interview

Simran Nanda: Interview with a Student Illustrator

Illustration, Interviews, , , 3 comments

Simran Nanda is a Communication Designer specializing in illustration. She will be graduating from The Pearl Academy of Art Design and Fashion, New Delhi this year. She loves spending time with her family, friends and her pets. She wishes to get married to the city of Bombay in her near future!

Why are you an Illustrator?
Since I was a child, I’ve always been fascinated by cartoons. I had a collection of stuffed animals! I think this is where my vision to create different characters came from.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
I’m studying at The Pearl Academy of Art Design and Fashion. I will get my degree in B.A Communication Design this year.

You have a distinct style of illustration. How long did it take you to develop your style?
I have always wanted to sketch but initially I was afraid to do so. I have been observing the work of various illustrators over the years. Some of them have different styles of illustrating. It took me a while to find my own style. I feel it came from practice and a lot of passion for the work I do.  I love digital work in particular, playing with different shapes and colors to create my characters. I love robots and monsters!

Were there any particular role models for you when you grew up?
My role model is and always will be Shah Rukh Khan. I admire the passion he has for his work. I have always looked up to him. Even though he doesn’t know me, I hope he does someday!
 
Who was the most influential personality on your career in Illustrations?
It’s difficult to choose one in particular but I remember going to Bombay for the first time and I was fascinated to see Mario Miranda’s work on the walls of Café Mondegar. I am truly inspired by his work.
I also love Mattias Adolfson, the German illustrator. Observing his work and made me pay attention to detail in my illustrations.

What made you decide to become a freelance illustrator? When did you start freelancing? Do you illustrate for advertising?
I was motivated to do so by my mentor in college.  After building on my portfolio, I have done some freelance work as an illustrator. I have illustrated characters for social media icons and graphics for toys. I haven’t got a chance to illustrate for advertising as yet.

Tell us something about your graphic design work.
My work is mostly digital based. I have a particular style that has developed over the years. I love illustrating for children in particular. I am very fascinated by monsters and robots!

Are many advertising agencies getting illustrations made these days? Do you work more with agencies or publishers?
I think it depends on the brief given to us. If the ad requires illustration as a medium, then yes. I have mainly worked with design houses and advertising agencies.

Was there any time when you wanted to quit Illustrations?
Not as yet! I hope I never do. But I have always wanted to see my characters in motion. So if I ever plan to divert from illustration, I would want to specialize in animation.

Have you considered turning your illustrations into toys?
I have made graphics for paper toys that are used as night lamps! It was a concept based on reusable packaging for children. So the packaging converts into a paper toy or a lamp.

Any other Indian Illustrators who you admire?
I love Prashant Miranda’s work. He was called to our college for an interactive session where he showcased his work. It was great seeing his travel logs. I love his use of watercolors.

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’m just about to graduate! So I think its too soon to give my view about taking Illustration as a career option but I think it depends on person to person. You need to be connected to your work that makes a big difference. It pays well with the amount of experience one has.

Mac or PC?
I use a Mac

Who would you like to take out for dinner?
Shah Rukh Khan! I want to take him out for dinner and thank him for singing for me on my birthday!

What’s on your iPod?
I listen to The XX and Phealeh while working. I love music that helps me work in peace.  Also I love bollywood!
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Jitendra Patel : Interview with an Illustrator

Creative, Illustration, Interviews, , , , , 12 comments

Born and raised in Baroda, Jitendra Patel (aka Jitu) has a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. Currently, he works as an art director at Ogilvy and Mather, Mumbai. Besides his art, Jitu is also passionate about movies and old-time songs. He spends his leisure time sketching and lately, attempting to learn how to play the flute!

Why are you an Illustrator?
Since childhood, drawing and painting have been my first love. My notebooks were filled with drawings rather than notes. So you could say my childhood passion lead me into the world of art.

Did you attend school for fine art or design?
Yes, I went to one of the best art schools in India – Faculty of Fine Arts MSU University, Baroda.
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Sumedha Sah : Interview with an illustrator

Creative, Illustration, Interviews, , , , 5 comments

Sumedha Sah is a self taught artist and illustrator and hails from the beautiful hill station of Nainital. Having completed her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from MIT Manipal, She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Sustainable Architecture from CEPT University in Ahmedabad. Her artwork is inspired by mundane life experiences, her travels and her innate love for nature. She enjoys spending time with her pets, 3 dogs and a cat. As well as travelling to the unexplored parts of the world.

Some of her clients include, The National Geographic Traveller Magazine India, TED x India and Full Circle Publishing based out of Delhi.

Why are you an Illustrator?
I draw because it gives me immense joy. I draw for this simple reason everyday. With a sketchbook and a box of travel watercolours, I doodle and create. I find inspiration in the happenings of everyday. I strongly believe in the simple joys and know that many of our lives go by, doing things for the head rather than the heart. My sketchbooks are a way to document my life and record the thoughts that cloud my mind on certain days. On others they are a mirror to what I feel.

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Sujata Keshavan : Interview

Interviews, , , , , , , 2 comments

Sujata Keshavan
Chairperson: Ray+Keshavan/Brand Union
Judge, Branding, D&AD awards 2014.

What does your role as a D&AD judge entail?
The D&AD awards are highly respected and are widely regarded as the Gold Standard of awards. It really means a great deal to creative professionals to win a pencil. The best thing about being a judge, is that one gets the opportunity to see the most recent, most brilliant work, the best of the best. It gives you a sense of the state of design in the world.
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Bodhisatwa : Interview with a Creative Director

Interviews, , , , , 2 comments

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Bodhisatwa Dagupta is a Creative Director, Grey worldwide, Delhi, at the time this interview published.

Bodhisatwa, or Bodhi as he is fondly known in the advertising circus is an obsessive, compulsive writer. When he’s not writing ads for a target audience he hasn’t met, he’s writing the first line of books that he won’t write. And when he’s not writing that, he’s writing about irrelevant things that have no implication in the macrocosm of things. Bodhi hates long words. Like obituary. And when the time is ripe, he’ll write his own, thank you very much.

Why are you into advertising?
Strangely enough, because I like the word ‘fuck’. I’ll explain. When I was a kid, perhaps 6-7 years or so, I used to see these hot shot advertising executives waltz into my place to have meetings with my dad (who, because he was in PR) had to deal closely with them. They looked really cool – long cigarettes dangling dangerously from their lips, drinking at odd hours, and using the word ‘fuck’ freely. I wanted to be like that. I wanted to be cool. And so at the age of 7, I made up my mind that I’d like to be in advertising.

The reason I stayed in advertising, years later, inspite of finding out that contrary to popular beliefe, it is not cool at all, is simply because I don’t think I can do anything else.

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Sunny Deo : Interview with an Associate Creative Director

Creative, , 2 comments

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I was recently headhunted to join Grey Advertising in Singapore. I’ll be Associate Creative Director for the Panadol global account for GSK. Including other brands (Lucozade/Horlicks) for the Asia Pacific region. I just left Leo Burnet Dubai two weeks ago, and currently in London on a break between jobs.

Why are you into Advertising?

Actually fell into it by accident. Was half way through my Chemistry degree at UMIST University in Manchester when I found out about it. Fell in love with the idea of ideas, enrolled for the BA (Hons) Advertising & Marketing Comms course at the Watford campus of University of Hertfordshire, and never looked back.

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Prasad Rao : Interview with an Art Director

Interviews, , 6 comments

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A keen observer, a doer, and a humble guy at heart. His work reflects his ingenious ideas and lateral thinking. Even the smallest of jobs rolled out from his desk have a sense of sincerity and a sense of design. Apart from being his creative self he is also a team player and a leader, who supports his subordinates and teaches them every little bit he has learned over the years. There are very few people who have the gift and so willingly share it with others and Prasad is one of them.Working with him in a team is not only fun but also very gratifying. (I made my copy partner write this last part, haha!!)
Why are you into advertising?
I’ve always loved to think, read and ask questions in school. I used to discuss any subject, loved to argue and debate, loved to day dream, loved to observe the people around, loved to make stories, loved to draw and paint, so advertising was the closest where I could do all of this. So here I am today, doing what I wanted to and I am lucky to be also getting paid for it. So it’s been a great journey so far.
Although very few know that I wanted to be a lawyer when in school.

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Raj Khatri : Digital Artist and Art Director

Interviews, , 7 comments

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Raj Khatri is a Digital Artist and Art Director at Marching Ants, Mumbai.
 
Few words about you in third person…
Learner, explorer, curiously curious, tech geek, movie fanatic, rockaholic, collector, foodie, optimistic and workaholic…

Why are you an illustrator?
Because I would suck at everything else, period!
Eddie Vedder couldn’t be a chef, Spielberg cant spin a ball, Marty Friedman won’t kill it with a camera as he does with those riffs. I guess we all are born to be a king at something and jack at everything else. I guess this is my path to the throne 🙂

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
Nope…  I used to be a science student. In my second term of SYBSC. I realised I am just wasting my time in all these ‘education’. It was time to star my real ‘studies’. Hence i left my college. And took up designing seriously. And started practicing 10-15 hrs a day. Learning the softwares and tools at arena multimedia. With tutorials on my floppy drive. And vague ideas on my mind. I went on to create some really horrendous crap. But It cleared a lot of cloud off my head about the basics of digital art, Photoshop and designing in general, and also made me realize good work from bad and take notice of smallest nuances in an artwork which makes it stand out.
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Revati Gangal : Painter

Illustration, Interviews, , , , 2 comments

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Revati Gangal  grew up in Mumbai and earned her Master’s in Fine Arts (specialising in portraiture) from the prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art. She currently lives in Bengaluru after spending a few years in Dubai. Besides India, her paintings have been displayed at art galleries across the world’s major cities including Paris, London, Brussels, Dubai, Muscat, Doha and Manama. In the past, Revati has also worked as a set/graphic designer and has been a lecturer of visual art at the SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai.

 “My paintings are based on my daily experiences; I seek to interpret the human and objective form through the emotional and visual ‘patterns’ associated with it. The inspiration to paint is triggered by visual patterns, unique compositions and/or by interesting narratives of thought. I find the various colour transformations and the play of visual permutations of patterns quite interesting,” Revati says.

Why are you a Painter?
Right from my childhood I realized that I loved to express my mind and heart only through one medium that was painting. Ever since then I channelized my journey to be a professional in it. The passion that drives me to paint has not been affected or deviated at any point of time since then. Hence I cannot see myself doing anything else besides painting.

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Saurabh Sankpal: Interview

Interviews, , one comment

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A deep thinker, a keen observer, an experimenter and an entertainment package is what defines Saurabh. He has an uncanny knack of transforming his observations into a great form of art. What is most unique about his work is that, every piece of work he produces has something different about it.  His art is a visual treat for the clients and the consumers.

Why are you into Advertising?
This is something I always wanted to do. I didn’t get into this field by chance or because I was just seeking some career option. I fall in love with advertising and new ideas every day and it completes me.

Did you attend school for fine art or design or Communications?
No. Like they say, if you have the passion to do something, you learn it in no time. After my Bachelors in Management Studies, I did a one year MBA course from Indo-German Chamber of Commerce where I specialized in marketing. After that, I landed up at Umbrella Design Firm where I was moulded and guided by Bhupal Ramnathkar.
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