Pranisha’s sketchbook is a treasure chest of observational drawings. She records everything from coffee shops to living spaces, streets, messy desks, junkyards and lecture halls. Page after page is filled with intricate detail and she has a gift for bringing immense beauty out of the ordinary.
Who?
Pranisha Shrestha is an illustrator and animator from Kathmandu. She graduated in Communication Design from SID, followed by a Masters in Animation design from IDC, IIT Bombay.
Tell us a little about work and artistic practice.
Like many others, I’ve loved drawing and sketching since childhood. After school, my deep interest towards art and design took me to India to pursue my studies further, and it was an eye opener! It has given me ample opportunity to work on various projects in the fields of Animation Media, Game Design and illustrations. Sketching has been an integral part of my life.
What does your sketchbook mean to you?
I’ve been scribbling and doodling since school and it was always a distraction from schoolwork but it paid off later and became my daily passion. For me, sketchbooks are like a small window into your personality – your emotions are poured onto paper through drawing. Keeping a sketchbook, as many artists would agree, becomes second nature. I love to capture the world around me in my sketchbook, adding as much detail as I can and trying to bring out the beauty of the mundane everyday elements we see. Nature and life around me are also inspiration for my sketchbook.
Could you share one piece from your sketchbook that means something to you.
This artwork is a live drawing done on location, in the middle of the day under the scorching sun. I was excited to do some outdoor drawing with my friends that day and very much enjoyed the process, regardless of what the final image looked like. I love creating intricate details and compositions which have a certain messiness to it, and this piece reflects that. The metallic equipment and rods piled up like junk, with fallen leaves on the ground around it caught my attention and the presence of rust and the patterns it created excited me to attempt the subject. I used Pentel brush pens, I prefer drawing with a brush straight as it reduces the fear of drawing and helps fasten the process. For a live drawing like this one, I prefer using alcohol markers to colour, to keep the process fast as its outdoors and light changes constantly.