Person with shoulder-length hair and glasses partially hidden behind dense green leaves on a wall of foliage.

Rosalie Lettau
Illustration

Hi, I’m Rosalie Lettau, I create illustrations and children’s books, exploring imagined landscapes, nature and character.
I also work in pencil, where I focus on contrast, texture and detail to create quiet, atmospheric scenes. My graphite work is introspective, often dark and unfolds slowly.
I like shifting between visual worlds, but I am always interested in mood and visual tension to create images that linger.

rosalielettau[ät]gmail.com

Color

My digital lineart illustrations are built around clear lines, soft colors, and detailed natural settings. The scenes are quiet and mystical, inviting the viewer to pause, look closely, and imagine what might happen next.

In my personal work I explores the relationship between people and their surroundings, with a focus on stillness, rhythm, and gentle observation. Though the worlds are usually imagined, they carry echoes of real places and the slow pace of everyday moments.

The Great Wherever (for the Boston Globe)
Forgotten Village
Harvest
Small Sea
The House in the Woods
Endings
Ruins
Fields of Flowers
Cats
Night Journey

CHildren’s Books

Lori and Pim: Lori, born into a family of magicians, decides to learn magic—but nothing seems to work. With Karli the cat as a companion, Lori sets off in search of the giantess Pim to get help. On the way, they encounter various animals and spirits. Lori doesn’t get much closer to mastering magic, but after a talk with Pim, the frustration fades, realizing how many other wonderful things there are to discover and learn.

Lori und Pim Cover 3Front PNG.jpg
Lori_und_Pim 11.jpg
Lori_und_Pim 6.jpg
Lori_und_Pim 7.jpg
Lori_und_Pim 5.jpg
Lori_und_Pim 1.jpg

Graphite

I work with a combination of pencil and digital tools, using texture, tone and contrast. The focus is on atmosphere, detail, and a quiet kind of intensity. Working in a limited palette allows me to explore mood and nuance without distraction, often leaning into slower, introspective themes.

Black and white drawing of a woman holding a large bouquet of flowers covering her face.
A silhouette of a person sitting alone on a chair, facing another empty chair, inside a large hall with tall columns and stained glass windows with intricate patterns.
A person hands are held up by multiple strands of string.
A woman sitting at a table with cups, a sugar bowl, and a teapot in a rustic wooden room. Before lies a bowl with a head in it looking back at her.
Two people lying on their backs in a field of tall grass with their eyes closed, appearing to be sleeping or resting.
A monochromatic illustration of a person with long hair walking through a grassy graveyard at night, surrounded by tombstones and trees.
A person with curly hair is floating in water among lily pads and water lilies, with eyes closed.
A woman with long blackened fingers, touching the face of a goat with curved horns and black.
A detailed pencil drawing of a person holding a bunch of flowers and leaves, focusing on their hands and upper body, with the person's face not visible.
A woman with dark hair in a bun, wearing a dark long-sleeve top, standing among tall cattails, holding a lantern, in a black and white illustration.
Two women sitting on the floor in an attic, surrounded by toys, books, and cats, engaging with small stuffed animals.
A child with curly hair riding a large, white, furry bull, surrounded by flowers and dark foliage at night.
A girl with a backpack full of flowers walking through a garden at night, with a full moon shining and a large, domed conservatory in the background.
A monochrome drawing of a large tree with five hanging figures in hooded garments and a goat, suspended from branches with ropes, in a misty atmosphere.
A person reading a book in a cozy room with tall bookshelves filled with books, a window behind them, and a portrait hanging above the window. Moths are flying around the room, cats sit on the shelves.
A sailboat on the water surrounded by numerous birds flying in the sky at dusk.
Graphite drawing of two trees with white flowers on the ground and in the background.
Rosalie-Lettau-Madmax.jpg