’m so excited to share the results of our first ever Spin Rack Comics Jam! The theme we chose was “ghosts,” and everyone went different directions with it, so I’m looking forward to getting to read them all myself!

We have 11 short comics perfect for the spooky season here
itch.io/b/3344/spin-...
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. A watercolor cover image shows boots walking down a pebbly road with a gnarled walking stick, a skirt and coat flowing above. All is in blue-grey tones except for bright cobalt floating will-o-the-wisps. Title text: When I Was Walking Home Last Night” Author text: by Lucy Kagan A watercolor back cover image: A young woman in a big coat holding a walking stick squats on the ground putting herbs into her rucksack while looking up to see the stars begin to emerge. She’s deep in shadowy bushes in the woods. Text: Heading home through the forest, a local mage discovers that there is more going on in it than she had ever noticed before. A mysterious spirit guides her through places she’s never seen before, but for what purpose? A sample page of the watercolor comic: Three skinny panels show a rustling in the bushes, then a figure dashing out, and then paws in all bright cobalt blue landing on the ground. A narrow reaction panel shows the main character in profile, looking on. “A ghost fox!” she thinks. The last panel is full bleed, showing a glowing blue fox in the middle of a dark forest path that forks, and little hints of will-o-the-wisps all around.
October 18, 2025 at 2:04 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Hanabi is such a great chatty card game, and I tried illustrating my own redesign for my Patreon a while back. I just found them again, and I think they’re pretty neat!

Riffing on the “hana” (flower) in “hanabi," I went with a floral show idea, and picked classic Japanese flower motifs to paint.
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. A player’s hand lays on the table — that is, five cards — a five and a three in purple iris, a three and a four in green chrystanthemum, and a five in yellow peony. The opposing player’s cards are on the other side (top right corner of the image), face down, and you can see a trailing vine repeat pattern in citron over a dark green background. An actual human hand holding cards face-down, against a background of scattered cards. You can see the scale is fairly typical playing card size. A hand holding three cards face up, against a scattered background of lots of cards. They are all bright watercolor illustrations in corresponding amounts of blossoms to their card number.
September 17, 2025 at 3:51 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
These thumbnails and pencils are much tighter than I typically do, but since I was getting editorial feedback from the Dirty Diamonds team, I had to make them readable, so it was good experience for that!

Besides my ongoing webcomic Low Magic, I’ll have a short comic out with an anthology soon~
September 10, 2025 at 4:33 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
I did this comic for the @dirtydiamonds.bsky.social Being anthology back in 2018, and I haven’t made a ton of comics since then — I feel like the comic tells you exactly why!

I’m finally making more comics, and I’m looking forward to sharing them this year. Process pics in the reply —
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... Watercolor comic page, crowded by a city scene in the borders. Panel 1: Main character looks up in a crowded city, wearing a backpack. Text: But here I am. Panel 2: MC frantically scribbling on a tablet in front of a computer screen, holding too many papers, in a busy office. Text: Because money is an object. Panel 3: MC is jostled on the subway, trying to hold onto a pole. Panel 4: MC fills up a washing machine at the laundromat. Panel 5: The crowding of the city scene in the borders disappears. The MC puts her backpack down on a chair at a kitchen table, sighing, several other objects draped on her other arm. SFX: Phew Panel 6: An airy borderless panel with an oxalis plant in a pot, peeking into the frame. An airy background-less watercolor comic page. Panel 1: Basil, oxalis, and chives grow separately, all peaking into the bottom of the frame. Text: I think I’m getting closer to my goals in some ways, and further away in others. Panel 2: A teapot steams from the spout, a hot cup of tea sits to its right, and the MC’s hand and arm are seen holding it. Text: I’m looking for more moments Panel 3: Oxalis leaves peek into the frame from three sides, leaning towards the MC as if in conversation. Text: to just be. By Lucy Kagan 2018
September 10, 2025 at 4:28 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
It’s the next dress print I’m working on! It’s going to be an apron-style dress with a mail-themed print with little fox motifs scattered throughout.

I’m hoping to have a whole little collection of mail-themed items like a sticker sheet and art prints to go with it!
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.
September 9, 2025 at 2:34 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
🦊🎨Painted some little fox friends for the Mail Day crowdfunding campaign I’m hoping to do in October!

They’ll decorate the main page, but maybe they also deserve a sticker sheet? Too cute to just use for the Kickstarter!
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.
September 8, 2025 at 5:07 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
🍂This group of woodland creatures ventured out of the trees and into town for some snacks, and our wonderful photographer Maya Puskaric-Huang caught them having a lovely time! 🍄🍁🦝

Maya can be found here: mayalovro.com

And the Autumn Spirits collection can be found here: cottonbookgoods.com
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.
September 1, 2025 at 2:46 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
My Autumn Spirits Collection crew at the Tekko Fashion show! Thanks to Maya Puskaric Huang for the gorgeous pics~ mayalovro.com

I feel like they could be characters in a novel about a little town by the edge of a magic forest, like the shop girl, the curious fae visitor, and the mushroom hunter~
August 11, 2025 at 4:50 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
🍄Autumn Collection Refresh!🍁

Abigail made these great collages to show off all the new items in the Cottonbook shop this week!

I love making prints for apparel and stationery, and fall motifs are some of my favorite to draw. All these little mushrooms and moths were painted in watercolor #eglcomm
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 Text: Autumn Spirits Cotton Skirt, Available in Size 1, 2, & 3. (Size range fits XS - 5XL) Image: A model using walking sticks shows a fairy-like coordinate using the Autumn Spirits skirt, covered in a whimsical watercolor fall pattern. Text: Peter Pan Tee & Classic Puff Sleeve Top. Both styles available in Ivory, Crimson, and Black, Size XS - 4XL. Image: Three shirts, one ivory, one, black, one crimson red. Two are v-necks with dagged edges a la Peter Pan, and one is a simple puff-sleeve design. Text: Autumn Spirits Button Down Shirt, Available in Size XS - 4XL Image: A model looks cheerfully upward, wearing the same whimsical autumn watercolor print at a slightly smaller scale on a button-down short sleeved shirt. Text: Mushroom Wonder Foil Washi Tape Image: A closeup of some watercolor mushroom washi tape in shades of brown and beige, with golden foil sparkles interspersed throughout. Text: 3-Inch Vinyl Stickers. Basil the Raccoon, Moon Mushroom, Forest Mushroom, Classic Mushroom, and Mabel the Possum. Image: Five watercolor stickers show a raccoon in a witch hat, a crescent moon filled with magical mushrooms, a frilled brown mushroom in the ferns, an amanita mushroom, and a possum wearing a witch hat and holding a branch of herbs.
July 31, 2025 at 4:20 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
🍄🍁Bringing out my fall collection already!!🍂✨

Tomorrow, I’ll have a big fall refresh featuring all of my autumn-y items, including stationery like these vinyl stickers, notebooks, and washi tape! I have some surprises still waiting in the mail, but check out the Cottonbook shop tomorrow at noon~
A watercolor illustration of an amanita mushroom, its top open fairly wide, frill showing below. This is a vinyl sticker design. A watercolor illustration of a frilled brown mushroom with a smaller one below it and two tiny ones sticking out by the cap. They’re surrounded by a couple of fern fronts, and little sparkles of light. This is a vinyl sticker design. A watercolor illustration in a slightly cartoony, charming style, showing a crescent moon with enoki-shaped mushrooms clustering and growing from the lower part of the crescent, colored all kinds of fantastical pinks and purples. Moths flutter around, and sparkles shine from the mushrooms. This is a vinyl sticker design. Watercolor illustration in a cartoon-y yet very rendered style: A very round, very self-satisfied raccoon sits in a patch of greenery wearing a big witch hat. Stars sparkle around it. This is a vinyl sticker design.
July 29, 2025 at 4:09 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Okay, I think I can’t complain now, this guy ended up pretty cute
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.
July 25, 2025 at 5:50 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Hi, #PortfolioDay! I’m an illustrator and print&pattern designer who works primarily in watercolor, and I’d love to get into ttrpg, card game, or board game work!

I love fantasy and kid lit that's full of heart, and my book work is represented by literary agent Adria Goetz.

kaganlucy@gmail.com
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. A watercolor illustration: A frog gazes out the window at a winter landscape, their hand touching the cold pane. They are wrapped in a thick comforter, plaid red and orange with a white border, and a steaming hot mug sits on the simple side table next to them, along with an arrangement of dry branches. A watercolor illustration: A young girl in an acorn-shaped hat, knit sweater, and basket back-pack looks gleefully at a huge assortment of mushrooms she’s just found, which make up the whole bottom, right, and left borders of the image. Her fox companion looks on curiously, a red ribbon around its neck. The mushrooms are all edible types: turkey tail, nameko, wine cap, enoki, and oyster mushrooms. In the background, fir trees appear yellowish against a yellow early sunset sky. A watercolor illustration: Against a big blue sky full of fluffy clouds, a sheep waves to a passing dragon, who smiles back, flying in the distance. The sheep wears a thick knit teal sweater, with brown trousers tucked into yellow boots, holding a rake. They stand in front of rows of sprouting vegetables, uphill of some distant houses and trees, and the blue sea is visible even further.
July 8, 2025 at 4:35 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
🍄🍁🌙Getting ready for the new Autumn Spirits release this year!

When I finally was able to start offering skirts, I knew I had to get this print onto a skirt as well. I totally dropped the ball on stationery for this somehow, but I have a little collection for it coming out soon~
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. From the waist to the knees, this shot shows the model holding wide the skirt so you can see the print up close. The skirt is printed 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 closeup shot shows a hand in the pocket, demonstrating the utility of the design with two pockets and a fully elasticized waistband.
July 7, 2025 at 4:50 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Happy Pride! The battle to protect trans kids is the battle to protect us all 🏳️‍🌈

#art #illustration #ktliteraryart
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.
June 23, 2025 at 5:26 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
A big discovery! 🍄✨

This is probably my favorite illustration I’ve painted this year?? Maybe I just respond well to warm colors, haha, but I feel especially chuffed about putting this in my kid lit portfolio

#kidlitart @ktliterary.bsky.social
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.
June 16, 2025 at 3:25 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Wow, my Moomin pin designs got a ton more attention than I usually see on here, and I haven’t posted any other art in a while, so

I’ve been working on some kid lit portfolio pieces, and this little crew of tabletop adventurers would have been my dream if anyone had told me about rpgs back then!
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.
June 10, 2025 at 1:13 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Forgot to add these Moomin and Snufkin ones to my old fanart buttons that never happened!
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 black-and-white pen drawing of Snufkin leaning back into some flowers, playing his flute, music notes waving out from it, and lights dancing around. The background is a mint green heart.
June 9, 2025 at 4:31 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
The forever childhood dream of being real small, so you can make friends with snails and float on a lily pad and all 🐌🌱

This was part of a children’s book project I sketched out, but in the end, I felt like the story was not as strong, so I put it aside. Just found it again and still loved the art!
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.
May 29, 2025 at 3:59 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Here’s another I found — I still like Eevee best, but I liked the dark florals for Umbreon and Espeon

Maybe I’ll keep posting these just to share the stuff that never made it to my artist alley table in the end!
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.
May 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Oops, that’s right, it’s #WebcomicDay! I ought to get a website started for this, it’s already grown a lot… 😓

Thus far, Avery is house-sitting for her aunt in a magical woodland and she’s already started to make some friends! Life is good out here, but it has to end at some point, right? What then?
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 watercolor comic page. Two blonde mages talk to our main character Avery about what she was expected to do while she was away from the studio, and the pressure seems to mount. A watercolor comic page. Morning breaks and Avery wakes up groggily, frustrated that she was having a stress dream instead of getting quality rest. The morning provides simple pleasures of tea and squirrels at play, though, and she settles into the day, dreaming of making sourdough bread. A watercolor comic page. Avery picks small yellow tomatoes in the garden while wishing for sourdough bread. Just then, Moss the frog shows up, and Avery quickly latches onto him, eagerly asking if he has a sourdough starter.
May 12, 2025 at 8:32 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Working on a banner for the May newsletter~

My friend Abigail started helping me with the newsletters and every time she works on one, it gets 1000% better. I am just too drained at the end of the day to think of anything, but when she says "Critter Cafe,” I run off and draw for an hour no problem
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.
May 12, 2025 at 1:36 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Was backing up my harddrive and found this old Eevee button design I did from when I was first getting ready to table at Anime NYC!

I never got the buttons, which is for the best, since I don’t have any other fanart at my table now, but I still think they’re a cutie
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.
May 8, 2025 at 1:50 PM
cottonbook.bsky.social
Recent casual coord to go to the Textile Heritage Museum, but it was closed for Easter weekend 😩

We ended up having a great time just hanging out by the Haw River in the sun, so it was all good!
#Jfashion #eglcomm #eglcommunity #lolitafashion
May 5, 2025 at 4:29 PM