Puffin: Published + Rejected Artwork

Most of the work presented below (barring one illustration at the very end of this post) was done for The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, a children's fantasy adventure written by my father (Shreekumar Varma) and published by Puffin. The book is full of surreal and magical characters and situations, so illustrating it was a great workout for my visual imagination.

A note on the book cover: The final cover design for the book (seen at the bottom of this post) was not done by me. The Disney-Aladdin-style typography isn't something I would have gone with, nor do I approve of the dull colour scheme and composition. The cover does use a portion of one of my illustrations, though, but it's been rather poorly cut up without my final approval. (If I sound belligerent and defensive, it's because I am, slightly. Then again, I'm also an inveterate control freak.) In any case, you'll see all my original concepts and artwork for the cover below, so you can compare the lot for yourself.

Nu Cham Vu's magic cat, from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Initial sketch of Nu Cham Vu, the title monster from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Anchan Bey, the patriarch of Anchan Bay village, from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

A weird robotic bat creature from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

The evil monster Nu Cham Vu being booted out of Anchan Bay village by a couple of its larger inhabitants, from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

The village lamp-lighter, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Shady nocturnal doings at Nu Cham Vu's enchanted toyshop, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Rough pencil sketch of Nu Cham Vu bathing at a waterfall, illuminated by the light of fireflies, from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Final illustration of Nu Cham Vu bathing, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

A 'pachuaha': a creature from The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Rough pencil sketch of the Shandilyan family arriving on a storm-swept boat, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Final illustration of the Shandilyans arriving at Anchan Bay on a boat, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Some poor old lady being chased by Nu Cham Vu out of his toyshop of horrors, The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

My initial (and favourite) cover design concept for The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Final cover illustration for The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Final cover illustration, with dark background, for The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin.

Published cover -- not of my design -- featuring my cut-up illustration, for The Magic Store of Nu Cham Vu, Puffin

Another book that Puffin commissioned me to work on was Jerry Pinto's A Bear for Felicia. The project wasn't completed, however, as the publishers weren't entirely satisfied with my rendering of the teddy bear in the book's title. While this was a bit of a personal failure for me, I'm happy for having relinquished this job, because the art director at Penguin (the highly talented Ajanta Guhathakurta) ended up doing the illustrations herself, and with spectacular results. Here's my take on Felicia and her bear:

Rejected illustration for A Bear for Felicia, Puffin