Xander, the Panther
Xander the Panther is a children’s story written by Grace Buka about a panther who wears glasses. One day, Xander loses them and suddenly sees the jungle in a completely different way.
The project focused on building a visual world that could support this shift in perception — sharing Xander’s confusion with the audience through illustrations that guide the reader through his experience.
Concept
At the heart of the story is a change in how the world is perceived by the character, while the world itself remains the same.
The challenge was to visually represent both states at once: the familiar jungle as it exists, and the way it is experienced by Xander without his glasses. The illustrations move from familiarity to uncertainty, and from confusion to curiosity — making the environment feel slightly altered, playful and expressive, while still remaining warm and accessible for young readers.
Visual decisions
Visual decisions were driven by color, contrast and texture.
Instead of representing Xander as a pure black panther, I chose to work with deep blue tones. This allowed for more play with light and contrast, and helped the character stand out against the predominantly green and orange jungle environment. The use of blue created visual separation while giving Xander more depth and presence.
The jungle was intentionally not depicted as a flat green background. I wanted it to feel rich and alive, playing with a wider range of colors to make the environment more appealing and eye-catching. Layers of foliage, shapes and details were built into the backgrounds to reflect the density of a real jungle — a place where many things are happening at once.
Texture also played an important role in character design. Xander’s surface reflects the texture and depth of a panther’s skin, while the chameleon was designed to emphasize change, using shifting textures and colors to reinforce its ability to adapt.
Together, these choices helped create a vibrant, layered visual world that supports the story and invites the reader to explore it more closely.
Selected visual references:: Emilia Dziubak, Mary Maka, Juliette Oberndorfer, Agnieszka Maszota, Febin Raj & Sanooj KS, Vuon Illustration, Vinh Nguyen & Rong Pham
Storytelling
Storytelling guided every illustration.
Rather than simply depicting scenes from the text, the images were designed to expand the narrative — adding emotion, pacing and visual cues that support the reader’s understanding of Xander’s journey. Each illustration works as part of a larger sequence, helping the story unfold visually and reinforcing the shift in perception at the core of the book.
The goal was to create images that invite readers to pause, observe and imagine alongside Xander.
Outcome
The result is a cohesive illustrated story where visuals and text work together to create an immersive reading experience.
The project was later featured on Behance, highlighting its illustration-led storytelling and visual cohesion.
“I had the pleasure of working with Flor.P and I must say, the experience was amazing! Flor is an incredibly talented artist who took my project to the next level. Flor really took the time to understand my vision and bring it to life. The final product was beyond my expectations and I couldn't be happier. Throughout the process, she was professional, communicative, and always went above and beyond to ensure that I was happy with their work. I highly recommend Flor. I look forward to working with them again in the future”
— Grace Buka