Project Overview
Secret School Mysteries is a three-book children’s series written by Ashok K. Banker and illustrated by me. Published by Scholastic India, the series combines mystery, humor, and imaginative storytelling, brought to life through expressive characters and dynamic visual narratives.
Character and Prop Design
The project began with extensive character and prop exploration to establish a strong visual identity for the series. This involved creating rough sketches, which were shared with stakeholders for feedback and iterative refinement.
The designs were intentionally kept loose and sketch-like during this phase, serving as a foundation for the final illustrations rather than fully rendered assets.
A selection of designs from Aliens Ate My Homework showcases a range of imaginative characters, including both mischievous and friendly alien personalities, along with story-specific props.
Designs from The Haunted Centre feature a playful mix of supernatural and quirky characters, including a vampire, zombie, werewolf, and a friendly dinosaur.
Process
The illustration process was iterative and collaborative. Initial rough sketches were developed and reviewed with stakeholders, followed by multiple rounds of refinement during the layout stage.
Adjustments were continuously made to enhance storytelling—adding, removing, or refining visual elements to ensure clarity, engagement, and narrative impact.
For the book covers, multiple thumbnail sketches and color explorations were created before arriving at the final direction.
Illustrations
Below are selected spreads from each book, beginning with the opening/title pages followed by key illustrations that highlight the visual storytelling across the series.
