Atanu Roy facts for kids
Atanu Roy (born 1952) is an Indian artist from New Delhi. He is famous for drawing pictures for over a hundred children's books. He is also a cartoonist.
Atanu Roy studied art at the Delhi College of Art. While he was still a student, he drew pictures for his first book. It was a black and white book about how transportation changed over time.
After finishing college, he worked for a publisher called Rajpal & Sons. He designed book covers and drew pictures for books by famous writers. Later, he became the art director for Target, a children's magazine from the India Today group. He also drew the funny joke pages for the magazine. Atanu Roy has won many international awards for his cartoons and illustrations.
His Work as an Illustrator
Atanu Roy's first real picture book for children was about Tails. He made it for the National Book Trust (NBT). The NBT is an organization that publishes books for people in India.
He created many more books for the NBT. He used a special style with strong black outlines and bright colors. This helped the pictures look good even on the paper used for NBT books.
Roy also worked on books and learning tools for very young children. These included games and puzzles. He worked with different publishers in New Delhi.
In an interview, Roy talked about what it takes to be a good children's illustrator. He said it's important to treat children as smart and to have a good sense of humor. He also believes you need to understand what each age group likes. It's important to do research so your drawings are correct. Using lots of details and action helps grab a child's attention.
Some of his best drawings are in The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths. His pictures in this book use different styles from Indian art. Roy said he wanted the book to feel very Indian. So, he used earthy colors and showed influences from traditional Indian paintings.
Roy also shared that he sees his audience, even children, as equals. He believes they can understand grown-up ideas. This is why he wasn't afraid to show the darker parts of Indian mythology in his drawings.
Books He Illustrated
- The Puffin Book of Magical Indian Myths by Anita Nair (2008)
- Wingless, a fairy tale by Paro Anand (2003)
