Sirin Thada on illustrating the life of the iconic, mysterious Prince in THE PURPLE ONE
In this guest blog post, Sirin Thada takes us behind the scenes into her art-making process illustrating The Purple One, A Story of Prince. From Prince as a child growing up in Minneapolis to the superstar music icon we know and love today, discover how Sirin researched, sketched, and painted the life of the one and only Prince, through five key illustrations from the picture book. 💜🕊✨
A spread from The Purple One, A Story of Prince
The Purple One was, thrillingly, my first time illustrating a picture book, let alone a biography—which I quickly learned has its own unique challenges. How on earth do I depict such an iconic figure as Prince, but in a different light? How do I create a human connection with a figure so veiled in mystique, who seems otherworldly?
Everyone knows His Purple Highness: there is no shortage of photos of him sharing his musical genius, or posing for the camera. And yet, he was a notoriously private person. Author Matthew Burgess did an incredible job crafting the picture book’s story, paring down Prince’s life to poetic elegance, highlighting well-known achievements alongside more intimate moments.
But, how would I portray all that visually? It was important to me to be as factually accurate as possible, while still leaving myself room for some creativity. I dug deep into biographies and interviews; I spent hours looking through as many photos as I could find of a more candid Prince, especially in those pre-fame years (all while listening to Prince non-stop, of course.)
I also pored over pictures of Minneapolis in the 70s and 80s. By going back in time and looking at the world surrounding Prince, perhaps I could better represent his place within it, in those rare moments he was not performing or working. Mike Evangelist’s work was an invaluable reference, along with the Hennepin County Library Collections, the National Archives, and the archives of the Library of Congress. All of that definitely informed the retro aesthetic for the art.
As for creating a more intimate connection to Prince, being a fan, I already knew about his childhood love for basketball, and penchant for pancakes—so of course I had to include that in the art. I also snuck in little things like my own pup, a squirrel (my dog loves squirrels), my dad’s Ford Pinto from the 70s, a pair of owls hidden in the treetops by Paisley Park—because in drawing little things I love, I deepen my own connection to the art… And hopefully these sentimental, relatable touches, will entice young readers to create their own similar connections.
A child “with a universe of music inside of him” — Prince and the piano
“I want to tell people to create. Just start by creating your day. Then create your life.” —Prince.
From the power of creativity, to the importance of hard work and pushing past doubts, there was so much about Matthew’s manuscript that spoke to my heart, and I was thrilled to have the chance to illustrate it.
This particular illustration, of a young Prince playing piano, was partly inspired by my own childhood memories. I started taking lessons when I was 6, and I still have the flashcards my first teacher gave me. It’s sublime when you’ve learned a piece so well that you can play it even with your eyes closed. I remember placing my hands on the smooth keys, and my fingers would just move on their own, weaving a landscape of sounds to surround me as the rest of the world faded away.
As for my art process, years ago, I used to do every step by hand. Nowadays, I like to sketch on my iPad first, then switch back to actual paper and paint. Gouache, liquid acrylics, and watercolor are the mainstay in my art; crayons and colored pencils are the icing on the cake. Sometimes I’ll work on a piece by hand to the point that only a little digital clean up is needed. Other times, I’ll only do one layer of painting, and then add in the details with digital pencil tools. But, it always starts out as paint on paper, no exceptions. I live for those unpredictable bleeds and blooms: to me, they represent the imperfections that make us fundamentally human.
Prince pre-fame — A teen with enormous talent, growing up in downtown Minneapolis…
I had so much fun researching what downtown Minneapolis looked like in the early 1970s, back when Prince was a teen. In fact, photographer Mike Evangelist has a visual feast of a book on this exact subject, and it was an invaluable reference for this illustration. From flared jeans, to record shops, to cool storefront signage, I loved going back in time with this piece.
You can see my first very rough concept sketch, and then how the scene changed in the final sketch when we decided to change the text placement. The car in the scene is partly inspired by my own dad's first car, a blue Ford Pinto. In the top left, I also snuck in my brother's and sister-in-law's kitty, Luna, and my own beloved pupperoni, Indie.
Minneapolis in the 1970s
Minneapolis in the 1970s
… and taking on NYC in the 1970s!
To ensure my depictions of teenage Prince had the right vibe, I leaned heavily into the photos His Purple Highness included in The Beautiful Ones. I also looked at the work of photographer Robert Whitman, who has many amazing shots of Prince in those pre-fame years (Whitman was hired by Prince's first manager to take press kit photos). Prince's outfit in my illustration was inspired by that shoot.
And the iconic NYC subway! For that, I have the U.S. National Archives to thank. That's how I found the work of photographer Erik Calonius, who took some incredible photos of the subway in the 70s. It was fun imagining a slightly nervous Prince on the train, mixed in between so many other lives, dreams, and untold stories.
If you couldn't tell, I had a blast doing the crayon "graffiti," and the little frenchie is inspired by a real-life pup named Felipe, who belongs to my neighbors!
New York City in the 1970s
New York City in the 1970s
Prince as an international superstar — Prince and his instruments…
It's reported that Prince not only sang every vocal, but also played all TWENTY-SEVEN instruments on his first album! So, I definitely wanted to pay tribute to this astounding proficiency by depicting Prince with all these different, cool-looking musical gadgets surrounding him.
My first rough concept sketch was much too busy, with instruments and then this surreal landscape that was intended to symbolize his “freedom to create his own music,” as Matthew puts it. By the final sketch, I ended up simplifying the scene to just Prince and his instruments, and I’m glad I did.
… and Prince in Paisley Park
Let’s go straight to the bunny slippers: in my first rough concept sketch, I did not include them, because I wasn't sure if he wore them, and I did not feel comfortable making it up. But, I eventually found one article in the Star Tribune, where Ricky Petersen recounts a time when Prince greeted him at the front door of Paisley Park wearing… yes, big bunny slippers!
Needless to say, I was over the moon upon this discovery. I also found photos online of Prince's studio setup, and read accounts of the candles, perfume, and silk scarves hanging from the ceiling—all of which helped me create this scene with a certain level of specificity!
P.S. If you look very carefully on the left side of the spread, there are two dark owls with glowing eyes hiding up in the treetops.
A spread from The Purple One, A Story of Prince