'Look Up!' is my third Tulika book and it is about just these fun shapes in the sky and two little children looking up at them!
For the past few months, I've been busy with a picturebook project that has made me work in a slightly different way compared to my usual watercolour. This is the first time I've incorporated collage into my painting, and while I'm still getting the hang of it, I've really enjoyed experimenting!
The project was about an endearing little girl called Nabiya and her journey into the world of stories. Set in the slums of Mumbai in the monsoons, it was a wonderful subject for me to draw.
The project was about an endearing little girl called Nabiya and her journey into the world of stories. Set in the slums of Mumbai in the monsoons, it was a wonderful subject for me to draw.
I really got a chance to look closely at the detail in these surroundings - the closely built houses, narrow alleyways, the tremendous amount of textures, patterns, variety! Though such places are seemingly unclean, dingy and dark, I think they have a lot of unobserved visual beauty. The streaming sunlight, little potted plants, hanging clothes, brick walls are all very pretty.
In fact, having to draw slums really made me see how a bit of cleaning and arranging could change the way these spaces look. It was also a challenge to choose and feature only some of the detail and not overburden the images with too much colour or pattern.
Another thing to achieve was natural gestures for the children. While I love drawing children more than anything, watercolour and pencil lines offer much more movement than cut outs. The best way out was using gentle washes for the background to soften the images. Of course, when the imaginative, dreamy part comes, my paintbrush is the happiest!
Last week I spent a rainy, quiet morning amidst beautiful books and smiling children.
It was at the launch of Raindrops at Kitabkhana, a bookstore in South Mumbai. It is a calm, quiet place, filled with books and a perfect venue for a small group of happy children (and adults) to come, read and play around.
The children giggled and talked to us shyly, listened to a reading of the book, made clay masterpieces and drew very beautiful pictures.
It was at the launch of Raindrops at Kitabkhana, a bookstore in South Mumbai. It is a calm, quiet place, filled with books and a perfect venue for a small group of happy children (and adults) to come, read and play around.
The children giggled and talked to us shyly, listened to a reading of the book, made clay masterpieces and drew very beautiful pictures. It was an absolute pleasure to talk to these delightful children and their parents. A big thank you to all of you for coming.
Thanks also to Tulika, Kitabkhana and Kahanitree and of course to the lovely ladies Vaishali, Parinita and Rukhsar, for a very pleasant morning indeed.
The very first Indian picture book I've illustrated is out! It is called Raindrops and can be bought here.Since I'm staying away from home for a few months, I haven't yet seen the printed book. I cannot wait to get back and hold it in my own hands. No screen can replace the feel, smell, touch of paper, especially a book, printed and bound!
The physical book has a value that never comes to any digital version of it - a view that many may contest, but that I increasingly subscribe to.
The happiest part, though, is that, in addition to English, the book is available in eight Indian languages!
Here's some of the work created during the project.
