Why are you into Illustrations and Design? I always wanted to be a fine artist as I studied painting in Art College. But through a friend of mine who was in advertising, I was introduced to the world of advertising, design and illustration. We are witnessing such a time where the definition of fine art and applied art is getting blurred day by day. Here, you get a lot of opportunities where you can show and nurture your creative talent. So, I started doing illustration and design as an alternative of paintings. I explored a lot and got an ample chance to create something new every day in my advertising career. That is the beauty of this profession.
Did you attend any school for fine art or design or Communications? Yes, I did a Bachelor of Visual Arts in Drawing and Painting form Govt. College of Art & Craft, Kolkata.
Tell us about your journey as advertising art director and then illustrator? I have been lucky enough to work with some of the finest creative directors in the country. They know how to take best out of someone. I have learned a lot from them as well as got the opportunity to use my full potential. Besides doing my design jobs as an art director, I got a lot of opportunity to do illustration on several projects, be it a campaign or a pitch or a social media post. After a point of time, I realized to give more time on my illustrations. So, I quit my job and started freelancing.
Swati is a self-taught artist, who believes that learning never stops. She learns from the nitty-gritties of her everyday life, her friends and even from her 7 year old son. In her words “every designer should be like an innocent child, naive but imaginative”. Growing up, her inspirations were Walt Disney, Pixar and sci-fi movies that have stayed relevant through the time.
Why are you a Visual Artist? Like they say “you should always turn your passion into your profession”, I think art is a form of communication that can reveal your innate desires. I always loved to paint and draw. As an artist, I try to create a canvas of all my hidden emotions and watch them interact with each other thereby telling my story without speaking a single word. As a child I loved to paint and draw. My work gives me an opportunity to create new things everytime I pick a pencil or hold a brush to paint an exquisite picture of a brand. It’s a form of expression for me – ‘Speaking without uttering a single word’. I have made the walls of my home my canvas, my thoughts my paint brush and my emotions my colors. And I don’t see any difference while creating exquisite art forms for any brand. Today, when people appreciate my work, I can’t help but think of the times when my parents supported and encouraged me to become an artist.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? No, I had no formal education in design. Although I did complete a course of 2D animation from Escotoonz, a venture of Escorts Group. It was the first to be introduced in North India about 2 decades ago.
You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style? I feel learning never stops, I am still learning but my focus, dedication and patience towards my work and the zeal to always try something new has brought me here. Geometric, hand-drawn, organic, I like to create art in every way possible. The geometry of life pushed me to become an artist. Perhaps, that is why I like creating all types of design, be it hand-drawn or graphic illustrations.
Abhinaya is a freelance illustrator and designer who loves problem solving through visuals. She’s extremely passionate about brightening up people’s lives through joyful works and also equally enjoys teaching and learning continuously. She also likes having an occasional sweet treat or two. Or ten.
Why are you an Illustrator? I love creating. Being an illustrator allows me to experiment and have fun on a daily basis. I found the world of illustration only in my 20s after working in a different field, and I’m so glad to be doing what I thoroughly enjoy.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? I din’t attend an art school but I learnt everything related to art, design and business side of creative industry through an online program – Artpreneur Program
Reshu Singh is an independent illustrator and visual artist, with work rooted in drawing, mark-making and storytelling. She has a keen interest in graphic narrative, moving and still image, interaction of art, science, culture and environment. Her comics have been published in anthologies by Zubaan Books (India), mairisch Verlag (Germany) and Ad Astra Comix (USA). In 2016, her comics work was recognised to be among 100 pioneering female comic artists around the world and was exhibited at House of Illustration, London, in an exhibition curated by Paul Gravett and Olivia Ahmed.
Why are you an Illustrator? I have always loved drawing, and being an illustrator lets me make a living doing that.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? I attended College of Art, New Delhi and studied Applied Art there which included graphic design, illustration and advertising.
You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style? It has been evolving since the beginning. I have always enjoyed working with brush and ink. I think drawing a lot over time has helped me shape my voice.
Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up? I think my role model was my grandmother, always a strong woman who I looked up to.
I am a concept artist and a visual designer. I have been in this field for the past 8 years and enjoy what I’m doing. I love photography and travel. I especially like visiting new places.
Why are you an Illustrator? I have liked drawing since my childhood. I feel fortunate that I have this opportunity to do what I love.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? I did join an Institute for fine arts after completing my graduation.
You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style? I was always fascinated by water colour paintings. That style was hard to achieve digitally but I kept working on it till I got the desired result. I’m still working on that style and improving on it.
Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up? There were many role models. The person whose work influenced me the most was R.K.Laxman. I was inspired by the simplicity of his life as well as his work. I liked the social aspect that he touched in his arts. Another person who has inspired and influenced my desire to be a professional artist, is Bill Watterson. He was the cartoonist and author of Calvin and Hobbes. He always worked for personal fulfillment and that influenced me.
Anjali Joshi is a Creative artist & Copywriter. She is currently working as Designer at Tata Consultancy Service, Mumbai, India. Her work is an amalgamation of designing, typography and copywriting. Her style is conceptual, colorful and glamorous. Her work not only reflects the passion and commitment of a serious and sincere artist, but also infused with imagination and creativity, with the right blend of traditional and contemporary styles. She is a woman with not-so small dreams, lover of words, collector of thoughts, execution through art, writer by night, dreams a lot. Can be found gushing about the tiniest of things. Floating through life. Mostly talkative, sometimes quite. Happy and a little bit of everything different.
Why are you a Graphic Designer? I chose to become a Graphic designer as it resonated with my creative zeal and allowed me to showcase my talent. I have loved drawing ever since I was a kid. Graphic Designing is a just a medium through which I can express myself in the form of art. It’s something that I knew would always keep me happy and lively!
Did you attend school for fine art or design? Yes! Rachana Sansad College of Applied Art & Craft in Mumbai, India.
Tell us of your interest in Typography. Fortunately, I was born and brought up in a city like Mumbai. So I have been going for outings- especially to Juhu beach since my childhood, and I always had fascination for the colourful headers on the stalls and carts; and that is when I started observing and developed an interest in typography.
Ankita is a lettering artist, illustrator and graphic designer from Bangalore. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Design at the FHNW Academy of Art & Design in Basel, Switzerland. She has worked with a number of clients both large and small, in different sectors. She hopes to acquire new skills through her international studies that would help her become a more effective communicator and tackle larger, more relevant issues through her work. Apart from commercial work she does a number of small passion projects that help her stay connected with her varied interests outside the field of design. Collaboration is a key factor of her explorations in design and is always open to learning and working from others in the field.
Why are you a Graphic Designer? I have always been interested in the little stories that live in everything we experience. Right from my first internship, I knew that it was the right choice for me. I have never regretted it.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? I completed my undergraduation from MIT Pune in Communication Design and I am currently pursuing my Masters from the FHNW in Basel, Switzerland.
You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style? Currently I am still in a very exploratory stage of finding a particular style. I have never consciously tried to restrict myself .The real task is always to be consistent and keep growing.
Trained at the art school of “Life”, sharpened by obstacles and curated by chaos, Dhiman Gupta has always liked wearing many hats. He is a creative strategist, with a keen interest in developing 360-degree campaigns, marketing solutions and content. He is passionate about the digital space and all things where science and art co-exist.
Why are you an Illustrator? Mainly because drawing relaxes me and helps me escape the harsh realities of life.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? I am a self-taught artist and designer and from a pure science background 🙂
You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style? I am a big fan of Pop and Op art and I want to mix the two of them together. I have been evolving everyday and so is my style. I guess the evolution will continue as far as I can see.
Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up? Grew up on a staple diet of Phantom (comics) and Feluda (Satyajit Ray).
Who was the most influential personality on your career in Illustrations? Satyajit Ray, Hergé, Andy Warhol, Lichtenstein, Victor Vasarely and anything made by Karl Lagerfeld.
What made you decide to become a freelance illustrator? When did you start freelancing? Do you illustrate for advertising? I am into online advertising and I wish to become a full time illustrator / graphic novelist one day 🙂 I have been a part of many illustration oriented advertising campaigns. Please take a look at my site here.
Are many advertising agencies getting illustrations made these days? Do you work more with agencies or publishers? Illustrations are the in thing in international advertising right now. I guess, it would take a while in India for that to happen. There are many misconceptions regarding illustrations. Let’s hope that will disappear in the near future. Please take a look at my article here on the same topic.
Was there any time when you wanted to quit Illustrations? Yes. I guess it’s a very common thing among artists to feel undervalued and unappreciated. But then no pressure means no diamonds.
Have you considered turning your illustrations into toys/comic books? I already have 🙂 Please take a look here,
Any other Indian Illustrators who you admire? Satyajit Ray, R.K.Laxman, Mario Miranda influence me everyday.
Do you have any favorite fellow illustrators or resources relating to your fields? Actually there are many on instagram and I keep changing my favorites very frequently.
You have such a wide experience as a top working professional. What advice do you have for aspiring creative professionals? Would you advise them to take on Illustration as a career option? Is it paying well enough? I believe becoming a creative professional is a huge decision. And I have the utmost respect for people who decide to turn their passion into their profession. Struggle is unavoidable in any industry. But when you really love what you do, you don’t feel the pain and you never give up. However, financial independence is very very important for anyone to continue and I feel it will be wise to do a mix of graphic design and illustration if we are talking about livelihood.
What’s your dream project? Comic books / Graphic Novels obviously. But I am equally fond of identity design, fashion illustrations and even interior design.
Mac or PC? What’s PC?
Who would you like to take out for dinner? My family at the most exclusive place possible.
What’s on your iPod? Spotify? Anything that helps me concentrate. Yanni for example.
What’s your Twitter Handle? Instagram? Instagram only – @thedhimangupta
Jaspreet is a visual designer, a paper craft-artist and a metaphysical enthusiast from New Delhi. He focuses on innovation by merging different thoughts and principles to come up with his own conception. His works present the elements of connection and simplicity, which is present within everyone.
Why are you a Graphic Designer? I love visual storytelling and graphic design works as a great tool for this form of communication.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology in Bangalore, India
You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style? It takes time for anyone to develop their style, till then it’s a fun journey of exploration and experiments.
Samia Singh is an artist, designer and musician based in Chandigarh, India. Her artistic interest lies in effective communication of new knowledge and research that may help create positive understanding and response to the emotional, social and political landscapes we live in, in order to live fuller happier lives. Creating effective moments of interaction through art and design is powerful as the experience you have is unique and stays with you – lingering and resurfacing at different points in time. Samia works across illustration, graphic design, sculpture and music to create these lucid moments.
Why are you a Graphic Designer? I have always been fascinated by colour, light and nature. I like to capture fleeting moments in time. I like graphic design because it is a way for me to capture a feeling and play with it.
Did you attend school for fine art or design? Yes I studied Visual Communiciation at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology for 4.5 years in Bangalore. I also got a scholarship to study printmaking at Il Bisonte Instituto del Arte Grafica in Firenze, Italy.
You have a distinct style of Design. How long did it take you to develop your style? Happy to answer that. When I see my work from the last ten years, I can recognise that an innate sense of humour (sometimes dark humour) and lyricism shapes my work. I look for the quirky, imperfect & innocent elements which strike a chord.
