Illustration Influences

Growing up, I didn’t have the right kind of environment, encouragement and opportunity at school to learn to draw. So much so that I only started to draw seriously in my late 20s. But I never gave up the hope of getting good at it someday. I think my early influences and inspiration had a big role to play in keeping the interest alive until I was ready to learn on my own.

Books

I was and am greatly influenced by the books and comics I read when growing up. Most notably the illustrations by Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes), Hergé (Tintin), Alberto Uderzo (Asterix) and innumerable Russian Children’s books that were very common here in India at that time. I only discovered the picture book Illustrations by Beatrix Potter and Quentin Blake later in life, but they inspire me greatly as well.

Animation

I watched a lot of cartoons. The classic Tom and Jerry, Looney Tunes cartoons, early seasons of the The Simpsons and the Disney classics, especially The Jungle Book inspired me to no end.

I first came across Hayao Miyazaki and the Studio Ghibli animated films in 2002. These films still inspire me and make me want to tell my own stories.

Nature

You may have noticed that nature, is a huge part of my illustration work. Especially animals. It is probably the result of having grown up in a small town (then) next to a lake, surrounded by rivers, rainforests, mountains and the sea.

Music

Inspiration need not have a direct impact on work. Growing up in a family of musicians, music always was and is a huge part of my life. There’s music at home all the time. Though I didn’t pursue it long enough myself, I love music and it continues to inspire me in ways I don’t realise.