For our Junior Thesis Project in college we had to choose an existing book and illustrate a few pages + the cover. I based my project on Cracking India - a historical fiction novel about the Partition of India by the British Radcliffe Commission, written by the Pakistani novelist Bapsi Sidhwa and originally published in 1988. The story is set in Punjab (one of the provinces that was divided) and is narrated by the protagonist Lenny who is a little child when the country gets divided.
In this abridged illustrated version of the book, I focused on seven key scenes that explore the relationship between Lenny and her Ayah, and the emotional turmoil, confusion and trauma that Lenny goes through as the world around her changes.
Each of the illustrations was done with watercolor and gouache on watercolor paper. Some minor adjustments were made in photoshop for a few of the pages. The text in all the pages except the last page and the dedication page is taken from Bapsi Sidhwa's original book. The typography is my own handwriting. I wrote all the text, including that on the covers and the spine, on photoshop with a stylus.
Click on the images to zoom in for details
I made five copies of this book. I bound each of them by hand. You can flip through the book like it's a regular book. At the same time it can also be displayed like an accordion book.
Book Cover Jacket
Final Bound Books
(Handbound by myself)
Displayed as an Accordion Book