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Interview with Shailly Gajjar | Caricature artist

Interview with Shailly Gajjar | Caricature artist

Interview of Shailly Gajjar

Shailly Gajjar, Illustrator.

Shailly Gajjar, is an illustrator and a comic creator. Be it illustrations, wedding invitations or comics, they definitely will put a smile on your face. 

What started as a desire to design her own wedding card, has now become her full-time career. Despite the ups-and-downs, she chose to do what her heart wanted to. Now, she is one among the loved artists who delights her clients through her striking style of art.

Read on more to find out about her journey.

 

Everyone has a story which has brought them to the career path they’re pursuing. It may be good, bad, simple or challenging. What has your experience been like in choosing art as your profession? Were there any challenges or confusions? 

I hail from a very small city of Bhuj, Kutch in Gujarat, where awareness regarding diverse career options is scarce. I ended up doing my bachelors in IT engineering.

During my second year of my college, a realisation struck me that I am not very keen on coding. I felt the  need to follow my passion, which was drawing and doodling.

I looked up about different colleges which provide courses related to my passion, such as NID. Unfortunately, I was a year late to apply for the Masters degree.

After completing my engineering I decided to appear for the entrance exam hosted by NID. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it after the second round. That’s when I met the love of my life, who’s my husband now. He encouraged me and believed in me even when I myself didn’t.

Soon after that, I started interning as a Graphic designer, and got a job in the same field which I had to leave after y marriage as I had to move to Dubai.

My initial days in Dubai was very hard, as getting a job without a relevant degree or work experience seemed impossible. That’s when I decided to devote my time for freelancing seriously. Along with the freelance projects, I took drawing classes for kids at my place.

After a couple of years, my husband and I moved back to India, and my freelance career started to see a lot of growth.

Many years have passed by and I do not regret anything. Thanks to my supporting family and my loving husband my freelance career is going well after all the hardships. Currently, I am focusing on wedding invitations and other illustration projects.

 

Anything you would like to say to your fellow artists?

Keep following your passion no matter what. Your dreams will come true eventually and on that day, all the hardwork, confusions and frustrations will be worth it!

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Interview with Jay Sanchaniya | Charcoal Artist

Interview with Jay Sanchaniya | Charcoal Artist

Interview of Jay Sanchaniya

Jay Sanchaniya, Sketch Artist

An engineer by profession, Jay Sanchaniya carries the heart of an artist. His drawings are not just sketches on paper, but artworks which speak to us as if they’re alive.

Let us give you an insight of Jay’s life and his amazing works through the wonderful tete-a-tete that we had with him.

Tell us about your childhood. What inspired you to start drawing caricatures?

In my school days, I enjoyed drawing for science projects. Being quite eclectic in nature, I seek inspiration from everything around me. Majorly, Comic books and Superhero movies led me to develop an interest in drawing.

In between my college breaks I started drawing portraits. As time passed, I wanted to try new things and explore and experiment with portraits, that’s when I took a route to the world of Caricatures. I must say, what a wonderful route it has been!

Art can be perceived differently by everyone. What is “Art” to you?

I am an engineer by profession and I developed my love for Sketching/Art as a hobby. Art is my escape from the pressures of professional life.

As Thanos said “Perfectly balanced, as all things should be”, it balances my professional life as well as helps me pursue my passion.

I would like to call myself an engineer by day and an artist by night.

Are you self-taught? If yes, how has the journey been? What keeps you going?

Yes, I am a self taught artist. I have no parameters on what is right or wrong. What I started as a hobby, has now changed my whole life. Not only did it save me from work stress, but I can now connect with so many souls all through the medium of a paper and a pencil. 

Although my journey as a freelancer has just begun, I have been applauded by many celebrities on Instagram. Netflix’s TV Series NARCOS: Season 3 actor Matias Varela & Amazon Prime’s BREATHE reposted my work.

Basically, reading comic books; watching movies and TV shows is where I derive most of my inspiration from and the energy to do this every single day comes from the love and appreciation that my work receives.

How do you think technology has changed the dynamics of art?

Although the beauty of traditional art cannot be compared with that of digital art, technology has certainly helped me to gain more insights about the dynamics of art. Software & tools help to explore an artist’s skill as well as make their artwork more impressive.

How do you manage to get the balance between realism and exaggeration?

For me realism and exaggeration take almost the same effort. Various standard proportions and distances between features is one of the most important factors to be taken care of.

What’s the first feature you observe in people?

Eyes grab my attention. As the saying goes, “Eyes are the gateways to the soul”, and I too believe that they clearly demonstrate a person’s feelings and expressions.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

Oh! There are so many. I do not like it when clients request me not to sign on the sketches or stare at my artwork while I’m working on it.

Any dream project that you can’t wait to work on?

I have worked with Comedy Cafes and Merchandising companies. I really want to create something on the lines of a promotional poster for TV and Comedy shows, preferably for platforms like Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime. 

If you could go back in time and change one decision that you took, what would it be?

I would’ve graduated in fine-arts, but I do not really regret being an Engineer. Both the things have worked quite fine as I have learned to balance my work life and my passion.

 To check out more of his sketches, click here.

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Interview with Shubham Khurana, the creator of Corporat Comics

Interview with Shubham Khurana, the creator of Corporat Comics

INTERVIEW WITH SHUBHAM KHURANA,

Creator of Corporat Comics

Shubham Khurana, Comic Creator

Do boring board meetings; small talks over a coffee machine; unnecessary conference calls and the unfunny boss seem familiar to you? If yes, head out to Corporat Comics for some hilarious and hard-hitting comics on everyday madness of the corporate life.

Let’s see what Shubham Khurana has to say about his journey.

At first, you’ll laugh and then it hits you, that you’re just another “Corporat”.

Could you tell us about yourself? How did you start Corporat Comics?

I am a digital marketer by profession and have been living the corporate life for a good 9 years now. Most of my comics are based on the incidents I’ve witnessed or heard about.

I took a break of 6 months between my current and previous job to travel the world and gain perspective. That’s when I decided to decided to combine my passion for sketching with the humdrum of corporate life, through Corporat Comics.  The responses I received were overwhelming and I guess that’s what kept me going.

How do you think your comics have evolved over time?

Before corporat comics, I had a page called Comic Pencil that was more erratic and covered various topics from everyday life. Later, I decided to stick to one theme which everyone can relate to.

Do you wish to venture into different types of comics?

Definitely. I have been thinking on making comics that are more impactful, like a commentary on political and socio-economic conditions that are prevalent in the country.

Could you guide us through the process of making comics?

I usually post about 2-3 comics a week. I’m constantly thinking on what I can come up with next, whether I’m at work or travelling. 

I believe that the idea or concept behind the comic is more important than the drawings used to depict it. I spend more time analyzing the content, than in drawing.

I always carry my iPad with me just in case I decide to make last minute changes as the small details make a big difference.

How do you think technology has changed the dynamics of art?

One of the reasons I stuck to making comics was because of the ease and convenience of making them digitally. Technology has definitely made our lives, as artists a lot more easier. 

Who are some illustrators and comic creators that you admire?

There are many comic creators who have inspired me. Gavin Aung Than, the creator of Zen Pencils is one of the reasons I started this at the first place. When it comes to web-comics, theawkwardyeti and Strange Planet by Nathan W Pyle are my favourite. 

 

How often do you face creative block, and how do you get over it?

I do come across Creative block very often and I like to go about it in a very structured manner. I take some time out to note down every idea that comes to my mind and analyse it.

The only way to get over it is to get through it. So, I invest more time and effort to come up with fresh ideas.

Whenever I’ve put out a comic that I’m not very satisfied with, I’ve still got a lot of positive responses. So, I’ve learnt to let go off the fact that it should be perfect and I let my audience decide what is good and what isn’t.

What changes would you like to bring about in the Corporat-life?

I would want it be to absolutely transparent, which includes less hierarchy and bureaucracy. 

How important do you think traveling is for artists?

I’m an avid traveler. Although I don’t find any direct correlation between the two. I feel that travelling is a very humbling experience and it gives you perspective about life in general.

What would be your advice to the budding comic creators?

Don’t think, just start.

Many ask me questions about the device or the software that I use. As I said earlier, I believe that your content is king, software and devices are just mediums to execute it. Nonetheless, If you’re serious about creating comics, a tablet would always be a good investment.

Although, it’s getting harder day by day to grow organically on social media platforms, consistency and quality will help you grow. Once you reach the minimum threshold, it’s quite easy to grow.

Lastly, what is the best way that we, as readers, can support you and other original content creators?

Spread the word; share the comics and most importantly, give credits to the original creator. There have been times when my own comics used to reach me as Whatsapp forwards with my tag cropped.

In my initial days, I used to reach out to creators for feedback and shoutouts. But, not many would give a shoutout. That’s one thing I try not do do now, I always share support and encourage comics that I like.

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