Meet Romana Ruban, who illustrated "The Three Lives of Vasika's Cat" by Natalya Romanova from the "Book about a Picture" series. series "Maechka" - "Wanted Zina" and "Maechka. Festive edition" by Yulia Laktionova, "By no means a femicide" Robin Stevens.

Illustration. How did it happen and why did you decide to dedicate your life to illustration?

When choosing a profession, I had two radically different options: either to be a graphic artist or an accountant. It's cool that she still chose graphics and there were no longer any doubts about the illustration and design of the books. I do not reject thought that the profession can be changed over time, but now I really like to work on those things that you can hold it in your hands, think about how the reader's gaze will move along the pages, play with the inner and external forms, to think not only about the image, but also about the book as a complete object.

Which Nebo BookLab Publishihg books have you illustrated?

Three books) The first of them, and generally one of the first published with my illustrations, "Three lives of the cat Vasyka" by Natalia Romanova from the series "Book about a painting". And two from the "Maechka" series - "Zina is wanted" and "Maechka. Festive edition" Yulia Laktionova. All very different, but equally loved.

Can you single out your favorite project? And why Or the peculiarity and complexity/highlight of each?

It's hard to tell, but it's probably Zina Wanted. Work on the book took a very long time, I procrastinated deadlines, the search for equipment was not easy. There were some difficulties with the image of dogs, because they are real animals and it was necessary to capture their characteristic features. But what a pleasure it was to work when we chose the right one technique, format, paper, thought out all the details. I still remember how happy I was when I saw the first copies of typography. And then I was the happiest person when we were shortlisted for the Book Arsenal competition.

A new book of the "Art Detective" series. Tell me, share the specifics of this project?

While working on the cover of the book "By no means a femicide", I decided to move away from my usual drawing and started for paper and work with planes and volume. I really love experiments and moments of uncertainty - that's how the work is more similar to the creative process. In my opinion, the limitation in color and work with silhouettes allows smaller means, achieve a greater effect. And for a detective story, this is exactly what is needed. As if to give the reader only a hint, I will send point, and then his imagination will complete what is missing in the image, and maybe create even more than what is in the text.

Dream project? What story, plot would you really like to illustrate? And why?

I would like to make a project in which I would be the author and illustrator at the same time. Currently, I am looking for a topic that would be the best resonated in me to resonate even more strongly in the reader. It would probably be cool to create something about self-acceptance. When an artist can make a book integrated with the text, then a very sincere thing should come out, because there will be no more conflict here "text-illustration", and everything will become a single whole: from letters to tiny details. It is necessary to move in this direction.