Biniya...

Giving finishing touches to an e-book written by a dear friend. This simple and cute story is set in a rustic background. Plan to release this book by next week before I start with another exciting book illustration project ...full of cuddly and furry animals !! 

A character from the book..(and there are more to come !)

Miew ..meeeeiew

The book I had illustrated sometime last year is now in prints !! 

A cute little Sci-Fi, full of information for little people. Do I need to say that I had a great time illustrating it ?

Lazy worm goes on a journey .....

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From my wish list ....

Yeah, ya....  this beautiful beast will  always be there in my wish list...

(Little illustration done for Tinkle Digest )

A minor irritant ...

It is divine to blow and  ' PLOP'  your own bubbles !

My first comic strip stint ....

I was bit reluctant to take this up, as the idea of drawing in panels completely stresses me out. It was just one page, so I decided to give it a try ...

It is an advertisement for an upcoming special Tinkle issue. 

Page 74, March 2014 issue

Roman Holiday !!

Illustration for Tinkle Magazine

Makeover time !!

Every time I hit an 'Artist's BLOCK', I come running here to get myself unblocked. For me, my blog happens to be one of the most motivating things online. I think...I should start posting a little more often !!

A  makeover will do I guess. 

I mean my blog needs a little makeover.. (and not 'Mr.'.whoever-you-are-looking-at-in-the-mirror!!).

Meanwhile, enjoy this irritating little GIFling, who keeps styling his broomy hair forever....

and have a Happy New Year 2014 !!

Look , who is in my scrap book......

While working on an illustration for Tinkle Digest,  I decided to completely ditch all the digital stuff, and took out my good old color pencils to bring in some good old charm !!
The originals of course cut themselves out and found their way into my scrap book...

Checkout the Super granny guarding her treasures , and the ever stylish Bangalore traffic cop !!

Geee...the upside down story is in the LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS !!

What a pleasant surprise !!!

I had participated in a 'Write-a-thon' event organized by Pratham books a couple of years ago and had  illustrated a part. The event has made it to the  LIMCA BOOK OF RECORDS 2013 !! 
Check out the link http://www.limcabookofrecords.in/recorddetails.aspx?recid=850

The 'Eureka ' moment ..or an end of a good time ?

I love to figure out stuff ...especially the research part. My mind can't rest until I find the solution ! 
The 'Eureka' moment is delightful, but it also leaves a big void, and makes you feel a bit empty inside ( .. somewhat similar to the feeling you get when you finish reading the last page of a good book, or finish solving a complex Sudoku puzzle !! )

Hug the cook !!

An illustration from the book series I am currently working on ......

Miss Mango kulfi

The month of July was very hectic. Friends, family , vacations literally kept me on my toes.

Managed to take out a couple of days to work on a delightful story card project for Pratham Books.

Meet the protagonist Miss Mango Kulfi !

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms on this earth !!

Run..run for your life....

No, not the Delhi Belly way ....

Chicks and Flips

Drawing animals was never part of my comfort zone...but after I started illustrating for 'Champak', I have been drawing all sorts of animals ( and loving it :-)

Parenting is tough !

The Coolest King

Just completed an illustration, and sent.......the King is part of a cool bunch !!

What do you think he is up to ?

My illustration in AFCC Singapore....

One of the illustrations  from my e book  "The King's Secret"  has been selected for display at the AFCC Book Illustrators Gallery in Singapore. 

..and I get a festival pass of S$150 for the Writers and Illustrators Conference too  :-) 

Wish you all the stuff that the sweet dreams are made of...

Watermelon and a hanging monkey !

From an assignment I recently did for a children's magazine...

Share your heart , share your smile !!

I don't have a big heart, but I want to share  it and give you the BIGGEST slice !!

        HAPPY Valentine's Day 

                    

What do you do on a rainy day ?

Jump like a frog or eat hot pakoras...
Do both.

My pakora recipe on 'TDAC'. Click to enlarge !!

SoleMates -

A watercolor and ink sketch.

Best buddies...

Met this inspiring cow yesterday, when she was busy playing with a fly - her best buddy. 
When she nodded at me and gave me a gleeful smile...I decided to draw her and put her on a mousepad. 
Click on the yellow mousepad image below to buy it from zazzle..

Cow and her best buddy mousepad. 

Twin dolphins ....

'Gulli's box of things' - my first book with Pratham books

The book was also present at the 'World Book Fair' held in New Delhi last week.

My first book , and my first illustrations :-) , so this book will always remain very very special to me....Thanks to Pratham books !!
As I type this, I am holding a copy in my hand, and it is like "WOW... this is some dream come true" !!!
The book has been lovingly translated by Pratham, and is also available in Hindi, Marathi, Kannada & Telugu.Get your copy from a bookstore or visit Pratham book's e store.

'The King's Secret' - My first e-book is now available for sale !!!

Just released my first picture e-Book for children !!

The book can be read on your Kindle device, iPhone, windows PC, MAC, BlackBerry, iPad, Android, and Windows Phone 7. You can download the FREE Kindle reading app for the device of your choice. Click on the banner below....

The eBook is available exclusively on the Amazon Kindle store. It will be delivered to you instantly !!

Make this your new year's resolution.

Walk EVERYDAY !! 
A mixed media illustration

Santa's favorite page - Bookmarked !!

  

                              
                       Merry X'MAS to you all !!

mixed media drawings

A Knotty Little Fish, and how to weave a tiny one yourself

A Fish skillfully woven using coconut fronds.  An ink & color pencils drawing.

Similar weaved pouches are used in the Oriental cooking for steaming rice.I am yet to figure out how to weave this one, but here is how you can weave a tiny fish using just two fronds -
(take 2 fronds of coconut , palm , bamboo ...or anything you fancy) 
 read more ....Enjoy !! 

The design is now available on zazzle. view more products with this design in my store

Weaved fish cute button by EaselBytes

Brave little crab on a not-so-straight walk !! ( ...in Ink & watercolor )

Look who has just jumped out of the brush in my hands ..
Its a brave little crab walking through the sun kissed sands !!

Literally armed to the teeth, this brave little fella seems to have declared an all-out war on someone. 

 The design is now available on  zazzle   ..

view more products with this design

Chammak Challo

Play & dance to  this Bollywood tune on youtube - A song by Akon ..
:-) 
A fun drawing in dry pastels 

Download "The upside-down' story

I participated in a 'Write-a-thon' event organized by Pratham books last week, and  illustrated a part. The book was written, illustrated, translated and designed  in just 2 days, and  was released on the International girl child day on 24th Sept !!
Download the book for free !! Its available in 4 languages,
http://prathambooks.org/write-thon-book-download

Rainy days & Mondays ....

Hanging around, nothing to do but frown, 
Rainy days & Mondays always get me down ....

..and here is how I got over it ....
I excavated some long lost songs by digging around the internet, and spent the whole day listening to them. Also, I am reading this beautifully written book by Markus Zusak , called The Book Thief. I am only half way through it, but it is exactly the kind of book I love to curl up with.
By the way, everything I draw in my blog does not necessarily exist in reality. Take the rope swing for instance. I don't have a swing at home, because every time I imagine myself sitting in a swing like that, the next set of visuals that flash in front of my eyes are that of the ceiling coming down ..crashing with all the above mentioned things. And what about those huge red headphones  ?  Well, I DEFFFFinately do not own anything like THAT !!!.
.Listen .to the Monday blues...

Together We Drum !!

...Indian Tabla -Dagga
Ink & watercolor (From my sketch book)

An Abandoned Wreck

Unusual things instantly grab my attention every time I go out searching for some inspiration. 

Such abandoned things always trigger a whole lot of  imagination and curiosity in kids.... I am sure you too must have had atleast one memory or an imagined story  associated with an abandoned car with weeds and cobwebs grown all around it !
Here is a wrecked car..thanks to some reckless.I had some serious fun dabbling in black ink this time ....

A long long wait .................

Here is an ink drawing in my favvvvorite creepy and crawly style .....

Just completed the final bits of formalities for my very first children's small story book ( written & illustrated by me :-). However, its going to be a while before I can finally see it in prints ( 6 months , I was told ), as it has to undergo translations in 6 languages. 
So, all I can do now is wait..wait..... and wait , with spiders for my company :-) 

'AUTO' - the 'Nearly' national vehicle of India.

A page from my water color sketchbook .. 

You can't be on an Indian road if you don't spot them ! To hire one, you just have to stretch out your hand and say "auto..auto..auto" using the same decibel levels that you might use while crying out for help. And, there you have - a couple of cute little tri-wheeler wonders standing right in front of you, with their drivers popping out....all set to negotiate. 

Even before you thank your luck after hopping into one, you are already on a 'belt-less' roller-coaster ride, right in the middle of a crazy Indian road with the crazier Indian traffic, driven by the craziest auto driver !! 

And, if the rear view mirror is strategically adjusted at every traffic signal, you know you are a 'good-looking' one...:-) 

.... I can almost hear the trademark sound they make ..'Trrrrrrrrrrrrrr...rrrrr'.

When the KING is in pain .......

......he summons a good dentist !!

A Lion with toothache!!!
( Treat him at your own risk )
-a mixed media drawing-

Shop for products with this design and more ..only in my shop on Zazzle 

Traffic woes,Trees and the 'Tyred' desires ....

"HANG THE TYRE !!", shouted all the angry birds.
"Hey, thats a TYRE SWING !!", clapped  little children.
-An Ink sketch on paper-

The Growing Stack ......

A stack of 'half read' books I have been trying to finish ......

A drawing in color pencils.

Find this drawing on a few zazzle products ...



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