Illustration · Children’s Publishing · Character Design

Billy the Lost Boiler

Billy the Lost Boiler is a children’s book inspired by the true story of the world’s largest steam engine tractor, the 150 Case, built by Kory Anderson. Written by Ali Anderson, the story follows Billy through a values-driven adventure rooted in faith, perseverance, curiosity, and the skilled trades.

I developed the book’s visual world and produced its illustrations through an AI-assisted workflow, directing and refining the characters, environments, key story moments, and cinematic hero imagery. The process combined generative tools with hands-on art direction, compositing, retouching, and design to balance historical machinery with a warm, expressive children’s-book style. I also created the promotional artwork and animated book trailer, establishing a cohesive visual identity across the book and its launch campaign.

The project grew into an extended edition featuring additional devotional material, coloring pages, and skilled-trades learning activities, with proceeds supporting the Iron Warrior Academy, a nonprofit focused on training the next generation of skilled-trades workers.