The Name's Bond, Ruskin Bond

The publishers wanted a cover illustration that was mature and which would appeal to both adults and children alike. They felt my style would be appropriate for this.
Later, the art director, woman of few words, actually wrote back to tell me how much 'everyone liked the cover illustration'. And people are still 'liking' it on my Facebook page as I write this.
As always I am bewildered during moments like these. This cover illustration was a breeze to do after assignments like doing the illustrations for Dr. Kalam's book and coming up with all kinds of strange illustration solutions for the complex articles at Current Conservation magazine.

By the way, the design for this cover was a given template around which I had to base my illustration as well as draw a 'motif' that gets incorporated into the O.

I have decided to permanently remove the comments section from my blog for reasons which are too many to explain. For those of you who want to get in touch with me, my email is always there for you :-)

turban

Illustration for a book cover.

How I wish men in the city wore turbans too. How I wish turbans were back in fashion.

They add such magnificence and presence to the male personality - something much needed in these times of universal bland pinstripe Arrow shirts and Titan eyewear (oh and the dreadful id tag around the neck). 

Long ago when I lived in a little gated apartment community on Sarjapur road, I would go cycling along Marathahalli ring road. (Marathahalli was far from the disaster that it is today. There were green fields and eucalyptus trees on either side of the road). One day while cycling a farmer passed me on his tractor. He wore a magnificent white turban. I thought he looked like a Maharaja on a chariot. 'Oy!' he called to attract my attention. I gave him a thumbs up sign as I cycled past. He gave me a thumbs up too as we went our separate ways. I'd like to think that kind of confidence comes from wearing a turban. It gives a man the same kind of presence that wearing a sari nicely gives a woman.

Here is a post by Archana Srinivas at her blog Rang: The Colours of Life, on Pagris (turbans) - 

take a look >>>

Here is a great link about passionate drawing. You know those spontaneous drawings which look as if the artist has just whipped it up in a flash. Well it never is quite like that. Read this excellent article to find out more >>>