‘Art is the best way to make most of your spare time’ 

Anurag, a class 7 student at Apeejay School, Model Town, loves to paint very much. He recently won the painting competition ‘Rangrez’ organised by My FM 94.3 Jalandhar. His scenic depiction of Baisakhi festivities on a sheet touched the hearts of one and all. 

In the Apeejay Aspiring Artists interview series, Anurag speaks about his love for drawing food and superheroes as well as mentions how beginners must build their confidence by taking on the easy art forms first. Read edited excerpts: 

Since when did you start drawing?

I started artwork during the lockdown period, I was in class 5 then. I was good at drawing from the beginning and this was always my passion. But I became serious towards art from this point in time.

What is your favourite artform?

I like to draw with acrylic paints.

How does your school help you as an artist?

My school provides me many opportunities to draw, such as the recent competition I won. I came to know about it through the school itself.

Tell us about the competition?

RJ Garry came to our school and announced the competition ‘Rangrez’. We had to draw about Punjabi culture in specific sheets which they distributed amongst students. They gave us 4 days for this. I drew a scene of Baisakhi, the games being played during this festival, and a kitchen with all the special food being prepared for the special occasion. I got a certificate and a trophy for this achievement. 

What is art for you?

It is the best way to make the most of your spare time. 

How do you approach artworks?

I usually practice 3 types of paintings: oil pastels, pencil shading and acrylic paints. Acrylic paints take 6 hours while the other two take around 3 hours roughly. I usually draw about food and super hero figures.

One piece of advice for beginners?

Begin with the easy art shapes. If you start with the difficult art shapes, you will lose interest soon. 

What are your next artworks?

It is about food again. A picture of a table where some sandwiches, pizzas and cutlery items are kept. I am a big foodie, so I also like to draw it.