Meet Soumya Menon, the Illustrator Who Made Ammu Twice as Adorable
9 years ago
Over the past few years, Soumya Menon has created many, many endearing
characters for Pratham Books. And well, we’re mighty thrilled that she
continues to. Just last week, StoryWeaver published ‘Ammu’s Puppy‘, a clever and entertaining story illustrated by Soumya Menon and written by Sowmya Rajendran. Ammu, her gang of friends and her puppy are certainly an adorable
lot, and what also contributes to the undeniable charm of ‘Ammu’s Puppy’ is the
combined wit of the talented Sou(w)myas.
characters for Pratham Books. And well, we’re mighty thrilled that she
continues to. Just last week, StoryWeaver published ‘Ammu’s Puppy‘, a clever and entertaining story illustrated by Soumya Menon and written by Sowmya Rajendran. Ammu, her gang of friends and her puppy are certainly an adorable
lot, and what also contributes to the undeniable charm of ‘Ammu’s Puppy’ is the
combined wit of the talented Sou(w)myas.
In this short but fun chat with Soumya
Menon, the StoryWeaver team gets insights into Soumya’s illustration
process and also manages to catch a glimpse of her cozy work space (can you spot Ammu in the photo below?).
Menon, the StoryWeaver team gets insights into Soumya’s illustration
process and also manages to catch a glimpse of her cozy work space (can you spot Ammu in the photo below?).
You’ve
done plenty of work with Pratham Books and you were an Illustrator
Guru, a champion of sorts, for our #6FrameStoryChallenge. What did it
mean to you to be a Star Illustrator for StoryWeaver’s launch?
done plenty of work with Pratham Books and you were an Illustrator
Guru, a champion of sorts, for our #6FrameStoryChallenge. What did it
mean to you to be a Star Illustrator for StoryWeaver’s launch?
I
think that StoryWeaver is a wonderful idea with great potential to grow
and I am excited to see this happen and to participate in this process.
I have been glued to StoryWeaver since its launch (it is very addictive
to have an entire virtual picture-book-shelf online) and it is very
inspiring to see picture books translated into Assamese, into Konkani
and a whole range of African languages. I also like the idea of stories
by and for children, and hope this inspires children to create books of
their own.
think that StoryWeaver is a wonderful idea with great potential to grow
and I am excited to see this happen and to participate in this process.
I have been glued to StoryWeaver since its launch (it is very addictive
to have an entire virtual picture-book-shelf online) and it is very
inspiring to see picture books translated into Assamese, into Konkani
and a whole range of African languages. I also like the idea of stories
by and for children, and hope this inspires children to create books of
their own.
Which medium have you used for ‘Ammu’s Story’? How do you normally decide the treatment for a particular story?
I
used pencils, pastels, inks and also coffee for Ammu’s story! I wanted
the illustrations to have a raw, sketchy feel, with minimal backgrounds
as I felt that this story is very character driven. But I did want a bit
of Kerala in the background (since this is a story set in Kerala)
– laterite walls and red oxide floors and a hint of greenery outdoors and
so on. Though this sounds general, I think the medium used has to give a
sense of the setting, and convey the ‘feel’ of the story. I try and
play around with colour and texture too, where I can. Sometimes it takes
a few rounds of experimenting before I zero in on a particular
treatment for a story.
used pencils, pastels, inks and also coffee for Ammu’s story! I wanted
the illustrations to have a raw, sketchy feel, with minimal backgrounds
as I felt that this story is very character driven. But I did want a bit
of Kerala in the background (since this is a story set in Kerala)
– laterite walls and red oxide floors and a hint of greenery outdoors and
so on. Though this sounds general, I think the medium used has to give a
sense of the setting, and convey the ‘feel’ of the story. I try and
play around with colour and texture too, where I can. Sometimes it takes
a few rounds of experimenting before I zero in on a particular
treatment for a story.
Do you feel that it’s important for an artist to find a distinct style, or is it more important to be versatile?
I
think this is subjective, and depends on the working process of an
artist. In my case, I love to explore as much as I can, so I like the
idea of being versatile. I also think the style of an artist invariably
shows in their work, irrespective of whether one consciously tries to
develop it.
think this is subjective, and depends on the working process of an
artist. In my case, I love to explore as much as I can, so I like the
idea of being versatile. I also think the style of an artist invariably
shows in their work, irrespective of whether one consciously tries to
develop it.
Is there a certain kind of book or story that you have fun illustrating?
That
is a tricky question. I think more than going by a particular theme or
genre, I have fun illustrating a story when I liked reading it. And I
feel this is important to be able to get the pulse of the story, and to
get the characters ‘right’- something I tend to give precedence to.
Sometimes (like in ‘Ammu’s Puppy’) the characters leap right out of the
page, and I want to start sketching as soon as I’m done reading!
is a tricky question. I think more than going by a particular theme or
genre, I have fun illustrating a story when I liked reading it. And I
feel this is important to be able to get the pulse of the story, and to
get the characters ‘right’- something I tend to give precedence to.
Sometimes (like in ‘Ammu’s Puppy’) the characters leap right out of the
page, and I want to start sketching as soon as I’m done reading!
What do you do and where do you go when you desperately need inspiration to draw? Yes, we’re asking you to spill your secrets.
Just
getting away from my desk and taking a walk helps greatly. I find that
travel and travel-related places, like railway stations and bus stops
are full of life and are wonderful spots to head to. When this isn’t
possible, reading helps too- so I dive right into a book.
getting away from my desk and taking a walk helps greatly. I find that
travel and travel-related places, like railway stations and bus stops
are full of life and are wonderful spots to head to. When this isn’t
possible, reading helps too- so I dive right into a book.
Describe your work space to us.
My
workspace is something that undergoes considerable metamorphosis from
time to time- to accommodate an assortment of paper and paints,
lightboxes, the computer- and sometimes all of these all at once! While I
like to be surrounded by plenty of artwork, animal figures, masks and
maps on the walls, I try and keep my work surface as uncluttered as
possible. Especially while drawing – it is imperative to have plenty of
room, and to be able to find things easily 🙂
workspace is something that undergoes considerable metamorphosis from
time to time- to accommodate an assortment of paper and paints,
lightboxes, the computer- and sometimes all of these all at once! While I
like to be surrounded by plenty of artwork, animal figures, masks and
maps on the walls, I try and keep my work surface as uncluttered as
possible. Especially while drawing – it is imperative to have plenty of
room, and to be able to find things easily 🙂
As part of StoryWeaver’s ‘Weave-a-Story’ campaign, we’re asking our vibrant and supportive community to help us translate ‘Ammu’s Puppy‘ into as many languages as possible. Would you like to join us?
