Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated "nil" regarding paintings for the KRSNA book.
We have now received the full set of paintings for the first volume of KRSNA book, and they are all very, very excellent. So your art department is doing very nicely, and surely the production will improve even more by the grace of Krsna. You are all being inspired just how to portray the Lord and His associates for the devotees' eyes, so everyone who sees to these transcendental pictures will turn to become devotees—that is our aim.
Yes, when Krsna and Balarama were students of Sandipuni Muni they may be shown with shaved heads and sikhas, kunthi, etc., just like our brahmacaris.
The personified Vedas are just like great sages in appearance. Some of them may be looking like Vyasadeva, Valmiki, Narada, etc. Some of them are older and some of them are younger, some of them have full hair like Vyasa because they are householders and others are brahmacari—but they are all great souls, highly elevated in transcendental science, or Paramahamsas. So as you suggest these pictures will be needed for illustrating the long portion of text describing their prayers to Garbhodakasayi Visnu. This is a very important chapter, and if possible it should also be very appropriately illustrated. So you are very able to choose out suitable subject matter for the pictures, then execute them carefully for Krsna's satisfaction.
If you are requiring any other informations like this, please write your inquiries to me and I shall be glad to give you the proper direction.
Hope this will meet you in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami