THE DRAWING UPLOAD
Their drawing. In their book. On every page.
Children draw constantly. On paper, on receipts, on the backs of permission slips. Most of those drawings end up in a drawer, or the recycling bin, or fading on the fridge.
With Makesake, a drawing becomes something that lasts. We take a photo of what your child drew, analyse it, and paint that character into every illustration in their book — alongside them, through the whole adventure.
Fully painted, every page
What gets drawn, what gets painted
The drawing becomes the companion character — the friend who travels through the whole story alongside your child. It can be anything your child draws: an animal, a creature, something entirely imaginary, a favourite toy brought to life.
Our AI analyses the drawing and creates a fully painted, illustrated version in the art style of the book. The companion appears on every illustration — loyal, consistent, present throughout. The original character your child invented, realised properly.
The original drawing is also preserved as a keepsake page at the back of the book. So you get both: the professional illustrated version, and the original thing they made.
Any drawing works
We’ve successfully painted into books:
- Simple pencil sketches by 3-year-olds
- Elaborate coloured texta creatures
- Splodgy paint drawings from kindy
- Careful detailed drawings from older kids
- Abstract shapes with faces
- Hybrid animals (“a dog-cat-horse”)
The simpler the drawing, the more imaginative the AI’s interpretation. The more detailed, the more faithful the painted version. Both produce something wonderful.
Tips for the best result
- Photograph in natural light — near a window, no flash
- Plain background — white paper on a white or light surface
- Flat and square — directly above the drawing, not at an angle
- Tell us what it is — “a purple hamster” or “a dragon with wings” helps us interpret it correctly and ensures it appears in the story as the right kind of character
- Name them — give the companion a name and it becomes a proper named character in the story
Perfect for schools
The companion drawing is one of our most popular features for school and class orders. Give children 20 minutes with textas and paper — ask them to draw their favourite creature or imaginary friend. That drawing becomes their companion for the whole book.
One class can share a single drawing, or every child can draw their own. Both approaches work beautifully. Learn more about school orders →
Try it — the preview is free
Upload their drawing in the builder and see how the companion looks in the story before you spend anything.
Create their book →