Contemporary art has reached out more closely to people. Living under city scapes, in the era of urbanisation, technology, and the varied cultures, contemporary paintings and sketches might come easily to the present time generation. Contemporary art, if defined, is the art of today’s time, or specifically produced in the second half of the 20th century. In a globalising world, it is exhilarating to see artists being influenced by a number of factors, producing art, completely different and unique. Art in a broad sense, can be understood as including music, paintings, props, sculptors, instalments, etc. Today we will be presenting contemporary artists producing irresistible paintings and sketches.

Paul Chiranjit

Paul Chiranjit, along with being a contemporary artist, is also a fine arts teacher. With his magic filled hands, he has been painting a myriad of beguiling oil sketches. The canvas is his space of utmost creativity of the human faces and their surroundings. As you scroll through Paul Chiranjit’s paintings, a constant dazzlement oozes out of his oil sketches. Covering mainly sketches of female goddesses and women portraits, Paul Chiranjit plays transparently with the oil on the canvas. His creative energies are vividly expressed in his oil strokes and minute details. Apart from oil sketches, Paul Chiranjit also has mastery with pencil on paper.

Rajmohan Ramamoorthi

Rajmohan Ramamoorthi is a professional contemporary artist, with experience and talent in pencil sketches, digital art as well as watercolour portraits. His real life, captivating, lifelike portraits, speak of Rajmohan Ramamoorthi’s adeptness and artistic skills. Each eye that he has drawn speaks of its own story and has its own life. Be it the pencil strokes, or the splashed colours, each speck of his art is produced with the same detail, attention, and accuracy. While his watercolour portraits deliver a more nuanced dream like story, the pencil sketches speak in a more intense manner.

Debayan Kar

Debayan Kar, with his classic elegance and creative energies, has been producing exceptional art pieces. His collection is so unique, unblemished, and stunning, with art drawn and produced through different mediums and methods. From watercolours, to pencil sketches, to charcoal, and line contouring, Debayan Kar, has been using art as a medium to express his inner thoughts. Most of his art pieces are also a tribute to and pay respect to famous and legendary icons. This contemporary artist has truly mastered the essence of portraits, and each piece speaks of the raw skills of Debayan Kar.

Samir Mondal

Samir Mondal is a contemporary watercolour artist. His art pieces are unique and are challenging the very idea of what art should be. Giving the textures of oil painting through water colours, Samir Mondal is freely showing his inner artistic creations in more ways than one. In his art pieces, one can easily find a newness, an invention and experimental aura. Samir Mondal plays with his colours very enthusiastically. He is for sure defining and being an active part of contemporary art and contemporary artists. 

Stories are not just to be told; they can be drawn. Life presents us with many delightful and chaotic situations that ultimately become a thing to laugh about in the future. Designing is an arena where art is blended with creativity. These illustrations are in high demand to be sent as gifts for dear ones on their memorable special days. Their affectionate style of drawing makes it look more appealing and relatable. Here are some artists who have captured those moments to bring interesting illustrations for us to watch.

Sketchedup20

Illustrations are by default interesting and heartwarming. When comic themes are incorporated, it becomes a cherry on the cake. Sketchedup20 is an amazing page on Instagram where Rahul Patil produces such entrancing illustrations. Let it be a ‘save the date’ wedding portrait, inspirational quotes, or characters of different ages, Rahul displays perfection and uniqueness. He has also authored a book titled ‘The Essential Handbook for Creating Characters’. Rahul believes in Zen master Shunryo Suzuki’s verses, “in the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s, there are few”. He gives the audience even tips to enhance the illustrations’ making process too.

Indianscribbles

Vibha Rao is a comic artist who has great humour sense and presents every cute mischieve we have done as kids and even as an adult into her drawings and illustrations. Most beautiful moments of parents and kids, siblings, grandparents, and friends are the favorite topics of Vibha. She has also worked with the animation team of Studioeeksaurus for the enchanting yet horror-thriller Malayalam animation short film ‘Kanditund’.

Tallgirlcartoons

Every tall girl faces problems being tall through body shaming or abuse. Tallgirlcartoons presents these issues, their solutions, and also many perks of being tall in a comic mood. The artist gives good positive vibes. These drawing are interesting and at the same time thoughtful. Any kind of body shaming is violative of their right to be what they want to be. This page on Instagram brings up the experiences and adventures of a tall girl as the protagonist. Every tall girl would find it relatable and honest.

Self expression and the communication of hushed words found a new medium – Art. People have found peace and belongingness in splashes of colours and pencil strokes. When the mouth couldn’t utter comprehensible words, the paintings became the cherished alternative. Artists have materialised childhood memories, the nostalgia of a forgotten past, the unsaid words of the animal kingdom, or the divine beauty, the list can surely go on, into beautiful figures. Art has surely been one of humans greatest gifts to themselves. We present you some sweet and some magnificent and wholly striking art pieces and animations by some passionate artists. These artists have enmeshed storytelling in their creations. 

Bohra Sisters

Siblings Sakina and Zainab are full-time artists. The siblings have mastered storytelling through digital art and stop motion. Popping colours, with a touch of the nostalgia, and the desi tint, the Bohra Sisters have become one of the favourite artists on the internet. As you surface through their paintings, you’ll find pockets of memories from your own childhood. Nostalgia and love are dominant in Bohra Sisters’ unique creations. The life on the streets – playing children, the conversations of the women, the working vendor, the delicacy of street food, all is brought to the front in their beautiful drawings. 

Steffi Stanley

Another artist bringing us the plates of childhood nostalgia, and a different realm for children, is Steffi Stanley. She is a freelance illustrator based in Chennai, designing children’s characters and stories of children. In Steffi Stanley’s art, children will find a happy space, and for adults, her innocent and unapologetic art is a window to bittersweet memories. You can definitely find little moments of your past younger self in her illustrations.  

Bhuli Design Studio

Bhuli Design Studio is a hub where you can find beautifully crafted designs and paintings of the Bhuli and Aipan art form. While the Aipan folk art is a ritualistic art form, Bhuli art, on the other hand, is an art form of the Bhotiya community. Bhuli is a celebration of kitchen memories, countryside life, grandmother’s recipes, and traditional outfits, a part of Uttarakhand’s cultural revival. Bhuli Design Studio is reviving that art form, bringing to the spotlight the beauty of folk art. 

Abhishek Singh

Reimagining mythologies and stepping into the spiritual realm, Abhishek Singh produces art form from his complete imagination and spiritual discipline. Using mostly oil and acrylic paints, Abhishek Singh paints every piece with the utmost sincerity and reverence. Each piece has a dimensional depth to it and carries with it a devotional tale for you to decipher.

A picture speaks a thousand words. There are times when we don’t find the right words to say. Sometimes pictures help us emote more. It helps us connect with others a bit more. Sometimes pictures even help us console ourselves, help us see ourselves a little better. Digital art has improved tremendously in the past few years. The pandemic-induced lockdown saw the emergence of many artists who decided to dust off their dormant talents. We have some artists here whose illustrations will definitely bring a smile to your face. So next time you are having a bad day just take a look at their illustrations. 

1. Blue Enso

A quick look at Blue Enso’s feed is a visual treat for your eyes. The warm pastel shades will put you in a good mood instantly. Her human figures are adorable and even more adorable are the furry friends who are a staple in most of her illustrations. While she does commission illustrations, she also uses her talent to call attention to many significant issues. She uses her illustrations to raise awareness about the importance of the adoption of pets and water bowls for animals during summers and more such causes. You can find her illustrations for various campaigns in her feed.

2. Kosha Bathia

Kosha Bathia’s artworks are truly varied. You can find artworks of different styles and forms of art in her feed. From illustrations vibrant with colours to doodles in black and white, you can find it all in Bathia’s feed. She is an experimental artist who does not shy away from different styles, forms or tools. She launched her online store, Kosha Bathia Art, in 2021. You can find greeting cards, recipe cards, postcards, bookmarks and more, adorned with her illustrations.

3. PriyaDoodles

As her Instagram handle suggests, doodling is Priya’s forte. Tiny illustrations in black and white crammed beautifully make you wonder about the time and effort she puts into her artworks. Her customized doodle art is a great gift idea if you are looking for one! A doodle of your loved one along with all their favourite bits is indeed a great gift, isn’t it? Along with doodling, Priya also does mandala artworks, wedding invitations, logo designs and coasters.

4.Priyanka D’souza

A burst of colors and happy faces is what you see when you look at Priyanka D’souza’s feed. Along with customized artworks, she also gives us a glimpse of her life through her charming illustrations. She customizes fridge magnets and coasters with her illustrations. Although her illustrations have a humorous color to them, the messages she conveys through them are momentous. Sometimes she also couples her illustrations with tiny reminders to take life slow and be kind.

Abhishek Salvi is a digital artist and an illustrator. His innumerable artistic portraits are the work of mastery and detail and look realistic and lifelike. He is a self-taught artist who has now been into art for a decade. Abhishek’s drawn portraits and works have come to this stature with a lot of hardships, challenges and rough days. As a teenager, he had to take the role of an adult. His journey and growth is inspiring, and to look up to, and realize that in the face of adversity, one really should hold on to that last string of hope. 

Early Life

Abhishek Salvi was born and brought up in Vadodara, Gujarat. His parents came from an arts background, and so the artistic atmosphere grew onto him, and he started making portraits at the age of 14. Two years later, a tumultuous event took place. Abhishek lost his father. Later, other troubles also ensued in the household because of his brother. A teenaged Abhishek was mentally having a hard time with this. At such an age, he had to take the role of an adult. At that time, he was pursuing a course in Film Making in the Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara. However, the instability of the household forced Abhishek Salvi to drop out of college and commercialize his paintings to support his family financially. So, at the age of 18, he began his career as a freelance digital artist and illustrator.  

Setbacks, Achievements, and Moments of Wins and Defeats

Abhishek Salvi’s career began with zero support and zero money. His freelance illustrations work began because he had nothing else to rely on. It took a tiring 8 years to build a stable life for himself. The booming noise of friends and relatives often knocked at his house, “pick a job, at least you’ll have a fixed amount of money pouring in”, but after what all Abhishek had been through, he didn’t want to leave art. He could only stay happy with his art. His passion for art has been his biggest motivation. Abhishek’s role model has been Vadodara’s greatest artist, Raja Ravi Verma.

Abhishek has had anxiety attacks in the past, and they still make rounds in his life. During times like these, art is his only solace. Apart from commissions, Abhishek Salvi does art for himself. Nothing can ever hinder him from entering that realm of art and its process. This journey, therefore, has been a spiritual and a meditative journey for him as well. 

Along with the hurdles, barriers, and difficulties, Abhishek Salvi has had moments to shine, and achievements unparalleled. One of these was when his artwork on the show Money Heist was featured on their official YouTube channel (La Casa De Papel), wherein the cast discussed some of the artworks from artists all across the world. He was the only one from India whose artwork was present there. Digital Artist and Illustrator Abhishek Salvi has been recognised by many renowned figures. 

Message for all the Aspiring Artists

Abhishek believes that art can be innate and natural, but, if one wants to pursue it, then it needs a lot of hard work and consistency. One must have the interest and passion for it to pursue it. To all the aspiring artists, he asks them to not be afraid of selecting an unconventional field like art. There will be a lot of challenges in your journey, but your belief and faith in your hard work can cross all limitations.