Saumya
Oberoi

In this very lively commission from Puffin Imprint at Penguin India, I was asked to illustrate parts of A. Khyrunnisa's 'Agassi and the Great Cycle Race', created as part of the Silly Billy series for middle-school readers. The story focuses on Joel and his determination to win a local bicycling competition, though he doesn't yet know how to cycle. His trainers include his friend Zeba, and Steffi the parrot (who came with his borrowed bicycle).

Unlike full-spread books for younger readers, with Agassi I had the chance to choose the passages from the manuscript that I would illustrate. Shown below are a few spreads from the book, followed by some glimpses into the process. The book was rendered entirely in Procreate on the iPad.

Below are a few character designs that were shared with the author. The final look of the characters evolved since, but reflected her favourites from the set.

The colors were particularly tricky to work with in some of the full spreads. Here are two variations of the same scene, trying to fine-tune the palette and depth of color.

Below are a few non-affiliate links, if you wish to purchase a copy!

Penguin's Official Website   ·   Amazon India