"The Last Train Carriage"

"The Last Train Carriage"/"Ultimul vagon" is a Romanian collection of short stories written by Brândușa Vrânceanu and scheduled to be published in 2026.

From Arabian merchants and treasure hunters, to country side settings of the '80s and modern day train stations, each story is abundant with rich imagery and vivid characters that make the reading experience feel almost cinematic, like watching a film.

Although built around moral lessons for children and teenagers, the stories are not didactic nor bland. They enter the reader's heart like a delicate ray of light.

Cover for children's book illustrated with delicate white lines on blue background, looking aethereal and fantasy like.

classic ink drawing of a grandmother and her teenage grandson sitting under a walnut tree watching the sunet. The grandmother looks Eastern European and wears a headscarf. The drawing is done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink drawing of an jewllery seller and a little girl from the 19th century. The drawing is done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink illustration of a grandmother sitting in front of her house and shelling corn. The grandmother looks Eastern European and wears a headscarf. The illustration is minimalistic, done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink illustration of treasure hunters picking up stones from a river. They look like cowboys or gold diggers from the age of the gold rush in America. The illustration is minimalistic, done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink illustration of an Arabian merchant and a Christian nun. The Arabian merchant is selling bread and the nun is looking to buy some. The merchant and his booth look like from a past century. The illustration is minimalistic, done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink illustration of a father and his son. The father is dressed with a suit, carries a bag and his tie in his hands and is walking, looking sad. His son is following behind in an old vintage car. The characters look like from the '70s or '80s communist Romania. The illustration is minimalistic, done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Classic ink illustration of a father and his son hugging happily. The illustration is minimalistic, done with cross hatches, reminiscent of classic Gustave Dore engravings.

Technique and Process

I was approached by the publisher and the author to illustrate this book with the request to create something I had never tried before: simple black and white illustrations, with no grey in-between tones. This meant that I could not use pencils or washes of ink, I had to find a solution to create beautiful imagery only with black and white. This was needed due to the printing machine the publisher wanted to use and which could only print black on white. Thinking about it, I figured out that my only option was to use ink and a nib pen and give my illustrations form and dimension through the use of cross hatches, similar to classic engravings.

This was a challenge because I had to convey all the beautiful light and rich imagery of each story with just black, but it was also satisfying because I absolutely loved exploring a new technique and style. I also consider myself a better sketch artist than a painter, so this challenge suited me like a glove.

Where to buy

To be published in 2026 by Sophia and soon to be available on their website www.sophia.ro

Available in Romanian only.

Illustration