Patience, Practice and Consistency Are the Three Things That Build up Your Foundation - Apurva Anand

Remember to look at works by various artists, study about their style, the thought process they use and the technique. The more you expose yourself to new artists, their styles, forms of art; the more you’ll learn from them and grow, as an artist as well as a person.

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I’m Apurva Anand and I’m an artist, creating and living in Chandigarh. I’m currently pursuing my Bachelors in Fine Arts, from Government College of Art, Chandigarh.

Back when I was in third grade, a friend of mine joined drawing classes and I remember joining the class and going there simply for fun! That at time, it did not dawn upon me that art was my calling. 

I recall creating cards for my mom, friends and teachers. It became a medium for me when I wanted to express my love, gratitude or respect towards them. Even when it came to school projects, the decorations, the colourful sheets & the designing, intrigued me more than the content in it! 

As I reached seventh grade, I found a lot of interest in Calligraphy. At that point of time, I wasn’t aware about Pinterest or Instagram or any book related to Calligraphy. I would spend hours searching about it on Goggle, seeing what it really was and the technique used. I would just sit and try to imitate all the references I found about it in my sketchbook. 

Over time, I went on to create my own style of letters and that is when my brother told me how there’s an actual course related to this and how I can pursue in this field. I believe it to be a turning point in my life, as it gave me direction and a path to be on. 

Since then, art has become a part of me which has made me more sensitive, understanding and observant of my environment. 

2. Who is your favourite artist and why?

To answer this, I first want to express how blessed & grateful I feel to be in an environment surrounded by such wonderful artists, who are excelling in such vast fields of art. Be it Illustration, Sculpting, Painting, Lettering, Writing, Music, Embroidery and so many more. 

Therefore, when it comes to a favourite artist, there isn’t just one single artist whom I adore, get inspired from and look up to, there are so many of them.

Sometimes it is the craft of an artist inspires me, sometimes it is the thought process, or the implementation, the style, the method of working, the resources they use or simply because I resonate with their art. 

Nevertheless, to name a few artists are, Smriti Choudhary, Jordan Clark, Alicia Souza, Vidhi Khandelwal, Ayush Kalra, Tuheena Raj, and the list continues. When it comes to Smriti Choudhary, her absolutely detailed and intricate style of creation inspires me in so many ways. 

The thought she puts behind each and every artwork is simply impeccable. Jordan Clark is one of the sweetest people I’ve come across. Her vintage style, beautiful and soothing colour palette and the collages she creates, are an absolute delight to watch and learn from.

Alicia Souza, Vidhi Khandelwal, Ayush Kalra, are wonderful illustration artists and each of their style is so unique; it feels great to be able to see what they create.

Tuheena Raj is a writer and the way she writes, the dedication, the passion and the boldness yet gentleness in her writing, inspires me not only as an artist but as a person as well. 

3. Is it a financially stable career?

Being a student, I feel I won’t be able to answer this question yet! I’ve seen just one side to this, as I have been working as a freelancer.

All I can say from my experience till now is that the monetary aspect becomes a bit uncertain as it depends upon the work taken up by the artist or an association with a brand as such. Working as a graphic designer might offer a much more financially stable career. 

4. Where do you get inspired to create art?

For me, creating an artwork means giving my expressions a form. Therefore, any form of experience I go through, be it a walk in the evening, listening to bird chirping or my favourite playlist, visiting new places, watching a movie, coming across quotes that resonate with me, are some of the sources that inspire me to create. 

Other than this, coming across a new artist or a new form of art intrigues me to learn more about it and create. 

5. What kind of book do you prefer to read?

I’m not much of a reader! However, I do read poetry and autobiographies once in a while. 

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to the future aspirants?

For anyone who’s a beginner in art or in any field, I just have to say that, patience, practice and consistency are the three things that build up your foundation and that can change the game entirely. 

Remember to look at works by various artists, study about their style, the thought process they use and the technique. The more you expose yourself to new artists, their styles, forms of art; the more you’ll learn from them and grow, as an artist as well as a person. With that being said, keep experimenting, learning and creating more every day.

Interview by - Pallavi