IndieFolio interviews freelance illustrator, visualiser and concept artist Chetan Patil

Tell us about your journey from being a student who decided to take up art as a career and to working independently as an illustrator today.

I discovered that I wanted to be an artist while in school. I was always drawing things in my school books and my drawing teacher told me I should take it up seriously. After class 12, I did a course in teaching art and one in animation. I then worked at a couple of places before finally deciding to join J J School of Art. I recently decided to take a break and do some freelance work to hone my skills.

Tell us more about your 10-Day portrait challenge.

This was the result of a fun experiment, a challenge thrown at me by a friend to complete 10 different portraits in 10 days Here’s how I did it. I spent two-and-a-half hours out of each work day to make one portrait. The only tool used was a calligraphy brush. Some of the portraits were made from memory, others were inspired by a mix of people I met and faces seen on the Internet.

Here’s the process:

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Which artists’ work do you especially admire?

There are a lot of artists I admire. I try to emulate their styles, and their work inspires me to create better art. Some of whom have influenced me the most are Indian illustrators/artists Deelip Khomane, Mukesh Singh and Pascal Campion, caricature artist Jason Seiler and concept artist Dylan Cole. There are also a few advertising studios whose work I admire tremendously such as Taproot Dentsu, Ogilvy & Mather, JWT and Zombie Advertising Studio, Brazil. I am particularly inspired by caricature artist Jason Seiler, whose attention to detail is awe-inspiring. I would love to reach his level of excellence some day. Even in a simple illustration, he encompasses a concept and an entire story.

If you could claim that any one artwork in the world was yours, what would it be?

By concept artist Dylan Cole – Avatar (Digital Matte Painting)

Where do you see yourself in the future?

As the owner of one of India’s top advertising studio/agency.

Have you ever stepped out of your zone and tried out a completely new creative field?

Yes. I have tried my hand at Indian miniature art. The results were brilliant. The freedom to use colours was a deeply enjoyable experience.

Now that you’re getting a firm foothold in the creative world, what would you like to say to ‘all the haters’?

To all the haters – get a life!

Quick Questions

Favourite font

LOST

 Favourite movie

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

A book everybody should read

Graphic novel: Krishna – The defender of dharma

A piece of advice to all clients

Dear client, sample work ke liye itna peeche mat pado!

Your quick tip to all illustrators

Work hard, play harder (keep experimenting)