Welcome to my first post of "Book of the month"
Hi there! "Book of the month" will be a tiny corner for me to share my most recent project, the inspiration and the work behind the illustration, or anything related to my art life.
This first post is about The Greatest River, author by Namita Moolani Mehra, published by HarperCollins.
Working on this book has been quite a challenge, as it often is with manuscript that explore emotional and difficult topics like sadness, fear, and the potential loss of a parent - heavy subjects for a children’s book. Another hurdle for the illustrator is capturing images and ideas from the understated, pure simplicity of the text. I don’t want my art to simply depict everything that happens in the story, it should also convey the underlying emotions of the characters and the subtle nuances of the backdrop. This is a poignant story, yet still full of hope and I want the illustrations to reflect that emotional depth, while remaining bright and vibrant.
I struggled a bit at the beginning to find the right tone for the book.Fortunately, I found inspiration in my trip to Northern India, where I had the opportunity to witness the breathtaking view of the many rivers firsthand. The color palette I experienced was a creative spark for the scene depicted in the illustration for this book.
Another source of inspiration came from photos my friends took during their trip. I was seeking any insights I could gather.
Along with the references I gathered from the internet, these images and personal experiences have played a significant role in shaping my vision for the book and the final artwork.
I often prefer to keep my sketch simple and minimal (sometimes I worry that my clients might be too skeptical to let me proceed with coloring, but I’ve been very fortunate by how much trust they place in me for the final result). The reason why I don’t like to dwell on an overly planned sketch is because I know that given time to think, to process the manuscript and references, to conduct researching, inspiration and new ideas often emerge to fill the gaps. Now, having an excessively predefined sketch will prevent you from flowing with the tweaks and turns as they arise. This artwork is one good example.
Finally now Greatest River is out there, the only thing left I can do is breath a sigh of relief and wish for it to resonate well with the readers.
