Hi! We’re Nikki and Maki. Two self-employed individuals (designer & illustrator) + married couple exploring fun ways to work together.
Our goal is to make art for fun, outside of client work, creating whatever we’d like. Could be cards, stickers, magnets, buttons, scarves, or digital art. Anything goes! Purely for our own creative exploration and making things that bring us joy!
With that in mind, product pricing for items on this page is set for personal use only. It does not reflect our regular service-based pricing or usage/licensing for commercial work. To inquire about commercial projects, please reach out via our contact page.
Follow along to see what new projects we’re working on! Sign-up for our emails and be the first to know.
Unconventional holiday cards from the peculiar minds of Nikki and Maki. This 3-pack contains 3-folded 4.25″ x 5.5″ cards and envelopes with designs that were voted on by our email subscribers and followers.
*Still available to order. Grab yours now before the holiday season!
Illustration, Design, and Concepts copyright © 2023, Nicola Black Design, LLC & Maki Naro • All rights reserved
Collectible pin-up designs from the archive
Between ’07-’09, Nicola was the director of the Dr. Sketchy’s Philadelphia branch. During this era, Nicola used her design and marketing skills to grow the event 10x over! The monthly drawing event became a favorite among local artists and was often sold out months in advance.
Fleisher Art Memorial was our home base for the majority of this era. We hosted our events inside their Sanctuary space which provided a striking backdrop for our debaucherous evenings. Other venues and one-off events were sprinkled throughout.
At Dr. Sketchy’s, we worked with local burlesque models, side show acts, roller derby players, photographers, and more. Everyone who stood on our stage was decked out in imaginative costumes for poses backed with music from a DJ and drinks to enjoy! It was a party we looked forward to every month.
Below are a few posters that are left from our last printing. It’s likely we won’t be printing these again. There are VERY limited quantities left. So grab ’em while you can!
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Support the arts and get an original digital illustration to celebrate your pet!
It’s no secret Maki and I adore our furry family members! Maki’s been illustrating our crew, past and present. Which got us thinking, why not make them available to you?! So, we put our minds and talents together to create a variety of easy-to-order packages.
This is your chance to get a custom-created digital piece based on your pet’s photo and info! Imagine an original piece that you can print and frame (or share online with friends and family) to admire for years to come!
To keep pricing as low as possible, we’ve designed a streamlined, no edits, artist’s choice, flat fee ordering process. So, when your order is confirmed, we’ll reach out for your pet’s photo/info and you’ll receive your final digital, print yourself art work file within 10-15 business days.
Below, are the different styles available. Order your unique pet illustration today! Have questions or want to discuss more customizations? Scroll down to read more and if you need something else, use our contact form to start the conversation.
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Option to add “Light Color” for an additional $100 during check-out.
Licensing = non-commercial/personal use only. Deliverable = Digital, print yourself file.
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Option to add “Typography Design” for an additional $200 during check-out.
Licensing = non-commercial/personal use only. Deliverable = Digital, print yourself file.
Pricing includes:
Option to add “Typography Design” for an additional $200 during check-out.
Licensing = non-commercial/personal use only. Deliverable = Digital, print yourself file.
Maki’s offered up the following illustration styles as options:
And I (Nicola) will be handling creative/art direction for all orders + adding design elements and typography to the following options:
Each option will reflect the samples above, but there will be some variation (think background color/elements, etc.). It’s part of the beauty and perks of working with real human artists! Once complete, you’ll receive a 100% unique creation of your bestie to admire for years to come.
We’ve been mindful to make these artworks as accessible as possible while ensuring fair compensation for our time. Because these are flat fee packages, edits are not included. If you’d like to make changes, edits are completed at our regular hourly rates. Want more customization? Click the button below.
By making the final product a digital file, we’ve eliminated the costs of printing and shipping. This also allows you to print-at-home or with a print vendor of your choice. Our recommendation is Fireball Printing. They’re incredible!
“Thank you so much for the beautiful art of our cat, Mystie. You captured her personality and likeness perfectly!“
“It made me smile remembering my loved pup (Dodger). I look forward to printing and framing it.”
“My NikkiMaki pet portrait perfectly captures the spirit of my dearly departed pup, and I am beyond grateful for Nikki and Maki’s keen trained eyes and their beautiful work. Thank you!”
“Thank you for creating what is already a treasured keepsake of our boy Petey! You captured the personality and charm of this unique little being. ❤️”
Bring your character to life with a one-of-a-kind illustration!
So, you’ve created an original character, but you haven’t been able to make them come alive visually. Wouldn’t it be fun to see your beloved blorbo illustrated professionally? Or maybe you’d like an illustration of your favorite character from a game or movie. We’ve got you!
Now’s your chance to commemorate your creation with one of our digital character art commissions drawn by Maki Naro. Print and frame it at home to hang on your wall or place a copy prominently on the game table so all your friends can see just how cool you look.
As with our pet portrait offerings, we’ve designed a streamlined, “artist’s’ choice,” no edits, flat fee ordering process. When your order is confirmed, we’ll follow up to collect information about your commission and a final digital, print yourself artwork file will land in your inbox within 10-15 business days.
Below are the different styles available. Order your unique character art today! Have questions or want to discuss more customizations? Scroll down to read more and if you need something else, use our contact form to start the conversation.
IMPORTANT: All orders must be “safe for work.” Please see our will/won’t do list (plus important info about edits) below. Not sure if your order qualifies? Reach out before submitting your order. “Artist’s choice” = descriptions you provide are up to artist’s interpretation & reflect pricing of flat fee products (ie: if they carry 937 knives, we won’t be drawing 937 knives). If you require more control, please reach out for a custom quote.
Pricing includes:
“Flat Color” add-on available for $100 at check-out.
Licensing = non-commercial/personal use only. Deliverable = Digital, print yourself file.
Pricing includes:
“Flat Color” add-on available for $150 at check-out.
Licensing = non-commercial/personal use only. Deliverable = Digital, print yourself file.
We have other styles available including “quick paint” and “painterly.” See samples in carousel above. We are happy to complete your character design in these styles. To get that process started, please hit the button below to inquire and get the conversation started via our contact form.
Maki’s offered up the illustration styles above as options while I (Nikki) handle creative/art direction. We’ve been mindful to make these works as accessible as possible while ensuring fair compensation for our time. Because these are flat fee packages, edits are not included and works are completed as “artist’s choice.” If you’d like to make changes, edits are completed at our regular hourly rates.
By making the final product a digital file, we’ve eliminated the costs of printing and shipping. This also allows you to print-at-home or with a print vendor of your choice. Our recommendation is Fireball Printing. They’re incredible!
Will Do List:
Won’t Do List:
IMPORTANT: All orders must be “safe for work.” Please see our will/won’t do list (plus important info about edits) below. Not sure if your order qualifies? Reach out before submitting your order. “Artist’s choice” = descriptions you provide are up to artist’s interpretation & reflect pricing of flat fee products (ie: if they carry 937 knives, we won’t be drawing 937 knives). If you require more control, please reach out for a custom quote.
This one’s for all our fellow family history/genealogy geeks. If you’re anything like Nikki, you LOVE putting on your research hat and getting lost for hours to uncover your family history.
Here’s your chance to get all of that research out of your desk drawer or computer and onto the wall to admire! Learn more about our Five-Generation Family Tree Designs here.
All “NikkiMaki” Illustration, Design, and Concepts copyright © 2023-2025, Nicola Black Design, LLC & Maki Naro • All rights reserved
