Farida Zaman

Pens and Pencils
Art on paper and paints

I am a multi-disciplinary artist and professional author–illustrator celebrated for my whimsical, uplifting visual style. Working in watercolour, gouache, acrylics, and digital art, I bring vibrant colour and joyful storytelling to everything I create. My extensive portfolio spans children’s picture books, editorial and educational publishing, food packaging, and a wide range of licensed products including stationery, jigsaw puzzles, maps, textiles, posters, and more.

Born in Bangladesh and having lived in the UK, the US, and now Canada, I consider myself a global citizen. My art is infused with my love of culture, travel, history, and the many lived experiences I’ve gathered along the way—elements that give my work its distinctive warmth and personality.

I work with clients around the world from my sunny studio in Toronto, Canada.

Current Clients

Toronto Transit Commission

Bank Of Montreal

RIO Can

KANDL Boutique Yorkvile

Design Design

Pierre Belvedere Stationary and Gifts

Certified Ceramics

Toronto Public Library

Chirp Magazine

Manual Woodworker

Enchante

Design House Greetings

Weller Smith Design

Wayfair

Steps Public Art

Owl Publishing

Orca Book

Second Story Press

Pictura

Leanin Tree

Item Studio

Housewares International

Rock Flower Paper

Mowhawk

Frog Street Press

Pickle Fresh Press

  • Farida was a delight to work with, unfailingly conscientious, she always met her deadlines and was very open and receptive to any comments and suggestions we had. She infused the book with creativity and joy on every page, and her characters pop off the page and draw the reader in to the story in a unique and creative way. Farida's enthusiasm and passion make her a wonderful artist to work with.

    Rachel Page, Lead Designer, Orca Book Publishers

  • Farida's a hard worker who is extremely professional, always meets deadlines, and puts tons of thought and energy into her work. Owlkids Books is delighted to have two more picture books written and illustrated by Farida coming out in Spring 2026 and Fall 2026.

    Jennifer Stokes, Editorial Director, Owlkids Books

  • We contracted Farida for several design projects at our store and e-commerce for Kandl Artistique and they turned out wonderfully! We love her free flowing and organic aesthetic that really appeals to our audience of mainly females. She is professional and a pleasure to work with. I look forward to working with her on future projects.

    Stephanie S., Owner, Kandl Artistique

  • It was such a pleasure working with Farida on my book, 'The Art of Organizing.’ Farida captured exactly what we wanted for 80+ illustrations and we couldn’t be happier with the final art! She is so talented and easy to work with. From start to finish she was well organized, communicated frequently and met our deadlines. I would highly recommend her to anyone!

    Nicole Gabai, Author, Artist & Professional organizer

  • Farida is one of the artists who created beautiful digital artwork as part of STEPS Public Art’s BMO National Mural Series in 2022. She incorporated the client’s feedback promptly and ensured the artwork reflected the theme of community and diversity. It was a pleasure working with Farida throughout this process. The digitally printed artwork can now be seen on the exterior windows of Bank of Montreal’s Major Mackenzie & Melville branch in Vaughn, ON and is enjoyed by the community.

    Praneti Kulkarni, Agency Manager

  • In addition to Farida being a talented artist who creates delightful illustrations, she is professional, dependable and takes direction well. Farida also brings her own knowledge and life experience to her work. We’ve collaborated on multiple illustration projects for different media outlets with positive results. She is a pleasure to work with.

    Faith Cochran, Creative Director, Owlkids Magazine

Children’s Author & Illustrator Learn More.

FAQ’s | ABOUT FARDIA

  • As a kid, I was always drawing, particularly people and flowers. I loved the smell of Crayola crayons and cut and paste.

  • Visual story telling is what I love doing, creating a set for the text to dance on. The heart of illustration is communicating the story in a way that compliments and adds something you can’t get to any other way.

  • It’s not an easy path, it involves hard work and at times disappointments and failures, but not giving up. It will pay off and will bring you success. It’s a job that requires, at its core a kind of curiosity, passion for playing, and a deep desire to get better.

  • I trained in the UK , and started working there with publishing house, magazines, and design, packaging. I had an agent there who got me work and then I moved to Canada where I continued to freelance as an illustrator and the rest is history…

  • Visual story telling is a powerful tool. It allows me to take text be it a picture book story or a magazine editorial project dimension and depth.

  • I love travel, cooking dinners for my family and friends and gardening indoors and out.

  • Read as much as you can! Go to museums and gallery’s as much as you can. Take online art classes even. In mediums that you don’t typically work in.

  • I started out working just in water colours and inks, later introduced acrylics in to the mix and today I

    Again, it came with a lot exploring and practice.

  • I use a combination of Procreate and Photoshop and integrate hand painted elements with it too.