Featured Illustrator - Chapter One Promotions

Our Featured Illustrator is the artist Neelam Modi.  

I graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Madras, India where I currently live. I work as an art director in an advertising agency. I enjoy illustrating children's books. The black and white drawing is from a work in progress for a children's book on twin elephants written by Preetha Leela. The handbook on numbers was designed for an independent author in the US. The illustrations of a boy and a grasshopper on a bicycle is work in progress for a short story written by my aunt Bakula who lives in New Jersey. The colour renditions of the Indian Vedic Gods are work in progress too.

I've always been fascinated with the idea of illustrating Children's books.  It all began one evening in Chennai when Preetha and I met over a cup of coffee. We came up with a story of twin elephants separated at birth, of mistaken identities and a predictably happy ending when they are reunited.  It was fun and before we knew it we found ourselves in the thick of it all.  The story is almost complete and the illustrations half way there.

Since then I've worked on quite a few Children's stories.  I work closely with the author and arrive at an illustration style that suits the story.  I usually start with drawings in pen and ink and either hand colour them or colour them on the computer.

The Titles of some of the books I've illustrated for are:

The Elephants of Chindambaram by Preetha Leela Menon
The Fish with Glasses by Don Arends
Sam the Worm by William A. Woodard
Blue Jay and Red Robin by Bakula Ayres
Ankkit and the Grasshopper by Bakula Ayres
Laura's Email by Bakula Ayres

To find out more about becoming a member of the Artists Gallery, e-mail us or call us on 0845 456 5364.  You can also write to us at Chapter One Promotions, Canterbury Court, 1-3 Brixton Road, London, SW9 6DE, England.