fbpx
+916201162515 shashank@stonedsanta.in
Meet Karthik Abhiram, a portrait artist

Meet Karthik Abhiram, a portrait artist

by | Apr 22, 2020 | Blog, Indian Artist, interview, Karthik Abhiram, Portrait Artist

The big world of miniature art

INTERVIEW WITH KARTHIK ABHIRAM

Karthik Abhiram is a miniature portrait  artist and a brilliant photographer based in Hyderabad. Inspired by movies right from his childhood days, he creates beautiful portraits of different movie characters in his exclusive style on his Instagram page – Daily Movie Sketch. He also creates miniature sketches that will captivate you with its intricacies

He believes that consistency and discipline can take an artist a long way. Read on more to find out about Karthik’s creative journey.

Art can be perceived differently by different people. How do you perceive art?
For me, art comprises many things – sketches, paintings, photography and music. I believe that anything that is created by an artist with their skills is art. Every piece of art is special in it’s own way.

Most of your sketches are based on movie characters. What inspired you to start these?
I’ve been a movie-buff since childhood. Drawing is my way of expressing my love for movies. Once I watch a movie, I look for key moments or visuals from there and then use that as the reference for drawings. There are many artists whom I follow on Instagram, and their work has also been an inspiration for me to improve my skills.

How have criticisms helped you shape your career?
I guess as artists, we are always very critical of our own work, and while I didn’t pursue art as a career, I still try to improve with every sketch I do. There are several aspects that one can work on – proportions, shading, colors, rendering, use of different mediums – so I try to see what other artists are doing better, and then try to apply those to my own artwork.

How has your perception of seeing things changed after painting for such a long time?
Apart from drawing, I am also passionate about photography and I think both of these have helped me to find interesting frames, patterns and visuals.

Have you collaborated with any other artists and brands, if yes how was this experience?
Brand collaborations have been very rare, but I have participated in a few art challenges. The three I can think of are –  #Inktober (where one does ink sketches in October), #DrawWithMango (theme based challenge), #AnInchAugust (doing miniature art that’s one inch square in size). The latter two are challenges initiated by friends of mine, Harish and Neha.

I always make it a point to participate in these, because the themes and concepts have helped me explore new things which were out of my  comfort zone, and also helped me to discover other artists. 

Are you ever faced with a creative block? If yes, how do you get over it?
Everyone goes through this phase. At times I feel like I do not draw enough in spite of having time due to lack of motivation or ideas. The best thing to do is to wait for the phase to pass and start looking for new sources for inspiration.

If you could go back in the past and change a decision that you made, what would it be?
I don’t think there is anything that I’d like to change.

How important is traveling for an artist? Do you seek inspiration from every place you visit?
I think travelling is definitely inspiring as it helps one to discover interesting visuals. However, for the kind of drawings I do, travelling doesn’t have a direct connection.

What advice would you give for the upcoming artists?

I would like to share a few things based on my own experience– 

Draw what you like, but do it consistently. Never compare your work with that of others as there will always be someone who’s better than you. Get inspired by others’ work and focus on getting better with your own skills. Don’t get disheartened if one sketch doesn’t turn up the way you imagined it to be, just keep moving on.

If you were to learn a new art-form, which one would it be?
If I had to pick something completely different from visual art (photography and drawing), it would be dance. 

What are your thoughts on Stoned Santa?
Any platform that helps in encouraging art and artists is appreciated! Thanks a lot Stoned Santa for the work that you are doing and thanks for this opportunity as well.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Speak with our Gift Experts

Meet Karanveer, a water color artist

Meet Karanveer, a water color artist

by | Apr 20, 2020 | Blog, Indian Artist, interview, Water Color Paintings

Meet Karanveer – A water color artist

Karanveer is a watercolor artist and a calligraphist based in Ludhiana whose delicate and intricate paintings will make you fall in love with them. Although he’s still an engineering student, he has succeeded to make time for what he loves to do and has close to 25k followers on Instagram on which he shares his artwork.

Read on more to find out about Karanveer’s artistic journey.

What is your definition of art?

Any creation that makes others happy and provides comfort is art.

Were you inclined towards art, right from your childhood or did you develop the passion over the years? 

Right from my childhood, I have been fairly good at art and crafts. I have always had the urge to experiment with colors on the paper. I still remember how excitedly I used to fill up the sketch books during art classes.

It’s been 3 years since I started pursuing art seriously. Consistent hours of practice and persistence have helped me in refining my art style.

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

Yes, I have learned watercolors and calligraphy all by myself. Although initially, it was very difficult, I believe that this was the best way of learning as it has worked out wonderfully for me.

How were you introduced to water colors? What made you pursue it?

Right from my school days, I have experimented with a number of mediums including oil pastels, crayons, acrylics and charcoal. Watercolor was the one medium that I hadn’t touched.

Instagram introduced me to a whole new world of watercolor artists. This inspired me to try my hand at watercolor painting. Little did I know that this would become my forte. I love seeing the colors disperse in water, how they blend and behave to form delicate, yet ravishing artwork.

Most of your paintings are of flowers. Is there any particular reason why you enjoy doing them? 

I never enjoyed using pencils to sketch. When I saw other artists paint flowers without using a pencil, I fell in love with the free-flowing nature of the art-form and started painting lots and lots of them. Apart from flowers, I also love painting statues and lamps

Which are some of the most interesting projects that you have worked on? 

There was one project that I worked on, for a company based in London. It was a fashion company and I had to paint some very interesting floral patterns for them. I consider this project to be one of the most interesting ones that I’ve worked on so far.

Can you name some of the artists whom you look up to? 

Phatcharaphan and Adisorn. 

If you were to learn another art form, what would it be?

I’d love to learn digital art someday. I see artists doing amazing illustrations using their iPads. Although I would still prefer a traditional art form, I would definitely like to try my hands on digital art.

If you were to go back in time and change one decision that you made, what would it be?  

Nothing! I truly believe that a person learns from his failures and I would never go back in time to fix that. 

What advice would you give to the budding artists? 

“Learn to observe things precisely!”. That will help you so much in learning. Go and explore, have fun while painting. That’s what I do 🙂

What are your thoughts on Stoned Santa?
The art community is not very big and artists definitely need a platform. I really appreciate organisations like Stoned santa for providing a platform for artists and helping them to stand on their own feet.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Speak with our Gift Experts

Meet Niharika, an illustrator and a comic artist

Meet Niharika, an illustrator and a comic artist

by | Apr 17, 2020 | Blog, Digital Art, Digital Illustration, Indian Artist, interview, Niharika

Meet Niharika – an illustrator and a comic creator

Niharika is an illustrator, comic creator, and storyteller based in Noida. 

She creates quirky anecdotal illustrations that are inspired by everyday life around us on her instagram page – Doodloo By Niharika Having a keen interest in art right from her school days, Nihaarika quit her job to pursue art, full-time. 

She has been working for the past two years as a freelance illustrator. Her perseverance and ambition have gotten her opportunities to work with some big brands like Fabindia, Fortune Oil and Indigo airlines.

If you’re having a rough day, a scroll through her Instagram account can definitely lighten your mood.

Niharika spoke to us about her life as a freelance illustrator and where she gets inspiration for her illustrations from.

Have you always been inclined towards drawing or was this something that you acquired over the years?

My mother is an artist and her work influenced me to pick up art as a hobby at a very young age. I used to be fond of making handmade greeting cards for my family members for every occasion. During my school days, I used to excitedly participate in the drawing contests.

Overtime, with constant practise I got better at it and from the past 2 years I am pursuing this full time.

Have you received a formal education in art? If not, what made you pursue it?

I am a self-taught artist and have not received any formal education in the field of art.  I have completed my under-graduation in English literature and a masters in mass communication. I was introduced to the designing tools and software during my post-graduation and I started learning them on my own. After this, I went ahead to work as a graphic designer in a couple of companies.

Before taking up freelancing full-time, I used to work with the Timeliners, a sister concern of TVF (The Viral Fever). I absolutely loved the energy and creativity that my colleagues had.  They were the ones who encouraged me to pursue art. It’s been 2 years since I quit my job to pursue this full time, and there’s no looking back

Any exciting projects that are coming up?

I am in talks with a couple of brands for collaborations. Apart from that, I am planning to start a new comic series revolving around my newly married life. I’m also planning to resume the comic series that dealt with stories about my mother and I.

I am working on starting my own merchandise, and will soon be launching a website as well.

How do you deal with a creative block?

I was completely off doodling for the past couple of months as I was busy with my wedding preparation. Even though it was my own wedding, I always had productivity guilt on the back of my mind. 

Now that I have moved in with my husband, and resumed my work. I often find myself not able to focus on work at stretch. When I find myself in situations where I am not able to think of something new, I start making notes of every tiny detail of my day, right from the time I wake up. This practice helps me notice the small little incidents that could be relatable to others, and I create comics on them. 

How has the lockdown affected you?

Since my nature of work is from home, it hasn’t affected much. But, watching the news and hearing about all the suffering that’s happening around disturbs me and I wonder if I should still continue doing what I do. But on the other hand, if my comics can lighten up somebody’s mood in tough times like these, I would be truly happy.

Some of the artists whom you look up to?

Alicia Souza is an all time favourite. I completely admire her energy, consistency and work discipline.

Sumouli Dutta is another illustrator who has got such a distinct style, I just love the way she is not in competition with anyone but herself. She just focuses on spreading positivity through her comics.

If you were to go back in time and change a decision that you made? What would it be?

I would have definitely joined an arts school. This would have helped me be 5 years ahead of where I am now. In fact, I still consider joining a design school even now.

What are the problems faced by a freelancer?

The first few projects will be a struggle. Clients will have a preconceived idea of how the final output should look like. They would have seen some other artist’s work and expect you to recreate something similar, this restricts your creative freedom.

However, over time you will start getting approached by the right kind of clients who truly appreciate your style of art.

What would you advise to the budding artists?

There is a huge difference in getting inspired and simply copying. Practice alone can help you achieve your exclusive style. 

If you plan on making a livelihood from art, be patient even if you might not see any immediate returns. Have other means of income until you get well established, and then you will have the freedom to pursue art full-time. 

Thoughts about Stoned Santa?

Being a sucker for handmade art, I found your website to be very refreshing. There are many people out there wanting to give something memorable and you are providing it in one place by pooling in a lot of talent together.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Speak with our Gift Experts

Meet Aniruddha Lele, an illustrator and a caricature artist

Meet Aniruddha Lele, an illustrator and a caricature artist

by | Apr 15, 2020 | Blog, Digital Art, Digital Illustration, Indian Artist, interview

Meet Aniruddha Lele – an illustrator, caricature artist and a comic creator

Aniruddha Lele is a versatile artist who creates beautiful digital portraits, concept art, illustrations, and caricatures. He  spent his childhood doodling anything and everything and as he got older, his desire and passion for art only grew furthermore.

From creating personalized artwork for clients to designing illustrations for books and publications, Aniruddha speaks to us about his artistic endeavor.

Every artist has their own definition of art. What is yours?

I view art as a medium to express my thoughts. For some, it could be writing or music, but for me, it’s always been drawing and painting.

Were you inclined towards art, right from your childhood or did you develop the passion over the years? 

I come from a family of artists. When I was about 2-3 years old, my mother gave me a piece of chalk and I started drawing all over the floor. Ever since then, I’ve been inclined towards art.

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

My mom was my first teacher, she taught me the basics of drawing right from a very young age. I also used to refer to a lot of drawing books. The journey has been absolutely wonderful.

How were you introduced to illustrations? What made you pursue it? 

I joined a Fine arts college after my 12th to pursue BFA. This helped me explore many facets of commercial art, some of which being illustrations for books, storyboarding and concept art.

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

Technology has made it extremely convenient for artists to deliver quick results and address clients’ requirements. Being a commercial artist means making several changes on a particular art piece according to client’s feedback. This would have been a very lengthy process had it not been digital .

Technology has also made it much easier to learn and sharpen our skills from the abundant resources available online. We can also see the works of industry veterans on Instagram and interact with them. 

Which are some of the interesting projects that you are working on? 

I love working on children’s books. I did a project with the SuperKids League and Womanarelit.com to create storybooks for kids. I consider these two projects to be very dear to me.

Another project worth mentioning is a collaboration I did with Mocktale Drinks to design their packaging material and Instagram feed.

Can you name some of the artists whom you look up to?
Lois Von Barle, Bobby Chiu, Prasad Bhat, Dylan Bonner,  

How is a typical day in the life of an illustrator?
Few days are really hectic and the few days are very relaxed. Working from home can make you lazy and unproductive because of all the distractions. At the same time, there are no fixed timings and you will have to stay up all night to complete certain projects.

What are the problems that you face as a freelancer? How do you think people can support artists? 

Working on freelance projects makes it hard to have a steady income. The work can also get so grueling at times, that we hardly have a social life.

What advice would you give to the budding artists? 

Keep practicing and creating. We need to limit our focus on consuming information through TV, phone and instead focus more on creating art.

What exciting plans do you have in the coming years? 

My wife and I have been working on an interesting venture called Tooti Frooti Comics where we create humorous comics revolving around couples. We are soon going to launch a website as well.

Throughout your journey, who has been your biggest support? 

My parents and my wife have been the biggest support.

What are your thoughts on Stoned Santa? 

I think it’s a great platform for artists to showcase their talent and earn. 

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Speak with our Gift Experts

Meet Sameera Maruvada – The creator of ‘Salt and Sambar’

Meet Sameera Maruvada – The creator of ‘Salt and Sambar’

by | Apr 10, 2020 | Blog, Cartoonist, Comics, Digital Art, Illustrations, Illustrator, interview, Sameera Muruvada

Meet Sameera Maruvada, the creator of ‘Salt & Sambar’

Sameera Maruvada is a freelance illustrator based in Visakhapatnam who turned pastime doodling into her career. She is also the creator of a web-comic series called “Salt and Sambar”  through which she aims to spread awareness on different social issues in a humorous way with a bit of cultural touch.

She aims to inspire young artists to pursue their passion for art through her Youtube channel – Saminspire , which has over 3.8 million views.

Read on more to find out about Sameera’s artistic journey.

Were you inclined towards art, right from your childhood or did you develop the passion over the years?

Drawing is something that came naturally to me. Ever since I was a kid I have been engrossed in drawing and coloring. I used to love participating in art competitions, I also used to win a lot of them. This did not change even after I grew up.

How did you start cartooning? What made you pursue it?

Initially, I never had cartooning on my mind. I used to mostly experiment with oil pastels, and I’ve been creating YouTube videos for the past five years. 

After completing my interior designing course, I was extremely clueless about what to do next and that’s when I started drawing comics. I have always drawn cute characters for greeting cards, and I love storytelling. So, comics were the perfect mix of both.

Many of your comics are in Telugu. How have the audience reactions been?

When I started creating comics in Telugu, the primary reason was not to promote my culture or language, but it was mostly because I could express certain feelings only in my mother tongue. Adding on to it, certain phrases sound good only in a particular language.

When  I started making comics in Telugu, I never expected many people to understand it. However, many Telugu-speaking-people from different parts of the world could relate to it and I’m glad I could make them feel home. 

How did you come up with the name “ Salt and Sambar”?

I always wanted to give a south Indian touch to the name of the comic series. I initially thought of calling it “Idli & Sambar”, but that name was already taken. That’s when “Salt & Sambar” struck me.

There’s a phrase from a famous Telugu movie called “Aha Naa-Pellanta” which inspired me to choose this name.

Are you a full-time artist? If yes, how has the journey been?

Yes, I am a full-time artist. I take up freelance projects, conduct workshops and also have a youtube channel where I teach simple drawings with oil pastels, DIY art and crafts and the basics of coloring.

Although being a freelancer is definitely not easy, if you work hard enough it’s as good as any other profession.

Where do you derive inspiration for your comics from?

Most of my comics are based on real-life experiences. There are certain messages that I want to spread through my comics. For instance, I want to show how students are pressurised into taking IIT-JEE or similar entrance tests, and how girls are expected to marry after a certain age.

I try to address these social issues in a humorous way, with a cultural touch.

Who are some of the artists whom you look up to?

These are some of my personal favorites – Rohan Chakravarty, Alicia Souza, Bill Watterson, Foxtrot, Sarah Andersen and Marloesdevee.

What are the problems that you face as a freelancer, and how do you think viewers can help?

I strongly feel that in India, freelancers are undermined. Nobody views art as a lucrative career choice. This mindset must change.

When it comes to supporting artists, people can support artists on this website called ‘Patreon’. Again, this is a very unfamiliar concept in India. People are charged a nominal amount every month to support their favourite artists. In return, you will be given exclusive rewards, like newsletters, early updates, merchandise and more. This helps the artists to not depend entirely on freelance projects for their income and helps them focus more on creating original art.

What advice would you give to the budding artists?

No one should pursue what they don’t like just because they are being pressured by their friends, family or society. 

I wish that by looking at artists like us, they should realize that art as a profession isn’t less than any other, and if you are persistent you will do great. 

Even if you have to take up a day job to make your ends meet, you should always make time for doing what you love, and never let go of the passion.

Thoughts about Stoned Santa?

Helping artists get recognized and helping them reach many people is a wonderful idea. I really hope that Stoned Santa does well in the future.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Speak with our Gift Experts