Rhea Lamba is a first-year university student studying art and plans to pursue a career in art or design. She loves all things creative, and her other interests include music, crochet, crafting, and reading. Rhea has previously had her artwork published in The Hooghly Review, and shares her digital and traditional artwork on her Instagram.

Rhea has designed and illustrated the cover for THE SONG OF TIME (in press) by Latha Madhusudhan.

How did you approach this project?

I was very excited for this project as it was my first time illustrating/designing a real book cover. Like with most other projects, my first step was to gather inspiration based on the book’s contents and the vision for the cover. Creating mood boards and such with lots of sketches is, for me, the best way to organise my thoughts in the ideating process and convey them to others.

What is your favourite type of design work?

My favourite type of design work would be illustration, especially more playful, colourful designs. 

What is your favourite design tech?

My favourite software for illustration and even animation would be Procreate. It’s super easy to use once you learn how to use it, and there are practically no limits to what you can create. For design, Kittl is one I discovered recently that is super user-friendly and easy to navigate, yet very comprehensive and flexible. Otherwise I think Adobe Illustrator allows for the widest range of work. 

How do you adapt to new styles or techniques? 

Through lots of research and getting inspiration from other people’s work, especially if it is a style or subject I myself am not very familiar with. Also a lot of experimenting—sometimes you design or draw something ten times before finally getting it right, and that’s what helps you grow and learn. 

What is your greatest career accomplishment?

As my first real project in illustration/design, my greatest accomplishment would have to be THE SONG OF TIME. The experience I gained working on this was so valuable, and I look forward to doing more similar projects in the future.