Daksh Pathak - Don't Get Too Much Dependent on Tools and Software (Illustrator From India)

I was 14 when I saw the process of animation for the first time on TV. It was great seeing how a team of artists brings the world of imagination on screen and wanted to do that exact same thing in life.

Tell us more about your background and journey.

The only thing of my interest as a kid was watching Cartoons on TV and drawing characters from the same. This small activity continued and I slowly became obsessed with the art as I grew up. I used to scribble my own characters which were mostly superheroes.

I was the only one who was not following the rules and instructions of drawing on the topics like Scene of a railway station or a Garden in the art class at school. Instead of that, I used to draw some science fiction characters and later had to convince my teachers how practical and realistic it was.

They were never completely convinced by my explanations, but still used to appreciate my work and also guide me in the right direction. Especially when I had to choose my career path, my Family and Teachers believed in my skills and supported me to convert my passion into a profession.

I was 14 when I saw the process of animation for the first time on TV. It was great seeing how a team of artists brings the world of imagination on screen and wanted to do that exact same thing in life.

So I started my journey as an Animation student at Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (Jaipur) in 2015. In my first year, I realized that this industry has endless opportunities. We can see the use of visuals almost everywhere, from the cartoons and Illustrations in books, newspapers and billboards to movies, video games and even education platforms.

It was hard to choose where I wanted to go because there were so many things to explore. Some of my key interests were Character Design, Concept Art, Matte Painting, Illustration and VFX and I tried to learn as much as I could in these areas at that time.

After College, the first thing I decided to explore was VFX which I did at an internship in a post-production house in Mumbai. It was a great experience learning the process and requirements of the job and most importantly how to work and manage things in the Industrial environment. I learned a lot in the period of 6 months but also wanted to try something different.

So I switched to graphic design and got my first full-time job opportunity as a Junior Designer in a digital marketing agency. Where my job was to create short animations (mostly GIFs) and also to design corporate decks and collaterals. That was the time I realized how powerful and effective visual communication can really be.

After working there for more than a year. I was still not sure if that's what I really wanted to do. I wanted to be at a place where I could use my learnings from my experience and also get a chance to sketch freely and improve myself as an artist and a storyteller.

So, I joined an Ed-tech startup as an Illustrator in Bangalore. The best thing about working in a startup is the opportunity to work on a variety of projects which require the skills of design, Illustration and animation. Now I'm working on new things every day, it feels great because now I'm finally working on the products for a young audience. I can say that I'm happy at this point in time. But still, there's a long way to go.




When did you decide you wanted to be an illustrator?

During my first job, I wanted to use the skills of drawing and animation while continuing with everything I learned from Graphic Design. 

I think Illustration is the perfect blend of both for me personally because it can serve the purpose of communication as a still image and also as an asset for animation.



Is it a financially stable career?

Yes, but It completely depends on your skills. The initial part of the journey can be a kind of struggle and requires a lot of patience, but you will get the opportunity to grow and become financially stable if you are genuinely interested in the work and really good at what you do.



Who is your favourite illustrator and why?

Pascal Campion is my favourite Illustrator. I'm highly inspired by the way he shares his thoughts on different topics visually.



Where do you get inspired to create art?

I get inspiration from the things going around me. It just clicks sometimes and I get the topic to create. It can be as simple as a kid staring at birds gathered on a pole which can be shown in multiple ways through different mediums by adding some imagination. That's how I got ideas for most of my personal projects



What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring illustrators?

Focus on the key skills and don't get too much dependent on tools and software. Because the skills like sketching, observation and sense of colour balance serve as the main fuel in the process. 

Easier said than done, I practice the same and try to be as good as possible with my sketches using just pencil and paper and still feel that there's a lot to learn.

Which is your favourite book and why?

The Art of Into the Spider-verse at this point because I loved the movie and the way comic art and elements were fused with the digital animation. Got to learn a lot about the process from this book.


Instagram - @coblahart

Interviewed by - Subham Biswas