Art & Craft
Venturing Into the Mind of Hricha Nilawar, An Incredible Illustrator
Hricha Nilawar, the face behind the Instagram account, @quirky_cloud, talks to us about her journey as an artist, inspirations and successes.

For artist/illustrator Hricha Nilawar art happened quite recently. In fact, she studied Animation and Visual Effects and worked as a Stereo Compositor. Her work in the post-productions consisted of converting 2D movies into 3D. But things changed, and she shifted lanes. Today she is the owner of the Instagram page @quirky_cloud filled with adorable illustrations that will melt your heart!
She was born in a Pusad, Yavatmal district in Maharashtra. Since a young age, she loved dancing, reading books and of course, drawing! While her life in India was great, the chance to switch fields arrived when she moved to Berlin in 2013. And sure, there were a lot of struggles there, but it was 2018 that the revelation of becoming an artist hit her.
Being a mother, she wanted to make the first birthday of her daughter special. Hricha wanted to gift her something that she could cherish for the rest of her life. But they (she and her husband) couldn’t find anything that sparked that sort of emotion. So, she created something absolutely beautiful – a personal book filled with memories of her first year. The process filled her with joy. Soon she started illustrating every day and her work as an artist began.
“Inspiration is everywhere, you just have to look around.”
hricha nilawar
Pascal Champion is one of her favourite illustrators. The warmth and optimism, the lust of life in his work have always inspired her. In fact, he too played a small part in the creation of the Instagram handle ‘quirky-cloud’! As she started exploring illustration as a career, she found out about Pascal Champion’s 3-day workshop in Spain. Her husband gifted her the chance to attend it while taking care of their toddler. And it was during this workshop that something clicked! In her flow, she created incredible illustrations and posted them on Instagram.
@Quirky_cloud is a page focusing on the positives of life by appreciating the little things that spark joy inside us. She believes this to be the point of resonance for her audience with her art.
“Talent is innate but honing it requires hard work and persistence.”
Hricha nilawar
As Hricha Nilawar puts it quite accurately, one is not enough to create good art consistently. The joy of the process comes from within. But in all success stories, failure is inevitable. At last, it is small failures which teach us lessons proving to be the stepping stones in our path to success. Her first experience with digital art was so bad that she stopped drawing for 6 months straight! She had bought an Ipad after receiving appreciations on her initial art. Having loads of art supplies around wasn’t practical considering she had a toddler. So, she buckled up and did her daily practice. In the end, sticking to the rigorous regime paid off!
Even though she’s been lucky enough to have a supportive environment in both her families, societal influences got to her. If not for that, she would have been a professional classical dancer. During the time of making decisions, Unknown constraints of expectations made her feel like 9-5 jobs were better than becoming a freelancer. Yet today, as a freelancer illustrator she continues to live her dream.
Apart from artistry, Hricha Nilawar also enjoys travelling. Travelling has allowed her to get out of her comfort zone, doing things she never imagined herself to do! Skydiving over the beaches of Portugal and flying a microlight aeroplane in Germany, a solo trip around Europe and scuba diving in Spain – all a part of this dream. But none of this compares to the kind of courage it took to get through one of the most difficult times in her life – losing a child. It was one of the hardest things she’d had to do in her life. They had to let go of their child in very late pregnancy because of medical complications. But bad times end as good times come. A year later she gave birth to her now, 3.5-year-old daughter.
“Be true to yourself in a world of trends and patterns”
Hricha Nilawar
Despite all her struggles, personal and career-wise, Hricha Nilawar is paving her own way to success. Her advice to young artists and aspirants in pursuit of their passion is to not give up and work on your inner strength. You have to find your originality n the world of trends. Strive to find the right balance between what the external voices convey and what your inner voice tells you.
Some of her beautiful illustrations!




Art & Craft
The New Face of Storytelling: Presenting Stunning Art and Animations
Presenting exceptional Artists and their stunning art pieces imbued with depth, profundity and story telling.

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.


Art & Craft
Illustrations And Designs That Fascinates The Entire World
When Graphic Designing brings happiness to creators and the viewers alike, the art touches a newer horizon.

As Vincent Van Gogh has rightly said, “the great artist is the simplifier” when art takes up the new era models like digital illustrations and designs, even simple life moments become attractive and heart touching. One may see such works on WhatsApp profile pictures or statuses and other social media. Instagram is a platform where independent artists can portray their true talent with utmost purity and appeal.
Anapatankardraws
Character designer, comic artist and illustrator for books, magazines, websites, games and much more. Ana Patankar uses different themes like food to put up Bollywood songs and presents it at the most alluring manner. When three types of Dosas coming up like 3 beauties, Masala Dosa winning the prize has hit the most the people. Bread Omelettes comes like a person. As food is a thing for many to be happy, her illustrations are so engaging. Portraits of random faces appear like those in certain award-winning photographs. The popular ritual form in Kerala-Theyyam has also been created with utmost detailing. Ana has many miles to walk and she definitely has the will to do it.



Theimaginepot
An architect who does graphic design enjoying her passion is Sanya Jain by Instagram name theimaginepot. She has done many collaborations and commissions from different clients. Sanya enjoys every happy mood with creating beautiful illustrations. The faces that she portrays in her designs feels like our own selves or family members. That makes the pictures so charming.



The_blue_frenchhorn
Sharan by the Instagram name ‘the_blue_frenchhorn’ takes up little moments of our ordinary lives to illustrate beautiful. From drawing pictures, she has used digital illustrations to grow with the technology. Her pictures revolve around love for food, sleep and caring one-self. The main protagonist is a girl, but she takes up different quotes to make it look fantastic. Amidst all the chaos in the world, she stands for peace and love. A dentist by profession and artist by passion, she also does commissions and the demand is hiking these days.



Thejauntyglasses
Shreyaa Verma Bajapai, a lawyer by profession loves to write sketch , read, cook, travel is the person behind ‘thejauntyglasses’. She is a self-taught artist who has flaunted across self-love and relationship quotes using beautiful illustrations. With a yellowish background she has been successful in bringing up relatable contents for the people. The adorable faces presented in the pictures are too good. Inspirational quotes helping one to be motivated to having a balance between self-love and works done are the main themes of the designs.



Today, as the people are more interested in enjoying the art, these artists from different arenas are growing at and upgrading their craft in more better ways. There are lot more chances and many are to come up victorious in the future too.
Art & Craft
Of Colors, Illustrations and More: Check Out These Talented Illustrators
The works of these illustrators will fill your heart with those vibrant colors and help you deal with that frown on your face.

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.



Art & Craft
Paved the Way: Artist and Illustrator, Abhishek Salvi
The Journey of Vadodara born, Digital Artist and Illustrator, Abhishek Salvi, who paved the way for himself amidst all barriers.

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.



Art & Craft
The Limitless World of Artworks: Presenting Phenomenal Artists
Paintings and artworks, of the charcoal, the ink, and watercolours by these exceptional artists and illustrators of India

Man’s oldest form of communication was cave paintings. It is true that early men sought drawing on the walls of caves to express themselves and create a community. Paintings and Artwork is the harbinger of communication, self expression, and solace. Human beings have picked up paints, pencils, ashes and now even technology to fill the canvas with their magic. Around us are innumerable creators, artists and illustrators. It is always mesmerising to look at original art pieces. Like a glimpse into the other person’s mind and thoughts, it offers so much joy, surprise, and exhilaration. To a spectator, the fusion of colours or the eccentric pencil strokes, or the perfect portraits, is always a moment of “wow!”. In this light, we bring you some exceptionally unique artists, each with their own distinct method of mastery, producing one of its kind artworks.
Saketh / Tvasta Artwork
Saketh is an all-in-one artist from Madras, Chennai. Eye for detail, and unwavering strokes of the ink on paper, Saketh immerses himself in his artworks completely. Be it ink or the watercolours, Saketh has a hand for all. His art pages are distinctly visible with each curve and detail. His area of mastery is ink on paper. However, most of them also have splashes of watercolour. From sketching human portraits to holy deities, Saketh sprinkles his sanctity on them.




Abhishek Salvi
An artist and Indian illustrator, Abhishek Salvi hails from Vadodara, the city known as, ‘Kala Nagri’, or ‘City of Art’. Abhishek Salvi has been making portraits for a decade now! His art has journeyed from pencil to pastels and is now thriving on digital art modes. Abhishek’s human portraits are realistic and lifelike, no less than the photograph captured by the human eye! His other artworks include movie posters and concept artworks.




Shivani Marothiya
Hailing from Uttarakhand, Shivani Marothiya is a self-taught charcoal and graphite artist. Charred sticks of wood are the primary medium of drawing in charcoal art. Her charcoal and graphite sketched deep eyes are worth diving into! She captures the poise of the human eye and effortlessly dumps it on the paper. Shivani Marothiya excels in human portraits, and some of her other artworks are fascinating pieces of lips, iris, hair, etc. Shivani Marothiya’s minute details in her artwork, and the realistic depth in them will make you ponder over its process of creation, and of course, the creator!




VKArtbox
Vikash Kumar, known as the artist VKArtbox has the most talented pair of hands. His expertise ranges from handmade human portrait sketches to animal portraits, and other related drawings. The authenticity of these pieces by VKArtbox is immaculate!




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