Master’s graduate illustrates Penguin-published children’s books in India and Southeast Asia

You’ve worked for some big-name clients like Penguin Random House. Is there a project you’ve worked on during your career so far that you’re particularly proud of?   

The project with Penguin was a great experience: I worked on two board books for their young audiences in India and Southeast Asia and was able to incorporate important elements like diversity into their visual style. I got to work with an art director who trusted my process, which was key. It was a lot of work in a fairly short amount of time so I'm really proud of how the books came together in the end. It was so rewarding to see the books out in bookstores where I grew up. 

How did your time on the course transform your creative practice?  

I took the time on the course to really focus on developing my ideas and explore different forms of storytelling. I tried short form print comics to longer form digital ones, explored printing techniques like Riso and Mono printing. It reminded me that I don't have to stick to one way of working, and how you never know when trying new things can inspire another story or idea. I found I enjoyed working on short form comics, using a mix of analogue and digital media, and have incorporated this into my practice now. It's also the time I realised that while illustration has a commercial side, it can also be a deeply personal artistic practice, and that both can exist alongside each other, which is totally okay!

What other skills did you develop?  

The course helped me develop my research skills in illustration theory, being introduced to incredible resources through the course tutors, the Falmouth library and the guest lectures. I also really enjoyed collaborating with peers and fellow artists on publications, group shows and organising pop-up events around Falmouth. The sense of community was great in an otherwise independent practice like illustration. 

With the pace of technological change and the rise of AI, why do you think artists and creative thinkers are important?   

Artists express how they see the world, and this perspective is essentially unique for each of us as people. I'm not sure what the future holds for us in terms of AI, but I believe creativity is a very human thing, and people will always connect to stories that capture that humanity. 

Picture credits: Penguin Books India 

Explore Illustration: Authorial Practice MA