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Interview with Surya Shetty | Water color portrait artist

Interview with Surya Shetty | Water color portrait artist

by | Dec 19, 2019 | Blog, Digital Art, Illustrations, Illustrator, interview, Surya Shetty

Interview of Surya Shetty

Surya Shetty is a brilliant water-color and digital artist who creates prodigious paintings. Just like every other Indian-kid, he studied engineering only to realise that his passion lies in the field of art.

Reading an interview of an extremely passionate man is enough to fill anyone’s appetite who is hungry for true a unbiased inspiration. Let’s take a look at his journey.

When did you start drawing? How did you develop an inclination towards art? 

I started the following art passionately about three years ago, during my final year of engineering. It all started with mindless doodling and then gradually developed into fine art. Art gave me a sense of freedom  and I just got hooked onto it.

When did you decide to take up art? How has the journey been so far? Were your family and friends supportive? 

Surprisingly, I always thought I would end up doing an IT Job, but destiny had different plans for me.

I started drawing as a hobby but as time passed, I realized that art is my passion and this is something I would love to pursue. The journey has been great.  I have had the opportunity to work on some really interesting projects with some great minds, from portraits to murals.

Currently I am working with Dunzo as a visual designer. Instagram has played an important role in encouraging me to pursue art. My parents were not very happy with my decision initaially, but over time they came on-board after seeing that I was doing well.

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What made you choose watercolors as your preferred art medium? 

Watercolor is an unforgiving medium but it comes with its sense of beauty. I love colors and the only watercolor would allow me to play with colors the way I wanted to.

What is the first feature that you observe in people while drawing their portraits?

Eyes. The rest of the portrait is shadowed by the eyes.

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

As I said Instagram had a big part in exhibiting what I could do and it got me commissioned work. 

If we take digital illustration software, it has opened art to more people.

 

Any current projects that you’d like to talk about? What’s your ultimate dream project?

Just going with the flow for now.

Being an artist, you might have faced criticism. How do you deal with this?

I am always trying to learn. So I consider it to be constructive criticism and try to improve on the next one.

What are the things that you’re tired of listening, as an artist?

“Can I get a free portrait?”

Many ask me this, and I don’t know what to say. 

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If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Absolutely nothing. I am too young to be advising my younger self. I am still learning and figuring out a lot of things. Some years down the line, maybe I’ll have some piece of advice to share with my younger self. 

Your thoughts on Stoned Santa?

It has been a great platform to start my career in the art field. It got me a lot of visibility. It has been a fun ride with you guys.

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The journey of drawing dreams | Interview with Monika Jalwaniya

The journey of drawing dreams | Interview with Monika Jalwaniya

by | Dec 16, 2019 | Blog, Charcoal Artist, Charcoal portrait, interview, Monika Jalwaniya

The Journey of Drawing Dreams.

Monika Jalwaniya, Sketch artist.

When sheer determination meets ultimate goals is when one achieves the dreams that they chase…

Such is the story of Monika Jalwaniya who is an alumnus of the University of Rajasthan. Her passion for art is such that she quit her studies in commerce to become a full-time artist, as she has always been amused by the very idea of art in all essence.

Jalwaniya possesses an amazing power to sketch life-like portraits. She presently majors in pencil sketch portraits, charcoal, and graphite sketching while also studying it.

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Going back to the day when it all began, the day her neighbour compelled her to draw a commissioned portrait for him. That was the day and she hasn’t stopped in adding life to these portraits. 

Little did she know that she would follow her passion for “do what one loves” to become an artist who considers criticism to be a motivation to do more. She is a self-taught freelancer who knows to push through the stereotypical bars of the society to be an individual who no more worries on the question that she hates “yeh sab toh thik hain, but job ka kya plan hai?”.  

Choosing art as a career.

Like every Indian parent – in a non-stereotypical way – even Monika’s parents did not approve of choosing arts as a career for her. They eventually did come around as they realized that their daughter’s happiness lies in art.

On the other hand, she has a great deal of support from her sister. Initially, she had to live by her decision all by herself but then her sister and mentor carved her, a path.

Monika has always been a person who merely chases her dreams and doesn’t care about her upcoming projects but rather a person who is all about living in the moment.

An insight on making of a portrait.

When asked about, what cooks in her head while making a portrait, she breaks it to us in a few steps:

Step 1: An outline of the portrait is drawn with a light pencil sketch.

 Step 2: They could be drawn using grids or could also be a freehand sketch.

 Step 3: The face is then sketched from light to a darker shade.

 Step 4: She then works her way up with the details and it’s done! 

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Her dream came true when she got the chance of working with her mentor Shuvankar, with whom she successfully worked on different projects. He has been nothing less than an inspiration to her, she says, and he has only helped her improve in what she does.

Her only advice to the fellow budding artists is for them to follow their passion and not have a short sight due to society’s restrictions. 

Monika continues to mesmerize us with her hyperrealistic portrait sketches and is on a constant mission to explore the unexplored.

Thoughts about Stoned Santa

“It has been a great journey since I started working with them. It is a great platform for budding artists to get a fair value of their artwork. It has only been a short but great journey with them, looking forward to working with them again.”

Thus, Monika’s sheer determination and her love, unstoppable passion will be the driving factors for her to achieve her ultimate goal.

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Interview with Anumeha, creator of comically sane.

Interview with Anumeha, creator of comically sane.

by | Dec 10, 2019 | Blog, Caricature Artist, Digital Art, Illustrations, Illustrator, interview

Interview with Anumeha

An all in one package of Designer, Illustrator and Storyteller,  Anumeha, the creator of Comically Sane has touched the hearts of many through her art.

With over 20K followers on social media, she is successfully using her talent to create hilarious and  relatable comics. Let us delve deeper into her unique world of colors and quirkiness.

 

Everyone has their own definition of Art. What is yours?

Art to me is a source of happiness and something that helps one relax. It is like meditation, you meditate to keep your sanity intact and art does the same thing.

What are your earliest memories of drawing as a child?

Diwali was usually the time when I could put my fascination with colors and obsession with art to use. I remember asking permission from my mother and then drawing rangoli in those very corners of the house which she allowed.

Are you self-taught?

Yes, I didn’t take any professional training and all that I am today is a result of practice and self-learning.

Are you a full-time illustrator? How has your journey of choosing an off-beat career been?

I am not a full-time illustrator, with a big ‘yet’ in between, for I would love to turn this into my full-time profession. Currently, I am a UX Designer by day and illustrator by night. As for the journey of choosing an off-beat career, I must say that it had its ups and downs but has been a fantastic one nonetheless.

When did you start making comics, and how do you think your comics have evolved over time?

I used to subconsciously draw at the back of almost all my notebooks since school-days. At that time, it was not a comic, but random thoughts stitched together to tell a story. It was from 2017 that my somewhat irregular journey of drawing structured (theme-based) comics began.

Towards the end of March 2019, I created my Instagram and Facebook page, Comicallysane. The idea behind creating the page was to share my work continuously which in turn would help me become regular.

My comics are still evolving as it is an on-going process, but so far I have seen my progress, both in terms of character refinement and content clarity.

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What is your favorite part about creating comics?
This is the part of the day I look forward to the most. It doesn’t seem like a task to me, for I love creating comics, and feel like I can keep doing this without getting bored or tired.

As an artist, you must have worked on several interesting projects. Could you talk about projects that deserve a special mention?

With every project I have done so far, there has been a special personal connect. One of them is the workshop I did with kids for Google, India. I could see myself in those kids and it brought back beautiful memories from my childhood.

Then there are these personalized e-invitations that I do, they too hold a special place. Trying to understand the clients, their journeys and then expressing their story in a single frame, nothing can be compared to the amount of satisfaction and relief that one feels on seeing the final piece of work.

What would be your advice for the budding webcomics?

Just start with whatever you have in mind. There is no right or wrong time, all one has is

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

It has made it more accessible to both – the creators and the consumers. It’s not restricted to either museums, physical books or newspapers.

Now you don’t necessarily need 100s or 1000s of sheets of paper to create something, as long as you have a digital drawing pad and a stylus/pencil. (But again, I will mention for the budding artists, that not having these digital pads and pencils should not be an excuse for you to not start.)

On a different note, I also think it is eco-friendly for it saves a lot of paper and clutter.

What do you wish to convey through your comics/ cartoons?

Through my art, I want to make people realize that everyone is going through something similar and nobody is alone in it.

Who are some comic creators that you admire?
I like Brownpaperbag Comics, NehaDoodles, Alicia Souza etc. to name a few. And my all-time favorite is Diamond comics.

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If you could learn another form of art, what would it be?
It definitely would be pottery.

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?
I would like to say – Think less do more.

What are your thoughts about Stoned Santa?
It’s a good medium to know about the community of artists and connect and explore all that’s new in the world of art.

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Interview with Rohit Soni

Interview with Rohit Soni

by | Nov 16, 2019 | Doodler, interview, Live Doodles, Rohit soni, Visual artist

Interview with Rohit Soni

Rohit Soni, Doodler.

Rohit Soni, the founder of The Doodle Kit Project is an avid doodler and a visual harvester based out of Delhi. Having the superpower to convert thoughts, ideas, music and even events into mind-blowing doodles, his unique style of art has led him to take part in several events all across the country including Satya Nadella’s interview with NDTV in Microsoft, Hyderabad; Several Tedx talks, Sunburn Goa and various conferences like those of MTV Indies, GE India etc

Read on more to find out about his journey.

It all started with random doodles that he drew on the back pages of books to kill time in classes back in his school and college days. As he went down the memory lane, he recollects how his earliest encounters with this art started in his mother’s kitchen whose walls acted as his very first canvas.

Visual learning had always captured his attention much more than the textbooks, and he realized that he could grasp concepts much better when using pictorial and visual methods rather than long answers. 

Rohit Soni’s transition from an amateur to the amazing artist that he is today, is all a result of his personal efforts. Even though he studied design in school, his inclination was towards visual arts.

From drawing jewellery designs for his father’s shop to doing masters from IIT Bombay and then working as a designer in Microsoft, Soni has swum various rivers. 

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He personally sees art as a spiritual medium to gain stability and direction when feeling low and clueless. As a support during existential crisis, he has sought answers as well as expressed himself through this medium. He feels that art gives him the liberty and freedom that nothing else can.

 Like any other artist, he too has evolved over the years with constant practice and experiments. Whether it is about finesse or speed, his art seems to grow more and more everyday. 

When talking about his work experience, Mr.Soni has a lot in his bag to tell us about his interesting work. Even though he believes that every project is unique and special, there are some that will always remain intact in his memory. One such event includes the doodling that he had to do for a political party in Pune.

His task was to summarize the whole speech given by the leader on a 10×8 ft canvas and that too without any prior information. A task such as this, he recalls was tough and exhilarating at the same time.

Growing up he tells us, his mother and two sisters played a very important role in shaping him into what he is today. Through his art he has been able to reach a greater and diversified audience and wants to use this to spread awareness about various social issues. From homosexuality to women’s mental and physical health, his doodles have told the stories of the lesser known and impacted various lives.

Mr.Soni being the enthusiastic person that he is, doesn’t want to stop at doodling but instead wishes to learn how to dance and play a mouth organ. He has also launched his own merchandise in the  form of a doodling kit and hopes to do more in this sphere.

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He yearns for challenges and experiments and thus wishes that if he could go back in time, he would tell his younger self to find joy in the mistakes rather than seeking perfection at every point. His art is an example of uniqueness and soulfulness combined. 

Author: Brahmneet Kaur

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Interview with Rajat Prajapati

Interview with Rajat Prajapati

by | Nov 9, 2019 | Blog, Caricature Artist, Digital Art, interview, Rajat Prajapati

Interview of Rajat Prajapati

Rajat Prajapati

Rajat Prajapati is an architecture student from Hyderabad. He prefers to keep his art minimal as he believes that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. He manages to capture the person’s identity through his simple strokes and designs.

Exposure to architecture helped him  figure out his style. Read on more to find out about this young and talented artist’s journey.

Tell us a little about your childhood. What inspired you to start art?

I will not want any kid to have a childhood like mine. Due to a major downfall in my dad’s business, we became financially unstable. I used to help my mom make Papads and sell them to earn some extra dimes.

Eventually, things became better and we shifted to Hyderabad. My neighbour, Priya Didi helped me to deal with the unfamiliarity of the place, language and culture. She is the person who instilled passion for art, in me.

How do you perceive “Art”? 

I view art as a medium for self expression. Having faced difficulties in my childhood, art helped me cope with stress. I started expressing my thoughts through art and channelizing all my energy towards it.

After 12th grade, I took up architecture which helped me to understand the meaning, concept, need and importance of art and experimentation.

Are you a self-taught artist? How has the journey been?

Yes, I’m a self taught artist. The journey has been very exciting, and I’m bound by nothing. I’m free to experiment and explore new art styles. Curiosity and zeal have taken me a long way. As they say, the journey is more beautiful than the destination.

How do you think technology has impacted art?

I have mixed feelings about advanced technology. I agree that it has introduced us to infinite possibilities; reduced the cost of stationary and it’s a one place destination for all tools, but nothing can beat the beauty of traditional handmade art form.

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Many of your artworks are on famous music artists and bands. Which is your most favourite band?

There are so many artists whose music caries me away, like The strumbellas, Kodaline, The paper kites, The lumineers, Bon iver and Coldplay.

What inspired you to keep your art minimal?

I’ve read and researched about various philosophies and design theories. Of all the art styles, I like minimalism the best. I believe that simplicity is the best sophistication.

 

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As an Artist, what’s your biggest pet peeve?

I do not like customers who don’t understand art and have unrealistic expectations.

Any dream project that you’d like to work on?

I would like to work on a space-themed project. Eg- Mars Colonization

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

There are so many decisions I wish I could change. But, I wouldn’t as all those wrong decisions have played a crucial part in becoming what I’m today. I might be disappointed with the decisions, but I do not regret anything.

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Interview with Shailly Gajjar | Caricature artist

Interview with Shailly Gajjar | Caricature artist

by | Oct 31, 2019 | Blog, Caricature Artist, Digital Art, Illustrations, Illustrator, interview, Shailly Gajjar, Wedding Invitation

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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