Gowthami Maruthupandiyan

Hello! Meet Gow!

Gowthami Maruthupandiyan, fondly known as ‘Gow’, is an award-winning children’s book illustrator and the founder of ‘Vivids and Pastels’.

Known for her bright, beautiful, lively, and magical illustrations, Gow brings stories to life through vibrant colours, rich textures, expressive characters, and a wonderful sense of imagination. Her characters are full of personality and emotion, designed to spark joy, curiosity, and a deep emotional connection with young readers. Through her illustrations, she loves creating enchanting worlds that children can explore, relate to, and remember long after the story ends.

Her work combines playful creativity with meaningful storytelling, often using expressive characters and visual details to explore emotions, values, self-esteem, awareness, and other meaningful and sometimes unspoken topics in ways that are engaging and accessible to children.

Having collaborated with authors from diverse backgrounds across the world, Gow is passionate about transforming words into vibrant visual stories that not only delight children but also help them feel seen, understood, and inspired.

If you’re looking to add life, colour, emotion, and a little bit of magic to your story, Gow is your illustrator!