‘I worked for 30 hours on an artwork once’

Ever been to an art museum? At times it can be a boring experience but, at times it can also give you the most soul stirring of moments. The latter happens when going past a bunch of paintings, sketches and other artworks, one totally captures your attention. Its sheer brilliance, brings out emotions deep from your heart as every line or stroke opens up a new world in your mind.

Something similar happens when one sees this iconic sketch by Aditi Kashyap, a student with Apeejay College of Fine Arts (ACFA), Jalandhar. Selected as this week’s Aspiring Artist, the student speaks about the great artists she looks up to, her love for charcoal art, and the possibilities to be a professional one day. 

Read edited excerpts:  

Aditi, we are in awe of your sketches! For how many years have you been drawing?

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I’m pretty sure it started with the classic scenery of a house with a single window and an awkwardly drawn cone-shaped sun peeking from a corner. It is since the previous two years that I have started practicing seriously. 

In 2021, I experimented with many new mediums, different art styles, and even made an art account on Instagram, which I somehow ended up deleting later on. But it was in 2022 that I finally found the medium that suited me best. The trial and error was definitely worth it.

So which art form fascinates you the most?

My favourite art form is charcoal drawing. I highly doubt I’ll ever enjoy drawing in any other medium as much as I enjoy drawing with charcoal. I should add that I prefer to draw with charcoal sticks rather than pencils of the same kind. The heavy and uneven lines that those sticks make have their own unique charm. 

Plus, you can always smudge them and add layer after layer of details. It’s wonderful! This may not resonate with everyone, but I must also confess that whenever I draw with charcoal, I always end up staring at my dusty charcoal stained hands for even longer than I draw. Drawing with a charcoal stick is something that everyone must experience at least once in their lives. The freedom that charcoal, as a drawing medium allows you is simply incredible.

Tell us about the support you got at ACFA?

I’ve been here at ACFA only for a little over a month and the support I’ve got in this one month has been amazing. The biggest way in which ACFA supports me as an artist is by providing plenty of room for individual expression in everything that I do, even in things as simple as an assignment. 

The teachers here are very friendly and welcoming. In fact, it was my elective English teacher Ms. Swanti Uppal who encouraged me to send my sketches to the Apeejay Newsroom website and I’m very thankful for that.

Have you formally learnt art from any academy?

No, I haven’t learnt art from any art academy. I’m a hundred percent self-taught learner. However, my father is also an artist, so I grew up surrounded by art, which definitely helped me a lot.

Every artist has their definition of art. What’s yours?

 All art is imitation. And by imitation I don’t mean copying a drawing from another artist. (That may only be true when you’re trying to learn by copying someone you look up to). Imitation, with reference to art, may also mean expression or representation. 

Seeing a part of yourself imitated perfectly in a work of art is the kind of imitation I’m referring to. Art can be an imitation of people, places, nature, human emotions, literature, and so many more. The list is endless but the foundational idea remains the same.

How much time does it take you to complete an artwork? What are your common ideas and themes?

Different artworks require different amounts of time. On an average, I’d say one artwork takes about 7-9 hours to be completed. I love working in layers. The base layer takes a lot more time to perfect than other sorts of detailing. The most time consuming artwork I’ve ever made took me more than 30 hours to complete.

Any upcoming artwork?

I believe that one must learn how to read before he/she writes, which is exactly what I’m doing these days. I haven’t yet developed an art style that I can call my own and practice a lot by copying the masters. 

Next, I’m planning to study Leonardo Da Vinci’s work by making sketches of his paintings in my style. Once I’m satisfied with the foundation that I build, I’ll definitely sketch a few originals too.

A new art form you wish to learn?

I’d love to learn how to paint or sculpt. These two art forms are closely related with drawing, so it would be a delight to be able to do what I do in different colours or in 3D.

Any other hobbies apart from art?

 I greatly enjoy reading and writing and I read a lot more than I write. I always carry a book and notebook with me wherever I go. It is an odd but very rewarding habit as the more I read, the better I write. 

Apart from that, reading also helps me with drawing, both directly and indirectly. Directly it gives me a lot of ideas for scenes that I’d love to draw on paper, and indirectly it enables me to create new and vivid images in my head, which, I feel subconsciously make my drawing better.

You are very skilled in sketching. Do you wish to be a professional one day?

 I’m not sure if I want to be a professional artist because being one requires both skill and luck. I guess I’ll have to wait and see if I have the luck. But I will further develop my sketching skills though, that’s for sure.

Lastly, who is an artist you look up to?

 It’s tough for me to name one. I look up to a lot of artists, more than I can name. Apart from the great masters like Michelangelo, the list includes Euan Uglow, Sana, Roberto Ferri and many others.