Seok Ji, a young artist from South Korea ponders solitude by delving deep into her mind. Unperturbed by the infinity of her imagination, she embraces its beauty along with its ruthlessness. Her artwork reflects what she feels- attuned to her surroundings, aware of and effortlessly at one with nature.
In a chat with us, Seok Ji reveals her fondness for music and solitude and her love for art that let’s her escape into another dimension.
INTERVIEW (Translated)
Hello Seok Ji, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you, tell us more about yourself.
Hello, my name is Seok Ji and I was born and brought up in Korea. I am currently a student and have been very interested in painting since I was young. I spend a lot of time watching movies, manga and anime and often take time off to spend a day with my art.
Does your artwork reflect any cultural traits? Do your surroundings inspire your work?
The things that inspire me most are solitude and human relations. I used to spend a lot of time by myself when I was young, as my parents would be away at work. So I began documenting my thoughts and that’s how my art evolved.
Sad by Seok Ji | Cupick
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from the moment you form your idea to the moment you complete it?
I don’t have a set process nor a specific time period within which I operate. I take things as they come. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to portray and I value the thought put into an artwork. It’s extremely satisfying when a complex idea translates to a concrete image.
“THE THINGS THAT INSPIRE ME MOST ARE SOLITUDE AND HUMAN RELATIONS”
Who are your top three favorite artists?
My top three artists currently are Kerby Rosanes from the Philippines and Korean artists 열여덟 (Eighteen) and 리벳 (Rivets).
Intersection by Seok Ji | Cupick
How’s the art scene in South Korea? How do you see yourself in it?
There are a lot of artists and they find recognition instantly. Art is very accessible in South Korea but purchasing art is something that is just gaining ground. With several platforms like Cupick emerging, art is now not confined to only those who can afford it. Art is more a hobby for me than a career I want to pursue. I do want to be a writer to mark the pleasures of art, though.
We believe that art acts as a singular platform which every person can relate to, do you agree? Or do you think language can sometimes act as a barrier?
I never expected to receive an invitation from a foreign country but being on this platform has made my year! It’s true that language can act as a barrier (I have to brush up my English!) and I’ve had some difficulty communicating, but I believe we’ve come to understand each other because we appreciate art.
” I DO WANT TO BE A WRITER TO MARK THE PLEASURES OF ART”
Imaginary Friends by Seok Ji | Cupick
Are you working on any project at the moment? We are curious to know what’s been up your sleeve.
I’m not working on any projects as such but I am part of a group of enthusiastic artists who love cartoons! We put together a collection of short stories and even got it published! Presently, the group meets once a month to plan more projects.
Familiarize us with the tools you use to get the desired output; we would also love to have a glimpse at your work station.
My tools consist of any pen and Photoshop. Here’s a glimpse of where I work.
The Creative Space
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
Currently, art is more of a hobby so I haven’t taken the commercial route yet. Personally, I like to draw whenever I have spare time, which is not as often as I would like since there’s a lot of school work to be done.
What do you think about India and the artists here, if you had the chance to visit this country, where would you want to go first?
Unfortunately, I don’t know any Indian artists yet. But being on Cupick has inspired me to travel and learn more about artists all over the world.
Pink Belly by Seok Ji | Cupick
What does success mean to you?
I want to be happy and satisfied with what I do rather than chase success.
How important is music in recreating visions off your mind?
I usually listen to pop music just so that I have some company while I draw. But listening to the piano or even playing it sometimes, brings forth some calm and puts me into that head-space I need to bounce my ideas off. It helps me create an atmosphere of blissful solitude.
” I WANT TO BE HAPPY AND SATISFIED WITH WHAT I DO RATHER THAN CHASE SUCCESS”
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
I can’t say what my greatest work is but I can certainly tell you my favourite.
Peace of Mermaid by Seok Ji | Cupick
If you could wish for one, and only one superpower, what superpower would you chose?
I’d want to be the best painter in the world. That or have the power to prevent bankruptcy.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding artists, what would that be?
My advice for budding artists would be to take pleasure in what you create. Love thy Art.
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to travel Cupick!
Detailing and intricate patterns give definition to art, without these accessories art is as good as an empty brush stroke. Param Jain, shows us exactly how patterns come to flow and evolve in his artworks. His impulse to capture the endless creations of nature is clearly mirrored in his artwork. Reverberating an essence of tranquillity and calmness, his style is an elegant treaty between nature and art.
In a tête-à-tête with us, this student from Srishti School of Art Design and Technology let’s us have a peek at his ideation process, tools and fictions that form life in his artwork.
INTERVIEW
Hey there, Param, glad to have this chat with you, tell us more about yourself.
I was born and brought up in Bhopal (city of lakes). Being always surrounded by nature as a kid, it undoubtedly became my biggest inspiration. I’ll begin my fourth year in Srishti School of Art Design and Technology this July in Bangalore.
When did you realize that art should be your idea for life? Share with us the story of your prodigious beginning.
Bhopal as a city and my dad’s love for travelling always took me to places where I was again and again put in front of incredible visuals. This increased my interest in imagination as I was always stunned with what I saw and what it became in my head. As a result I was drawn towards art. Apart from this, since childhood I was given books to read like – What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard, Rich Dad, Poor Dad et cetera. Consequently I became interested in Business. As I grew, I was looking for something that could combine these two things for me that I’m passionate about. And then I came to know about this wonderful world of Design (particularly branding). It was like a dream come true, where I could begin to imagine that I can be an entrepreneur and still be creative. At least that’s the plan for future. :P
We realize that you studied at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. How was the journey? How influential was it in moulding your style and output?
Well, all I can say is that I have loved every single day of being in Srishti. The exposure that I gained there specifically with art and design being separate and at times as one made me much more sensitive in my approach and execution.
“BEING ALWAYS SURROUNDED BY NATURE AS A KID, IT UNDOUBTEDLY BECAME MY BIGGEST INSPIRATION.”
DESIRES by Param Jain | CupickRoots by Param Jain | Cupick
We love how your artwork radiates an essence of tranquillity with a lot of intricate detail and depth.What inspires your style?
Those are some really nice words from you, thank you for that. Most of the artworks I make are just a reflection of thoughts I have. As far as inspiration is considered, my fascination for lines and details is a major factor that affects the style. To search for symmetry, balance and detail in everything that I see has always been my favourite pastime.
Are there any recurring themes that can be found in your work?
I don’t think so…
“TO SEARCH FOR SYMMETRY, BALANCE AND DETAIL IN EVERYTHING THAT I SEE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FAVOURITE PASTIME.”
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from ideation to the finished product?
Honestly there isn’t any fixed time for that. Sometimes it takes one entire night to finish an artwork… and sometimes it just goes on. I remember there’s one that I started almost a year ago and is still incomplete. Although it is very interesting to observe how with durations such long, my own perception of what I started changes completely, thus altering the form in the end.
“Still in the process of completion”, says Param.
Give us a picture of your creative elements-i.e. the tools you use to get the desired outcome. We are also very curious to have a peek at your artistic space!
I mostly use rotring pens (o.o1 and o.8) to illustrate. Then I scan the illustrations and enhance them on photoshop and illustrator, if need be. Also life seems impossible without the continuous supply of coffee throughout the day.
Param’s tools.
This is how the final output looks with his tools.
We are excited to know about the projects you’re working on! Would you mind giving us a small insight into it?
Currently I’m working to launch my personal website with selected projects (client based and personal) in it. Apart from this I also find myself occupied with the three projects I have to complete before I begin college again. Lastly I’m just waiting for a nice one week time in the mountains up north where I’ll be able to create for myself (projects that have absolutely no client based obligations).
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
Actually that’s a big struggle but is also fun at the same time. Who wouldn’t want to work just for oneself and be happy? But there are bills to be paid, right? When it comes to time, I set my priorities (short term and long term) and try to follow the schedule. But being a real moody has its perks… if I don’t feel like I won’t. I think when things are done unpassionately the results are often dull and unexciting.
What’s your take on the art scene in India? Is there anything we’re lacking in?
Now that’s something to think about! Firstly, I’ll never be in a position to define art to even start talking about a country’s art scene. Every small or big effort made that feeds into the understanding of anyone’s definition of art seems beautiful and important to me. Irrespective of the fact that whether it fits or doesn’t fit in the agenda of art galleries and museums. There’s a huge difference between these two lines – ‘I want to be an artist.’ And ‘I cannot help but be an artist.’
SPICES by Param Jain | CupickJelotophobia by Param Jain | Cupick
Procrastination- how would you define your relationship with it? And how do you deal with it?
By choosing art and design as a profession I could turn what I really love into a way of earning as well. Hence my relation with procrastination is very temporary… it begins and ends very soon.
What is that one thing that keeps you going?
My dreams (I have lots of them :P) and the desire to be able to keep dreaming.
“EVERY SMALL OR BIG EFFORT MADE THAT FEEDS INTO THE UNDERSTANDING OF ANYONE’S DEFINITION OF ART SEEMS BEAUTIFUL AND IMPORTANT TO ME.”
What about music? What role does it play while you’re at work?
I absolutely love some artists (particularly Adele, Benjamin Clementine, Rhodes, George Ezra …) who directly or indirectly always inspire me to keep going and if not even that then to be just happy. Work seems a lot more vacant without music.
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
I’m fortunate enough that I haven’t reached that terrible “I’m the great…” stage.
If you could wish for one, and only one superpower, what superpower would you chose?
Flying.
If you could give one piece of advice for budding artists out there, what would that be?
Be Humble! Nobody likes to work with talented idiots…
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
It has been very nice indeed. I think it’s a brilliant initiative and will go very far. I’m sure the platform that Cupick provides to the artists will be very fruitful to its community members.
The Big O Notation by Param Jain | CupickMs. Kahlo by Param Jain | Cupick
Vishesh Sharma weaves visions and interpretations of his surroundings into a mysterious tapestry, adorned with his unrestrained imagination. Guided by an insatiable need to unearth the secrets of the universe abound, Vishesh creates an expanse of possibilities. It is only a matter of time before the mind wanders into the realm of this inexplicable entity.
In a conversation with us, Vishesh reveals his inspirations, his affinity for travel and an unassailable pride in his mustache.
INTERVIEW
Hello, Vishesh, a delight to have this conversation with you, tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.
Born and brought up in Delhi, I have been on this planet for 23 years now. It has been one hell of a ride and will continue to be so. Last year, I got my commercial pilot license, to fulfill my creative needs I do art.
How did you first find your passion for art?
As a teenager, I realized it is not always easy to express oneself in words, I found my refuge in music and visual communication.
We find your visual interpretations very intriguing. What inspires your style?
My daily musings. I tend to portray whatever state I’m in, mental and also geographical, If I’m in the city then my art would be chaotic and restless. If I’m in the mountains or beside the sea, the art would express the serenity and calmness.
“I FOUND MY REFUGE IN MUSIC AND VISUAL COMMUNICATION”
Kiss by Vishesh Sharma | CupickKiss thy Snake by Vishesh Sharma| Cupick
Are there any artists within India and/or beyond whose artwork has contributed to your artistic vision?
Salvador Dali has highly inspired me and Jim Morrison saved my life.
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from ideation to the finished product?
Minutes, Hours, weeks, months, years and still some of them just remain unfinished.
We are excited to know about the projects you are working at the moment, could you give us a brief insight into it?
Currently exploring, I’m trying to find a particular style which I’m comfortable with.
Jester and the Thief by Vishesh Sharma| Cupick
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
I don’t work commercially, art is for my leisure.
Does music play a significant role while you’re at work? What are the top three songs in your playlist right now?
Music plays a crucial role in my life, like I said, Jim Morrison saved my life. These days I’m experimenting with a lot of electronic music, currently listening to Hold my hand – Unkle, Pink Floyd and The Doors (among many others) are always on my playlist.
Goddess by Vishesh Sharma| Cupick
With internet bringing the world together, do you think art is becoming more mainstream in India?
Yes, Internet is bringing the world together, No I don’t think art is becoming mainstream in India. Art is not for everyone, a huge number of population of India is struggling for survival, I don’t think they have time for the art we are talking about, but I’m sure everyone has a way of expressing themselves.
If there was only one place in the world you could travel to, where would you go?
I would get lost in the Himalayas.
Stoned by Vishesh Sharma| Cupick
“ART IS FOR MY LEISURE”
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
My mustache.
What does success mean to you?
A better mustache.
What would your advice be for budding artists?
I’m a budding artist myself, but my advice to everyone whether an artist or not is to get rid of the boxes in your head, break free. Be fearless.
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
I <3 Cupick. It is a great idea, executed flawlessly. It has help me reach a wider audience and sell my work.
“There is no line between fine art and illustration; there is no high or low art; there is only art, and it comes in many forms.” – James Gurney
Art in India is gaining new forms.It’s the beginning of a period of metamorphosis. At the helm of this change are many a talented artists determined to make their mark and to boldly go where no man has gone before. With social media taking art to a wider audience, artists are being imparted recognition resulting in a welcome shift in the popular art scene.
We wanted to explore the rising talent across India and so we have compiled a list of upcoming artists, starting from Bangalore. (This list is no particular order and may not be exhaustive.)
Danger Cat
Way of the Samurai by Danger Cat | Cupick
Dangercat is the playground of Sonali Zohra’s creative reflections. Amidst Bangalore’s clutter, her illustrations are like a mid-summer breeze, fresh and unaffected. Driven by will and passion, Sonali is also a professional photographer. Her conviction of sticking to her imaginative self is clearly reproduced in her artwork. Discover more of her work here.
Shilo Shiv Suleman
I Never Ask for it by Shilo Shiv Suleman | Cupick
Fearless is a growing collective of artists formed in response to the Delhi Gang Rape and India’s feminist wave with beautiful affirmations of Fearlessness and Courage. Since it’s inception, the collective has been successfully engaging the community in raising dialogue about gender violence and equality. The collective was conceived of and is managed by Shilo Shiv Suleman. Discover more of Shilo and The Fearless Collective here.
Matt Lee
From the Sandown Series by Matt Lee
Matt Lee is an artist, illustrator and educator from the UK who has lived and worked in Bangalore since 2007. He incorporates digital drawing, photography and video to explore the richness of the combination of British and Indian aesthetics. The Sandown series features animals from matchboxes transposed onto sceneries where they are immediately out of place. This duality of sense and non-sense is what Matt examines. Discover more of Matt Lee’s work here.
Kaveri Gopalakrishnan
Travel Light by Kaveri Gopalakrishnan | Cupick
Kaveri Gopalakrishnan is an illustrator,comic artist who graduated in Animation Film Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Her illustrations reflect her own desire for exploration. She travels and pens down her deep love for adventure, that transcends time and space.Discover more of Kaveri’s work here.
Acid Toad
Ice Serpent by Acid Toad | Cupick
Acid Toad is an exploration of psychedelia manifest through the dark mind of its creator – Acid Toad a.k.a Gaurav Basu – an illustrator and designer from Bangalore, India. Vocalist at Inner Sanctum, an extreme metal band and one of the heavyweights in the Indian scene, Gaurav is turned on by all kinds of creative pursuits and is quite adept at giving laughter-inducing interviews. Discover more of Gaurav’s work here.
Gumani
Annoyed Doily Cat by Gumani | Cupick
Pia Meenakshi a.k.a Gumani, is a Bangalore-based illustrator and tattoo artist, who runs her own studio where her imagination runs free amidst waking dreams of wolves, skulls, plants, and other such delightful haunts of wanting to escape into the wild. One can’t help but notice the manifestation of these elements in her work. Discover more of Pia’s work here.
Rucha Dhayarkar
The Cat family and their heirlooms by Rucha Dhayarkar | Cupick
A sense of playfulness, a spoonful of delightful and a sprinkling of nostalgia. Rucha Dhayarkar’s hand-drawn art is a soulful reminder of the joys of everyday life. She reminds us why we and perhaps she herself too cannot let go of the little things that surround us. Discover more of Rucha’s work here.
The Painter of Oz
01100010076 by The Painter of Oz | Cupick
It’s hard not to like someone who loves dragons. Add to that a die hard love for Nick Drake, and you will understand, why Ojoswi Sur is an extremely affable and warm character. The ‘Painter of Oz‘ is influenced by music and literature, but takes on other subjects and does justice to his moniker. Discover more of Ojoswi’s work here.
Joanna Davala
Bangalore by Joanna Davala | Cupick
Joanna Davala decided to pursue illustration as a career because in her own words she enjoyed it too damn much. Currently a student, she found her inspiration from her aunt who had the knack for creativity. Joanna focuses on the mellow and subtle, her artwork reflecting a gentleness that many seem to ignore.Discover more of Joanna’s work here.
Sheena Deviah
Beethoven’s Favourite Fruit by Ragamuffin Illustration | Cupick
Sheena Deviah is primarily an illustrator who is also interested in typography and design. Humour and minimalism are her trademarks but that does not deter her from transforming her experiences, giving light to her unquenched desires.Discover more of Sheena’s work here.
Nupur Panemanglor
Sew It Goes by Nupur Panemanglor
Through her illustrations, Nupur recreates tranquility. The solitude she portrays is never burdensome but a path to self-discovery. Though it may seem otherwise, there is no lack of emotion in her portrayals. It simmers beneath the surface, calm like the deep ocean. Discover more of Nupur’s work here.
Xi Lu
VeganHeart by Xi Lu | Cupick
Xi Lu’s musings are an intriguing juxtaposition of cute and savage. A self- professed cat lover, Xi contributes to the welfare of animals by donating earnings to the Animal Aid Alliance.Discover more of Xi Lu’s work here.
Agni Janakiram
Bird’s Eye View by Agni Janakiram | Cupick
Agni Janakiram is an artist,educator, sculptor and the person behind Lemon Tree Studios. She finds inspiration for her illustrations from nature, imparting them with a resilience so easily overlooked by people.Discover more of Agni’s work here.
Malvika Tewari
Dahoud by Malvika Tewari | Cupick
Malvika’s artwork is a contemplative study of character, of the myriad emotions that affect us in our life, may be even in the span a single day. There is however a undertone of satisfaction, a feeling of contentment that engulfs the one who feels.Discover more of Malvika’s work here.
Surasti Puri
Private Spaces Series by Surasti Puri
Surasti Puri, graphic designer and illustrator weaves a tale of contrasts. Her illustrations present a foreboding sense of loneliness and discontent even when surrounded by distractions that would be welcome otherwise. A quiet descent into utter chaos. Discover more of Surasti’s work here.
Bhavani S Kumar
Bunny Boy by bbubs | Cupick
Bhavani is an illustrator who specialised in 2d animation at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. She takes inspiration from comic books, cartoons and games and recreates artwork that constitutes merging pop art with minimalism. Besides digital illustration, Bhavani has dabbled in story telling, art direction, installation art and sculpting. Discover more of Bhavani’s work here.
A Bad Girl
A Bad Girl | Cupick
The famous (or infamous) bad girl poster originally began as an assignment at Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology. Five students Roshan Shakeel, Sparsh Saxena, Jaiwant Pradhan, Stuti Kothari and Furqan Jawed, inspired by retro school infographics, created the Bad Girl as a satirical take on the gender stereotypes and inequality prevalent in the country.Discover more of A Bad Girl here.
Rohit Bhasi
Bhairon:The Brave by Rohit Bhasi | Cupick
Rohit in his own words daylights as communications designer at a obscenely huge corporation in Bangalore. He is however passionate about illustration, paintings and murals. His work is sprinkled with humour and satire along with warmth and reverence.Discover more of Rohit’s work here.
Prabha Mallaya
On making Wet Food at Home for your Growing Kitten by Prabha Mallaya
Prabha Mallaya is an illustrator, writer and comic book maker. Her artwork is an irresistible cocktail of humour and mystery. She has illustrated many a book covers including The Wildings and Beastly Tales from Here and There, to name a few. Besides book covers, Prabha has published graphic short stories in Mint, the Obliterary Journal Vol II, ForbesLife, and Brainwave magazine.Discover more of Prabha’s work here.
Alagu Chockalingam
Artwork by Alagu Chockalingam
Alagu Chockalingam is a graphic designer and illustrator, with special interests in branding and typography. When she’s not busy discovering new things about the world around her, she loves to bake, to eat, to read and to drink too much tea.Discover more of Alagu’s work here.
Arushi Sethi
Emotional Obesity by feedyourhead | Cupick
Arushi Sethi has been publishing her works through her brand, ‘Feed Your Head’. She is from Gujarat and has lived in many parts of India. Currently pursuing my education in visual communication design, she also has one-third of a B.A in psychology. Other forms of art (life activities) that inspire her to illustrate are Batik, Carpentry and Cooking (terrible and still learning). Discover more of Arushi’s work here.
Vamsi Krishna
Wings by Vamsi Krishna | Cupick
Vamsi Krishna is freestyle photographer and digital artist. Though his artwork is geometric and minimalistic, there is an unusually organic quality to it that mirrors the nature it draws inspiration from. Discover more of Vamsi’s work here.
Abhishek Choudhury
The Jack’O Diamonds by Abhishek Choudhury | Cupick
Abhishek’s artwork reveals a profound influence of cartoons and caricatures. He re-imagines popular faces and peppers them with humour to create thoroughly satisfying doppelgangers. Discover more of Abhishek’s work here.
Nicolai Nazareth
Steampunk Ballerina by Nicolai Nazareth
Nicolai is currently an animation student but with interests in illustration and digital art. He treads away from the traditional, drawing upon his diverse interests to paint a portrait that is as sociable as it is individualistic.Discover more of Nicolai’s work here.
Deepti Ramakrishnan
Introvert by Deepti Ramakrishnan | Cupick
There is no room for melancholy in her expression. Deepti Ramakrishnan, a young illustrator depicts a happy place through patterns and pathways of her imagination. Her artwork appears as an exploration of the universe inside the mind, a thought process that doesn’t seem to have an end or a beginning. You cannot shut it off, you can just let it flow like a stream in the woods. Discover more of Deepti’s work here.
Megha Vishwanath
The Malay Fabric by Megha Vishwanath | Cupick
Megha’s thoughts escape into the moon lit sky which transforms them into a hypnotic dance. Her portraits betray mystery and adventure, of wandering into the unknown and discovering something new. Discover more of Megha’s work here.
Shikha Nambiar
Don’t Worry by Shikha Nambiar | Cupick
Shikha’s rare sense of optimism is utterly encapsulating. There’s no better way to start a day. Reminiscent of graffiti art that adorns many walls in India, Shikha’s art is a glorious rebirth of that lost tradition.Discover more of Shikha’s work here.
Ullas Hydoor
Stuck with a question and the obsession to be first….by Ullas Hydoor
Ullas Hydoor is an architect exploring the world through different mediums of art. With unbridled passion for graffiti, street art and public installations, Ullas has been slowly transforming Bangalore’s faceless walls into a narrative of the society that erects them. Discover more of Ullas’ work here.
Abhigna Bararia
Ant-ed by Abhigna Bararia
Abhigna Bararia is an illustrator, typographer and graphic artist. Intricate, delicate and slightly bizarre, Abhigna’s illustrations are a look into nature’s soul, the stuff that binds it all together and holds true in the face of change.Discover more of Abhigna’s work here.
Neelima Prasanna Aryan
Misfit by Bluinker | Cupick
Neelima paints a picture of strength that traverses a convoluted maze of hopes and dreams but emerges victorious. There is a theme of survival that underscores all her artwork, that highlights the courage acquired through perseverance.Discover more of Neelima’s work here.
Rathee Ramani Iyer
Tibetan Girls by Rathee Ramani Iyer | Cupick
Incessantly knocking upon the fine line between reality and fantasy, Rathee creates a world of distorted yet beautiful and mesmerizing harmony. She draws primarily upon what she experiences, what heighten her senses and surrenders to her free spirited imagination that transforms her thoughts into palpable truths.Discover more of Rathee’s work here.
Sadhvi Jawa
Letting Go by Sadhvi Jawa
Sadhvi, a student at Shrishti School of Art, Design and Technology, has interests in illustration, textile and interaction design. Through her illustrations, Sadhvi wishes to create a safe haven for adults who have forgotten their inner child, a place where all wounds heal and one can cry, smile, ponder, feel joy, get angry, laugh and have one’s own moment. Discover more of Sadhvi’s work here.
Vinayak Varma
Navarasa by Vinayak Varma
Vinayak Varma is a designer and visual artist based in Bangalore. His deep understanding of human emotion is evident from the amazing detail he puts into his work, which contains dashes of humour and satire. Discover more of Vinayak’s work here.
Akash Nandi
Statue Aura by Akash Nandi | Cupick
Akash brings together fragments of imagination to create a portrait of coherence. The puzzle of nature unsolved, Akash wanders into the recesses of his mind to find the answers which take form in his illustrations. Discover more of Akash’s work here.
Shweta Pai
Imprints of the natural world by Shweta Pai
Shweta Pai is a texile designer from Bangalore whose major influence is nature in it plural forms. With utmost regard for natures design, Shweta ensures that her work remains true to its inspiration.Discover more of Shweta’s work here.
Jayesh Joshi
Nari by Jayesh Joshi | Cupick
Jayesh explores the different sides to desire and sexuality through his illustrations. The simplicity of his art echos a larger truth of nature, the un-necessarily deliberate complication of simple facts of human existence. Discover more of Jayesh’s work here.
Koyal Chengappa
Vulnerability by Koyal Chengappa | Cupick
Koyal Chengappa illustrates with passion, the tribulations that accompany humility. Given to assessment and re-assessment of the self, the humble brave vulnerability and introspection to emerge with the gift of self-discovery. Discover more of Koyal’s work here.
Satish Gangaiah
Mogambo by Satish Gangaiah | Cupick
Satish Gangaiah is a UI/UX designer, Digital Artist, illustrator and concept artist from Bangalore. Satish’s art is a take on popular culture. From Sheldon Cooper to Mogambo, Satish breathes new life into characters we love. Discover more of Satish’s work here.
Nawang Bhutia
Sorrow by Nawang Bhutia | Cupick
Nawang Bhutia captures a pervasive melancholy, the kind that can extinguish every little flame of happiness and joy. It is as much a part of us as the joy it so repels but sometimes its power os difficult to overcome. Discover more of Nawang’s work here.
Tanvee Nabar
Book of Verses by Tanvee Nabar
Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Typographer, Tanvee Nabar creates a yearning for solace, a desire for intimacy through her artwork, inspired by nature, people and architecture. Discover more of Tanvee’s work here.
Swati Banerjee
Dictionary of the obscure sorrow-Silience by Swati Banerjee | Cupick
Swati is graphic designer, illustrator and art director currently studying at Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology. Her illustrations are often rooted in raw emotion which is a recurring theme across all her work. Discover more of Swati’s work here.
Johanna Pinto
Dragon Eye by Johanna Pinto | Cupick
Johanna Pinto’s style ranges from Modern Art, Abstract Art and Conceptual Art. A graduate in Textile Design, Johanna incorporates textile design process into making her paintings. Her artwork seems ready to take a leap into fantasy, into a distant dreamland to lose itself in the wonder. Discover more of Johanna’s work here.
Ambady
Terminator by Ambady | Cupick
Ambady turns the dull into something so special, you’ll keep coming back to it over and over. With an interest in figures of popular culture, Ambady delivers the pop to pop art. Discover more of Ambady’s work here.
Nishant D’Souza
Metamorphosis of Thought by Nishant D’Souza | Cupick
The process of transformation is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Nishant D’Souza explores the pain and pleasures of transformation. He ponders the process through which the old is discarded and the new is welcomed. Discover more of Nishant’s work here.
Pallavi Agarwal
Shiva by Pallavi Agarwal
Pallavi Agarwal, graphic designer and student at Srishti School of Art Design &Technology is all for new experiences. As evident from her abstract portraits, she is an adventuress. Discover more of Pallavi’s work here.
Tanya Singh
Like A Virgin by Tanya Singh | Cupick
Tanya’s illustrations are a mirror of her vision of the world. There are no fragments in her universe, diverse elements come together to complement each other and transform each other in their entirety. That’s what makes her portraits so intriguing, they transport us into a world we otherwise would not have had the chance to imagine. Discover more of Tanya’s work here.
Gitanjali Sukumar
Oh Deer by Lotta Farber | Cupick
Gitanjali works her magic to create an alternate universe where beauty takes the form of uninhibited kindness. The vivid colours are a glimpse into our own potential to exhibit this delicate and rainbow hued landscape. Discover more of Gitanjali’s work here.
Shubhangi Goel
Illustration by Shubhangi Goel
Shubhangi Goel, is an illustrator, graphic designer and typographer from Bangalore. With a very diverse portfolio, covering branding, editorial designs and illustration projects, Shubhangi Goel is an up and coming artist to look out for. Discover more of Shubhangi’s work here.
Rhea Ahuja
Kurt Cobain by Rhea Ahuja | Cupick
Rhea Ahuja is the quintessential fan-girl besides being one of Bangalore’s upcoming artists. Her artworks are tributes to her favourites. Nirvana and Alt-J to name a few.Discover more of Rhea’s work here.
Varsha Chakkera
Urban Traditions by Varsha Chakkera | Cupick
Varsha Chakkera uses irreverence to her advantage. Her artworks introduce a twist in the tale, rendering them a confluence of ideas and concepts. She portrays modernity without abandoning her traditional roots. Discover more of Varsha’s work here.
Aniruddh Dube
Cycling is Timeless by Aniruddh Dube
Aniruddh Dube, illustrator and digital artist from Bangalore, fabricates artwork that dwells in memories and nostalgia. It reminds us of the moments we hold so dear. Like the quite music that streams through nature undetected, the memories Aniruddh recreates gently takes hold with no intention to escape. Discover more of Aniruddh’s work here.
Tshirt Baba
Kurruption by Tshirt Baba | Cupick
Thoughtful, funny and satirical, Vishal Kumar a.k.a Tshirt Baba imparts knowledge to his disciples with his witty illustrations. Influenced by everything popular including, movies,T.V, music, comics etc, Tshirt Baba redefines humour. Discover more of Vishal’s work here.
Sara Joseph
In & Out by Sara Joseph | Cupick
Sara Joseph experiments with the abstract but remains rooted to tradition. She explores nature in a different light, open to new discoveries and interpretations but does abandon the beliefs that she holds close.In doing so she reveals the insight offered by curiosity. Discover more of Sara’s work here.
Harshvardhan Gantha
Ryan Gosling by Harshvardhan Gantha
A visual communication designer, Harshvardhan’s interests lie mainly in brand identity design, typography and illustration. His take on Ryan Gosling is surely going to get people swooning. Discover more of Harshvardhan’s work here.
Abhimanyu Ghimiray
John Lennon by Abhimanyu Ghimiray | Cupick
Abhimanyu Ghimiray is a Post Graduate from the National Institute of Design 2011 and a marketing graduate from Sukhdev College of Business Studies, 2008. His artwork is a product of his daily musings, representing the quirky sides to his personality. Discover more of Abhimanyu’s work here.
Ayan Nag
Alphonse Elric by Ayan | Cupick
Science Fiction is a genre quite difficult to navigate but Ayan Nag creates a spectacular world in a parallel universe. A freelance artist who has been in the industry for 4 years, Ayan creates his concepts in the digital mediuam but is equally proficient in the traditional. Discover more of Ayan’s work here.
Maanvi Kapur
Portrait by Maanvi Kapur
Maanvi Kapur, illustrator and graphic designer from Bangalore, captures the essence of everyday life through her portraits. It’s not monotonous but peaceful and patient. Maanvi charts the the journey of individuals who accept their life with grace despite of pain and conflict. Discover more of Maanvi’s work here.
Nithin Sadhu
Doe Eyed Beauty bu Nithin Sadhu | Cupick
Nithin Sadhu’s portraits are made entirely with brown duct tape. Quite a tedious process involved but the result is breathtaking. Sophia Loren would be proud. Discover more of Nithin’s work here.
Aparajitha Vaasudev
Focus by Aparajitha Vaasudev | Cupick
Aparajitha evokes the spiritual with her portraits. Drawing inspiration from mythology, Aparajitha presents an abstract rendering of deities to symbolize the many forms that they can take. Discover more of Aparajitha’s work here.
Vinayak Jayasree
Kaka Thamburati (Queen of Crows) by Vinayak J | Cupick
Vinayak’s illustrations are like the breeze that swifts by while taking a stroll on a pleasant day at the beach. A self taught artist, Vinayak’s influences span from nature to mythology, culture and humour. Discover more of Vinayak’s work here.
Namitha Chegu
Mono Print by Namitha Chegu
Namitha Chegu is a textile designer from Bangalore. Her prints often represent traditional practices yet are deeply modern. Discover more of Namitha’s work here.
Satya Krishna Prakash
Dimaag Kharab by Satya Krishna Prakash | Cupick
Satya Krishna Prakash is an animator and graphic designer. His caricatures contain a healthy dose of sarcasm are downright hilarious. Discover more of Satya’s work here.
Vibhin
Cabbit by Vibhin | Cupick
Vibhin plays the trickster, creating humorous illusions inspired by the inanimate. Often combining pop art and minimalism, he delivers rib-tickling laughter. Discover more of Vibhin’s work here.
Juhi Agarwal
Illustration by Juhi Agarwal
A student of Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Juhi Agarwal’s ability to impart emotion to her illustrations is astounding. The serenity permeating the image imparts some grounding to the cacophony of colours. Discover more of Juhi’s work here.
George Thomas
The Monkey Biscuit by The Monkey Biscuit | Cupick
George Thomas takes form as The Monkey Biscuit, when putting ink to paper. A musician too, he believes in few words and verbosity of his art .Discover more of George’s work here.
Nandita Dhindsa
Place in Life by Nandita Dhindsa | Cupick
Nandita Dhindsa is an illustrator with interests in calligraphy, typography and anything else that catches her fancy. Her artwork mainly constitutes her observations, what she experiences finds her way into her art. Discover more of Nandita’s work here.
Rajasee Ray
The Apple Thieves by Rajasee Ray
Rajasee Ray weaves stories through graphic design, typography, illustration, website design and branding. Her illustrations are an intricately woven story, just as she professes them to be. Discover more of Rajasee’s work here.
Solomonsta
Kali 2.0 by Solomonsta | Cupick
Solomon has been working as a Concept artist and Illustrator for over 5 years now; working on art for games and animation, which includes Model sheets, Concept art, Illustrations, Cut scenes, Backgrounds, In-game assets and fully rendered artworks of various styles. He started off drawing a lot of anime art as a kid inspired by shows like “Macross” and “Saber Riders”. Discover more of Solomonsta’s work here.
Neha Rawat Battish
Salad by Neha Rawat | Cupick
Neha Rawat is a self-confessed dog lover and most of her illustrations venture into portraying dogs in all shapes and sizes. Inspired by cartoons and comics, she portrays a world full of happiness which is so hard not share. Discover more of Neha’s work here.
Jithin Jacob
Biscottee-An Adventure by Jithin Jacob | Cupick
Jithin is a children’s book illustrator and graphic designer based in Bangalore. His illustrations have won the laughter and hearts of children and adults alike. Discover more of Jithin’s work here.
Madhav Chatterjee
Christopher Walken by Madhav Chatterjee | Cupick
Madhav Chatterjeee is a cinematographer, art director and digital artist based in Bangalore. We can tell from his portrait of Christopher Walken, Madhav is certainly an artist to look out for.Discover more of Madhav’s work here.
Manek D’Silva
iScowl by Manek D’Silva | Cupick
Manek has been heavily influenced by television, cartoons, video games and comics and would in his own words rather not show the world as it is.Discover more of Manek’s work here.
Barath Jayarajan
Crown Guard by Barath Jayarajan | Cupick
Barath Jayarajan is a photographer and illustrator, who appreciates the nature around him and captures captivating portraits. Discover more of Barath’s work here.
Ivy Mukherjee
Salvador Dali by Ivy Mukherjee | Cupick
Ivy Mukherjee is a graduate from St. Xaviers College,Kolkata, currently working as a Graphic Designer in Bangalore. As a graphic designer/ visual artist she aims to generate social impact by organizing campaigns and publishing free books to under-privileged children.Discover more of Ivy’s work here.
Prasad Bhat
The Godfather by Graphicurry
Graphicurry is the brainchild of Prasad Bhat and it is so named because he grew up with inherent skills of drawing and eating food. Prasad hold a degree in Engineering but his true passion remained in art. He creates versions of that which already exists and turns them into something spectacular. Discover more of Prasad’s work here.
Leena Swamy
Marilyn Monroe by Kaleidostrokes | Cupick
Leena Swamy stumbled upon art fairly recently. But with what we have witnessed she seems to have always had the knack for it. With caricatures that could possibly make more than just giggle, she is one artist to look out for. Discover more of Leena’s work here.
Pearl D’Souza
Ocean Mist by Pearl D’Souza | Cupick
The ocean is contradictory. It contains multitudes. Pearl D’Souza captures this dichotomy through her art, exploring the vastness of emotion the sea holds, exploring the multitudes which we find within ourselves . Discover more of Pearl’s work here.
Clinto Jagan
Dream of Mind by Clinto Jagan | Cupick
Clinto’s artwork is perhaps a reflection of his own inquisitive nature. Originally from Thrissur, Kerala, Clinto currently works in Bangalore and has even exhibited his work in Spain.Discover more of Clinto’s work here.
Createewitty
Sholay by Createewitty | Cupick
Createewitty was founded by Rohit Kumar as the place to find quirky artwork on tshirts. With influences ranging from Bollywood,Hollywood, comics and humour, Createewitty offers a wide range of artworks to suit your taste. Discover more of Rohit’s work here.
Natarajan Shanmugam
Red Planet Rising by Natarajan Shanmugam | Cupick
Natarajan Shanmugam is an illustrator, graphic designer and 3D artist based in Bangalore. We loved his series of Game of Thrones illustrations. Discover more of Natarajan’s work here.
Param Jain
Ms. Kahlo by Param Jain | Cupick
Param Jain, shows us exactly how patterns come to flow and evolve in his artworks. His impulse to capture the endless creations of nature is clearly mirrored in his artwork. Reverberating an essence of tranquillity and calmness, his style is an elegant treaty between nature and art. Discover more of Param’s work here.
Isfaq Zaman
Submerge by Ishfaq Zaman | Cupick
Ishfaq is a self-confessed lover of stories, drawing and cartoons. His illustrations are an explosive amalgam of all his interests. Discover more of Ishfaq’s work here
Fukvaas
Hollofixation by Fukvaas | Cupick
Fukvaas was started by Ishan Kanwar and Varun Kanwar. Ishan is a Graphic Artist/ Designer and a musician as well. Varun is an Animator and Motion Graphic Artist. Discover more of Fukvaas here.
Aishwarya Ravichandran
Brave by Aishwarya Ravichandran | Cupick
Originally from Chennai, Aishwarya is currently a student at NIFT Bangalore. With a clear insight into form and context, she is as passionate about illustration as she is about fashion. Discover more of Aishwarya’s work here.
Skylit Designs
Do you bleed by Siddharth B | Cupick
Skylit Designs by Siddharth Baskaran is here to solve the dilemma of a lack of choice. Skylit Designs offers customization based on customer submitted designs along with readily available merchandise, bringing you closer to your favourites. Discover more of Skylit Designs here.
Rajarshi Goswami
Tyrion Lannister by Rajarshi Goswami | Cupick
Rajarshi Goswami is a doodler by passion and a consultant by profile. You’ll need to look closely at his wonderfully intricate doodles to decipher all that’s been incorporated. Discover more of Rajarshi’s work here.
Holy Cow Studio
Postcard by Holy Cow Studio | Cupick
Shashank Satish is the man behind Holy Cow Studio based in Bangalore. Graphic Design, Advertising and Photography, Shashank’s diverse interests and achievements have made him one of the foremost emerging graphic artists in Bangalore. Discover more of Shashank’s work here.
Romik Bose Mitra
Shiva by Romik Bose Mitra | Cupick
Romik Bose Mitra, graphic designer, visual artist and student at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, goes by the alias Lazy Jalebi. Through his art, Romik attempts to redefine his perception of the world, breathing fresh life into the dullness of monotony. Discover more of Romik’s work here.
Promit De
Immortan Joe by Promit De | Cupick
Promit De, who also goes by I, Saint Yuvee, is a vfx artist, photographer, metalhead and a bong at heart. His illustrations and photographs are vivid representations of his influences. Discover more of Promit’s work here.
Irikshna
Kakihara by Irikshna | Cupick
Irikshna is the contemplative playground of Camilla Sebastian. Her mysterious portraits lure the mind into uncertainty, escaping which involves overcoming the intense need for gratification. Discover more of Camilla’s work here.
Deepika Prasad
Mom by Deepika Prasad | Cupick
Deepika Prasad is a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer based in Bangalore. Her passion for patterns gives us art a a very intimate character.Her series of postcards and greeting cards are sure to light up anybody’s day. Discover more of Deepika’s work here.
Shruti Bhagwat
Aries by Shruti Bhagwat | Cupick
Shruti is a Visual Communication Design Student at Srishti School of art and design, with a major interest in illustration. She doesn’t hesitate to experiment with different forms of art to find what she’s comfortable with. Discover more of Shruti’s work here.
Mangesh Ashrit
Gangnam Style by Mangesh Ashrit | Cupick
Mangesh Ashrit is an engineer and a passionate graphic artist. His artwork covers sports, movies, travel, music and everything that catches his eye. Discover more of Mangesh’s work here.
Mounica Tata
Cheesy Batman by Mounica Tata | Cupick
Mounica Tata’s illustrations are influenced by the drama of everyday life. The funny, the wacky and the oh-so-dramatic, all find an audience through her art. Discover more of Mounica’s work here.
Jaideep Sen
Fancified Poetry by Jaideep Sen | Cupick
Jaideep Sen’s abstract illustrations and doodles hold a promise to ease emptiness. His art is seductive and free-spirited, borne from the incomplete, always seeking an end. Pen and paper being his preferred tools, he stumbles into the abstract from time to time, besides documenting his surroundings, Discover more of Jaideep’s work here.
Uttam Kumar Pandey
Arya Stark by Uttam Kumar Pandey | Cupick
Uttam Kumar Pandey recreates the glory of popular figures from films, T.V, music etc. Discover more of Uttam’s work here.
Bharat KV
Audrey Tautou by Bharat KV
Bharat is a multi-disciplinary designer focusing on branding and user experience. He has worked with brands like Coke, Citibank, FIFA etc but finds working with start-ups very exciting. Discover more of Bharat’s work here.
Shueyb Ghani
Soul Meets Embryo by Shueyb Ghani
Shueyb, better known as Expanding Psyche, explores the extremities of consciousness, delving in and out of worlds to find a firm footing. Yet the sense of wonder never dissipates and soon another adventure comes along, one that holds great promise.Discover more of Shueyb’s work here.
Bombatt!
Pharaoh Vader by Bombatt!
Bombatt is quirky little studio based in Bangalore, run by Raka Ashok. Often on the lookout for all things funky, Bombatt’s work is a glorious combination of vibrancy and detail. There’s never a dull moment! Discover more of Bombatt! here.
If there are any artists you think should be featured on this list, let us know in the comments below.
If you’re an artist, or love art in general, Cupick is where it’s at. A great place to sell your work and buy art from talented artists around the world. Sign up here.
Cupick offers artists a wide range of features to build their portfolio and get their work noticed. These tutorials will help you make the most of the tools at your disposal.
Mentioned below are a few tips to help you get your artwork noticed and increase sales. You are most welcome to share any tips of your own in the comments.
Tag your artwork appropriately
The best way to ensure that your work is found is to use relevant tags, titles and descriptions. At Cupick, you have the option to use custom tags along with suggested tags. Try searching for keywords through the search bar on Cupick and other search engines. This is quite an effective way to figure out what search terms customers use when looking for specific artwork. Using tags based on these keywords will maximize your visibility not only on Cupick but also on all search engines.
Upload non-watermarked images.
Images with watermarks have a reduced chance of selling. Your work will be processed to a lower resolution for display on our website. In addition, use our auto-watermark tool available in Account Settings.
Upload High-Resolution Images for more product options
Cupick offers you the option of making your artwork available in multiple sizes and as multiple products. High resolution uploads automatically enable multiple size art prints, posters and canvas prints.
If you need to scan your work before uploading, you need to keep a few things in mind.
If the document is that of a simple line drawing with few details then scanning at 200dpi would be absolutely fine, as it will capture all the details you need for print without being too large in size.
If your image is more detailed then it can depend; if the image contains a lot of heavily intricate details akin to an oil or watercolour painting then 300dpi+ would be recommended to capture every single detail on the image.
Find out more about the format and resolution requirements for uploads here.
Use a PNG file with a transparent background for tshirts/hoodies
Here’s a simple tutorial in case you are unfamiliar with the process.
Follow other artists
Following other artists is a great way to mutually gain followers. Many Cupick users are non-artists who receive notifications of the activity the artists engage in. Reaching out to them is a great way to gain visibility. Similarly, using the Love Artwork feature, makes you visible to a lot of potential followers.
Complete your profile
A complete profile goes a long way in attracting more followers. Write an engaging description for your profile,add links to your websites, social media handles etc. This can be done via Online Presence under the Account Settings option on your profile drop-down menu.
We must point out the correct method to add links to your social profile. The picture below represents a very common error.
The Incorrect WayThe Correct Way
Include a link to your Cupick portfolio on your website/social media handles
If you have profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr etc, include a link to your Cupick portfolio. Let your followers find you.
Build your Portfolio
Building your portfolio and adding artwork regularly will attract new followers and potential buyers.We feature artworks by our artists on all our social media handles. We also dedicate a week to promote the artworks of one particular artist. Keeping your portfolio updated increases your chances of being featured and reaching out to a large audience. Below is a great example of what we’re talking about.
Saloni Sinha | Cupick
Saloni’s portfolio contains a good number of artworks and has higher chances of being featured and attracting new followers.
Choose the best product for your art
Some artwork may not be suitable for some products. It is not necessary to make your artwork available as tshirts and hoodies. Remember that we’re on the lookout for new product lines and will keep updating them so you have a variety of options to choose from.
Price reasonably.
You are free to price as you wish, but remember, too high a price may dissuade potential buyers.
Enable social sharing.
Connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts and let your friends and fans know you’ve added something new to Cupick.
Following these tips should contribute some momentum to your plans to engage a new audience. Keep an eye out for more tips from us and if you have some of your own, do share.
Saloni Sinha wanders into immaculately constructed dreamscapes, meandering through its highs and lows, fueled by an insatiable curiosity for adventure. Every vivid detail and every overlooked intricacy, instigates a journey, that only ceases with the familiar. Though Saloni’s artwork depicts alternate worlds with fascination, there’s an underlying sense of belonging, hopeful of finding home amongst the unfamiliar.
In a chat with Saloni, we learn of her cross-country travels during her days as an army brat, her passions, inspirations and escapades with entomology.
INTERVIEW
Hello Saloni, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you, tell us more about yourself.
Greetings! I’ve grown up in all around India which includes some remote places too, thanks to my father being in Army. Did my schooling hoping from one Army school to another, I finally landed up specializing in Graphic design from Symbiosis institute of Design, Pune. Being a music buff this is where I started freelancing for bands for their Album covers and logos. Followed by a retail course at National Institute of Design.
While juggling with design specializations, my passion for illustrations has been growing as ever. From doodles in back of school books to making commissions seems like I have achieved something.
When I’m not doing any of these things, I’m usually out in the open looking for insects or bird watching. On weekends, I’m usually playing bass with local musicians here in Hyderabad (Currently).
Was being an artist always on the cards? How did you realize your passion for art?
Maybe it happened instinctively as everyone in my family has an artistic side. Or probably being bored or sucking at studies in school which left me to scribble at the back of notebook or any blank space on the desk or textbooks.
Dimensions by Saloni Sinha | CupickBlack Fire by Saloni Sinha | Cupick
Does your artwork reflect any cultural traits? Do your surroundings inspire your work?
My art usually revolves an exaggerated reality, sometimes a dreamy state or something grim. I inspire from nature and a bit of ods I perceive from my senses. I often imagine people around with different avatars in my head and drawing helps document me these thoughts.
“WHEN I’M NOT DOING ANY OF THESE THINGS, I’M USUALLY OUT IN THE OPEN LOOKING FOR INSECTS OR BIRD WATCHING”
Where does the magic happen? Can you give us a glimpse of your workstation?
Saloni’s workstation
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from the moment you form your idea to the moment you complete it?
When its not a commission, I let evolve it on the paper and build the entire scene on the spot. It can be as quick to a 1-2hr thing or could take weeks to months weeks depending on the scale of the project.
Space Jam by Saloni Sinha | Cupick
We realize that you attended the National Institute of Design. How did it contribute to your artistic vision?
I did my post-graduation from National Institute of Design, I specialized in Retail design which got me opportunities to work on different levels like furniture and fixture design,ceramic and glass, space planning and much more. It gave me an good insight on combining different mediums and design process.
You’ve designed album covers for a lot of bands. Can we have a glimpse at a few of your favourites?
Ioish – We Move the Sky
We move the Sky by Ioish
Jeepers Creepers – In a Constant State of Crisis
In a Constant State of Crisis by Jeepers Creepers
ViceVersa – Sub Chronicles
Sub Chronicles by Vice Versa
I really enjoyed working with these Bands, as they gave me freedom to explore and interpret their album concept. And of course they are great bands too.
Who are your top three favorite artists?
Gustave Dore, Edward Gorey, and Jon Jurez.
Cervidae by Saloni Sinha | Cupick
Are you working on any project at the moment? We are curious to know what’s been up your sleeve.
I’m working on a collaborative project called ‘Dimensions’ which is prequel of ‘Breath’ series along with writer Akhila Ramnarayan and photographer Swarat Ghosh. And album covers for two upcoming Indian bands.
Familiarize us with the tools you use to get the desired output; we would also love to have a glimpse at your work station. (a picture of your creative space/work station and tools would be great)
I start with drawing roughly on Cartridge paper, then inking it with Microtips and ten scanning and adding flat colors on Photoshop/Illustrator. Sometimes Wacom tablet for further line shade.
“I REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THESE BANDS, AS THEY GAVE ME FREEDOM TO EXPLORE AND INTERPRET THEIR ALBUM CONCEPT”
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
Personal projects comes more easy and naturally. I only take commercial work which interests me. They need more understanding and deadlines. I normally don’t account how I manage.. Somehow it’s just manageable for now. I need to get better at it.
What does success mean to you?
Feeling of satisfaction
Voyager by Saloni Sinha | Cupick
How important is music in recreating visions off your mind?
Music is my muse, It helps me kick start many a times. It shapes my thought and then my art.
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
Procrastination-What is your relationship with it and how do you deal with it?
It’s a majorly Hate Hate relationship. And I let Procrastination win all the time.
If you could wish for one, and only one superpower, what superpower would you chose?
Time Travel.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding artists, what would that be?
Draw timelessly and rest will come to you.
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
I’m really glad to have Cupick. It’s a perfect medium for artists to get their merchandise produced without bothering themselves. It’s quite flawless. It helped make some sales, I’m really glad to have that achieved. Thank you!!
Here’s one more reason to shop with us! Introducing high quality, aesthetic and functional, glossy acrylic coasters. Say goodbye to water rings on your furniture with the perfect companion to your favourite mug.
Ritual Takes Us Here by Seb ErikssonSecond Star to the Left and Straight on ‘Til Morning by Nisha Vasudevan
These coasters will be shipped in sets of two or four so you have plenty of options to choose from. Take your pick from over 9500 artworks on Cupick by artists from all over the world!
HOW TO ACTIVATE YOUR ART ON COASTERS
Artists can now activate artwork for coasters with one click. Once you’ve logged into your account, all you have to do is click the option to auto-activate your art and our system will take care of the rest. You can also go back and edit on the ‘Manage Artworks‘ page on your acccount if you’d like to play around with the placement of your artwork. Use our one-click activation tool here.
And if you’re look for something interesting, browse through the collection of coasters on Cupick.
Stitches by Ketki JadhavJapanese Hair by Isaac Pelepko
Not a fan of those unsightly marks left on your furniture, post a drink? We’ve got just the thing for you. Coasters! This brand new addition to Cupick’s line of products is bound to provide stained surfaces some respite, besides being fine works of art.
Did we mention that coasters make the perfect gift? With Friendship Day just around the corner, why not pick a few up for friends?
We’ve compiled a list of quirky artworks from artists all over the world, to help you out. ( The list is in no particular order and is not exhaustive)
Rachna Ravi
Rachna Ravi, a painter from Delhi, turns figments of imagination into intriguing animate stories. We cannot help but witness the fascinating ways Rachna presents her paintings; her ideas unconventional and undeterred.
Kritika’s main interests lie in Illustration, and visual communication. We were quite amazed with the intriguing combination of humour and sarcasm, she presents in her art.
Charbak Dipta takes us through his journey of expressing himself through various mediums, with the ultimate destination, his illustrations which are a departure from convention.
Drawing inspiration from mythology, Fiza imparts a fierce sense of rebellion and compassion to her art, letting them voice her thoughts. Her representation of deities remains rooted in tradition.
Barruf a.k.a Cedric is a self-taught artist from Barcelona who fell in love with art (specially with illustration and paint). Always on the lookout for new experiences, Barruf loves to portray and share his visions of the world.
Vamsi Krishna is freestyle photographer and digital artist. Though his artwork is geometric and minimalistic, there is an unusually organic quality to it that mirrors the nature it draws inspiration from.
Rajarshi Goswami is a doodler by passion and a consultant by profile. You’ll need to look closely at his wonderfully intricate doodles to decipher all that’s been incorporated.
Nrithya is a freelance photographer based in Bangalore, specializing in portraits, but also with a keen interest in food, spaces, products and studio work. Her portraits let the beauty of nature spring forth.
Trinath Sen is an artist with particular interests in oil paintings and charcoal sketches. Through his artwork, he deftly captures the enduring beauty of the ethereal.
Roshan Kurichiyanil, artist,animator and storyteller based in Trivandrum brings forth a revered nostalgia with his portrait of Prem Nazir fondly known as the Nithya Haritha Nayakan (Ever Green Hero) of Malayalam cinema.
Afanur is a painter,artist and illustrator. With lots of experience in Fine Art, Graphic Design and Digital Illustration, Afanur paints a portrait of wonder through his ministrations.
Art and the natural world have been the driving forces that have shaped Jerry’s life and career. Though his artwork, Jerry captures the essence of adventure, of the reckless need to explore beyond one’s imagination.
Archana Aravind is a freelance graphic artist who is extremely passionate about art and believe that it is the quintessential essence of human life. Through her art, Archana ponders the existent dichotomy of nature.
Neelakshi draws to remember, to turn the everyday and mundane into yellow, orang(e)-y memories. Fascinated by her surroundings, she revels in capturing their beauty.
PenciLove is design studio based out of Bangalore, that deals with all things art from canvas paintings, digital posters,logos to wall murals. There art incorporated pop art peppered with humour.
Mahek is an Art, Music, Fashion and Film enthusiast based in Mumbai. Her artwork is as mesmerizing as looking into a kaleidoscope for the very first time.
Divya Suvarna is an engineer by academics but illustration is her forte and solace. She loves putting her broken visions on paper to see the worlds they unfold. Or bringing together a story and world belonging to another.
Durro is a self taught digital graphic artist from Croatia. In his work he combines different styles that include edited photos and illustrations. His artwork often combine retro astronauts and animals and some pop art style work.
For Vasundhara, her method of using fragments, memories and moods is purely intuitive. It is amply evident from her artwork that she takes inspiration from and endevours to explore the nuances of being a woman.
Pipo Ruiz is a Mexican illustrator, a lover of sarcasm and colors. Through his artwork he attempts to express a transition between beauty, death, and colors and that at the end of the day everything is connected.
Sonika is a student in the field of graphic design, who likes experimenting with text, colour and visuals. With an eye for the unusual, Sonika explores the nature of inhibition.
Mounica Tata’s illustrations are influenced by the drama of everyday life. The funny, the wacky and the oh-so-dramatic, all find an audience through her art.
Ronald Weasley and the Fuzzy Spider by Mounica Tata
Aroop is an engineering student who loves to draw. Taking inspiration from cartoon and caricatures, Aroop employs a tongue-in-cheek humour that will leave you in splits!
Jorge Carbajal is an illustrator and vector artist based in Mexico. An avid football lover, his art is often focused on bringing to life all that he loves.
The surrealist art of Richie Montgomery is reminiscent of the creations of M.C. Escher and Salvador Dali. Richie creates a world of mind-boggling illusion, one which we do not mind losing ourselves in.
Winya is an illustrator and graphic artist based in Thailand. With Gothic elements in combination with very detailed artwork, Winya creates an irresistible escape into another dimension.
Arka’s minimalist art is a tribute to popular culture. Inspired by music, movie, environment and society, Arka depicts a myriad of emotions through his simple design.
Rushmi is a designer and a freelance illustrator. She enjoys mixing her influences and styles quite extensively, giving birth to fascinating works of art.
Deepika Prasad is a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer based in Bangalore. Her passion for patterns gives us art a a very intimate character. Her series of uplifting messages is sure to brighten up your day.
Sreeraj is a graphic artist, product designer and photographer based in Bangalore. He takes inspiration from everyday culture and represents his thoughts through his minimalist design.
Rathee Ramani Iyer is an artist based in Chennai. Incessantly knocking upon the fine line between reality and fantasy, Rathee creates a world of distorted yet beautiful and mesmerizing harmony.
Steve Bonello a.k.a Mister Mojo Risin is an illustrator and cartoonist based in Malta. The effortless monotony of his artwork, permeates with light hearted humour.
Satyaki loves to draw, paint and explore anything and everything that intrigues him. He draws inspiration from hi s surroundings, which he looks upon with the wonder of a newborn.
Vrushali is an artist based in Mumbai. She enjoys working with intricate motifs and extravagant detail, drawing inspiration from everything traditional to create art that is essentially modern.
Divya George is an illustrator who loves drawing animals and creating characters. She creates comics, character designs and illustrations for picture books and is always on the lookout for new and exciting projects.
Annamyca Jain is an artist based in Bangalore. Annamyca combines various media and focuses on the minimal to bring out the expanse of emotions that run beneath.
Pankaj Bhambri is a concept artist and animator from Amritsar. His illustrations are a triumph of vivaciousness and often take inspiration from everything pop-culture.
Shreyas got interested in lettering a few years ago and has been falling in love with this form of art since. An avid traveler and explorer, Shreyas believes lettering adds magic to his portraits.
With a yearning for extravagance, draped in psychedelia, Monisha Miriam personifies the erratic flights of her unquenchable imagination, through her artwork that imbibes the blinding hues of the colourful and ecstatic world, she so desperately wishes to explore.
In a conversation with us Monisha reveals her lifelong love for art, her influences and the jubilant fan girl underneath the artist.
INTERVIEW
Welcome- Monisha! Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born and raised in Madras. I work and live in Bangalore now. I’ve been a game artist for a couple of years now. I work with an Indie Game Development company called Hashcube.
When did you realize art was an essential element of your perspective?
It’s in the genes. Great grandad was a doctor but an artist at home. My grandmother and mother are artists too but never made it professional. Both were teachers. I could always draw and that was the only thing that I was interested in. I did like English and history when in school but felt very out of place in the Indian education system wasting time on things I didn’t understand =D So I knew very early on that I had to do art for a living or I wouldn’t survive.
Sherlock by Monisha Miriam | Cupick
Familiarize us with your style; What do you take inspiration from?
I am very experimental. I never stick to one style. The current phase was borne out of necessity. I haven’t lived at home for the last five years and I don’t have studio space so I haven’t been able to paint. So I stick to drawing with pens and digitally re-working it. Inspiration comes from a lot of places. I love animals, all kinds and they feature a lot in my work. I love to read but because of lack of time I’ve been watching a lot of shows and I had always wanted to get into production/art design. That’s also why I do a lot of fan art.
Are there recurring themes that can be found in your work?
I rarely think through things before drawing. I just start and it ends the way it wants to. I know it sounds vague but most of the time I barely mark out spaces in pencil and just drawing with a pen and see where it leads me. I do tend to use a lot of black and feature animals. It’s almost always dark because I have to make a lot of “cute” art at work and drawing at home brings out my other side.
Game of Thrones by Monisha Miriam | Cupick
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from ideation to the finished product?
Like I said, I rarely think it through. My best works have been ones that just happened randomly. I rarely plan and draw. I’ve never liked pencils so I’ve gotten myself used to always drawing with a pen and eliminating the process of having second thoughts or being hesitant.
“I AM VERY EXPERIMENTAL. I NEVER STICK TO ONE STYLE”
We are eager to learn about the tools you use, give us a quick preview of your inventory.
Pens- Pilot parallel pens for calligraphy and different ranges of micron and steadler microtip pens ( .005 – 3). I love fountain pens so I use a Fine tip Lamy and a Medium nib WHSmith.
I also use rotring pens now and then. I use illustrator and photoshop to colour.
Would you mind letting us have a peek at your work station?
I could send a picture of my pens! I don’t have a workstation yet. I moved to Bangalore just a couple of months back and nothing is ready!
In Psychedelic Waters by Monisha Miriam | CupickIron Born by Monisha Miriam | Cupick
We learned that you attended the Birmingham Institute for Art and Design. How has the experience shaped your artistic vision?
I had to unlearn everything that was forced on my by the unbending Indian education system and look at everything in multiple brand new ways. That really helped me get creative in ways I hadn’t been before.
Procrastination- how would you define your relationship with it? And how do you deal with it?
I like to finish my work in one sitting. It unsettles me when I don’t. So when it’s personal work, there’s never procrastination once an idea pops in the head.
What is the one thing that keeps you going?
I get quite unstable when I don’t draw for a while. So I just have to keep going.
Name top three influential or inspirational artists off your mind.
Michelangelo , JMW Turner and Aaron Horkey
What remains your most favorite work thus far?
Favourites keep changing! The most recent one becomes a favourite for a while!
There is a painting I love, done during my college days.
Monisha’s Favourite Artwork
We got to know you’re an avid explorer. What is the one place you’ve not explored yet that you’d love to visit?
Machu Picchu, Cairo, Rome, Florence etc. There are plenty on the list!
Nature’s Prophet by Monisha Miriam | Cupick
“I GET QUITE UNSTABLE WHEN I DON’T DRAW FOR A WHILE. SO I JUST HAVE TO KEEP GOING”
What about music? How influential is it while you work at getting a creative output, oh and- let us have a peek at the top songs in your playlist right now.
I get too involved if I listen to music so I don’t listen to music while I work. It’s always documentaries or tv shows that run in the background! I love history so it’s usually something in that line and a lot of crime documentary.
What’s the most dangerous thing that appeals to you?
Extreme sports! Sky diving, base jumping etc
If you could give one piece of advice for aspiring artists reading this right now, what would that be?
Just keep drawing whatever happens in life. That’s the one thing you’ll never lose.
How has the journey with Cupick been thus far?
Very good! It’s been really nice to have my work printed!
The love for music is universal. We set out to find amazing artwork celebrating music and musicians that have defined eras, topped the popularity charts and in general brightened up our every day. This compilation of posters that spans genres and time periods is a tribute to great art that is often overlooked. It’s also an opportunity for us to shine light on some brilliant artists behind these beauties.
So dive in and have a great time. If you like something, you could just get a poster or a t-shirt of it. Just click the image and head over to Cupick.
(This list is in no particular order and may not be exhaustive)
LED ZEPPELIN
Addictive hooks and tunes and often quite intelligent and well written lyrics. Brash yet melodic, Led Zeppelin produced some of the best guitar sounds ever played coupled with wailing vocals in a combination that makes every song stick in your head.
Whole Lotta Love by Mounica Tata | Cupick Led Zeppelin Grunge by Sreeraj | CupickZeppelin on Fire by R.J. Artworks | CupickStairway to Heaven by Siddharth Ahuja | CupickLed Zeppelin:Flower by Alex OazenStairway to Heaven by Jermaine RogersLed Zeppelin by Posterography Led Zeppelin by Felicia AtanasiuLed Zeppelin by Sai Charan | Cupick
THE BEATLES
Using numerous words to describe The Beatles is probably still not sufficient enough, since they are obviously a great phenomenon in music industry and happen to be the greatest pop/rock band the world ever has. Their songs and images carry powerful ideas of love, peace, help, and imagination evoked creativity and liberation that outperformed the rusty Soviet propaganda and contributed to breaking walls in the minds of millions.
All we Need is Beatles by Renato CunhaThe Alien Beatles by Charbak Dipta | CupickThe Beatles by Vishesh Sharma | CupickFollow the Sun by Roberlan | CupickThe Beatles by Viktor HertzThe Beatles by Andrea LaurenHey Jude by Siddharth Ahuja | CupickThe Beatles by Kaleidostrokes | CupickThe Beatles by Marian Dcosta | CupickWhile My Guitar Weeps by Sayok Ray | CupickBeatle It Up! by Nikita | Cupick
THE DOORS
The Doors were influenced by so many other genres, they seemed inexhaustible. They had a thirst for knowledge that showed in their albums. The band was too dynamic, drawing from psychedelia, the potential to work on many subliminal and unconscious levels. You’d have to change your definition depending on which album or even song you are listening to and the context in which you are listening to it. The blanket definitions just cover the surface: there is a lot more underneath.
Jim Morrison by Laura Liberati | CupickThe Doors by Createewitty | CupickJim Morrison Lizard King by Rhys CooperThe Doors by Sam SirdofskyLizard King by Devraj | CupickPsychedelic Jim Morrison by Anish Talwar | CupickMorrison by Preran Rai | CupickJim Morrison by Pankaj Bhambri | CupickBreak On Through by RJ Artworks | Cupick
THE ROLLING STONES
Unlike The Beatles, whose music began as simple love pop love songs,the Rolling Stones’ music was influenced by African American blues music and the cultural views that accompanied it. Little did the Rolling Stones know how apt their name – inspired by the title of a Muddy Waters song, “Rollin’ Stone” would turn out to be. Throughout five decades of shifting tastes in popular music, the Stones have kept rolling, adapting to the latest styles without straying from their roots as a lean, sinuous rock and roll band with roots in electric blues.
Keith Richards by Stavros DamosThe Rolling Stones by K. BurnessLaharadar Patthar by Createewitty | CupickThe Rolling Stones by Uroš BegovićThe Rolling Stones (Artist Unknown)
IRON MAIDEN
Taking its name from the medieval torture device, Iron Maiden was part of England’s late-Seventies crop of heavy-metal bands that boasted simple guitar riffs, bone-crunching chords and shrieking vocals.
Iron Maiden by Vinoth | Cupick
PINK FLOYD
You get a new feeling every time you listen to a Floyd song. Some songs impress upon you and you can feel the intensity of the music penetrating through your mind. Whereas some songs make you feel numb and lost wandering aimlessly into the universe trying to explore more of it. It’s like a thrilling roller coaster ride, the high and lows heightening every experience.
Pink Floyd by Apurva Chaudhari | CupickComfortably Numb by Prafful Patel | CupickNo Guess’n by Swayampravo Dasgupta | CupickComing to Life by Arka Baidya | CupickPink Floyd by Sai Charan | Cupick
Year After Year by Malvika Tewari | CupickPink Floyd by RJ Artworks | CupickWish You Were Here by Devraj | Cupick
Floyd Motifs by Vrushali Somavanshi | Cupick
QUEEN
Queen is one of the most unusual bands ever.They experimented with genres: hard rock moving towards speed metal (Stone Cold Crazy), art rock (Bohemian Rhapsody), pop-rock (Under Pressureand the rest of Hot Space), funk(Fun It), and some simple melodic rock (like Crazy Little Thing Called Love). There’s something for everyone. Freddie Mercury brought an invigorating theatricality to his performances, making him one of the best rock frontmen ever.
Freddie Mercury by The Painter of Oz | CupickFreddie Mercury by Sreeraj | CupickFreddie Mercury by Elena DolgovaRani by Createewitty | CupickQueen by Abhishek Choudhury | CupickFreddie Mercury by Rajarshi Goswami | Cupick
KISS
Four musicians with painted faces and platform shoes rose from the streets of New York to create one of rock & roll’s biggest bands – and brands. KISS looked like nothing else in pop music history. Each member adopted a different persona: Starchild! Demon! Spaceman! Cat! It would be tempting to think that the band was all show and no substance, but there was a clear artistic point of view, with music and lyrics that were upbeat, direct, populist and unambiguous. And even romantic given the success of “Beth,” from Destroyer (1976), Criss’ paean to his long-suffering then-wife.
The Kiss by Jeff LaChanceKiss by Mel MarceloOh Happy Day by Biando & Mado| Cupick
Lion Kiss by Alessandro Aru | Cupick
JANIS JOPLIN
Janis Joplin was perhaps the premier blues-influenced rock singer of the late Sixties, and certainly one of the biggest female rock stars of her time.
Janis by Duende Lobo | CupickJanis Joplin by Vanzanto
THE WHO
Along with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Who complete the holy trinity of British rock. The group began as fashionable London mods, playing a self-styled brand of “Maximum R&B,” but became much more: the pioneers of rock opera, a powerhouse arena act, and among the first rock groups to successfully integrate (rather than merely fiddle with) synthesizers. Their smashed guitars and overturned (or blown up) drum kits symbolized the violent passions of a band that mixed four distinct and powerful sounds.
The Who by Bob MasseThe Who by Devraj Baruah Cupick | CupickThe Who by John Entwistle
Who Are You by RJ Artworks | Cupick
AEROSMITH
Aerosmith were America’s feisty retort to hard-rocking British groups like the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, the Who, Cream, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin. Almost alone among American bands, Aerosmith matched those British legends in power, intensity, and notoriety. Moreover, they’ve long since surpassed many of their influences in terms of longevity and popularity.
Aerosmith by Al HirschfeldDreamcatcher by Mehma Atwal | Cupick
AC/DC
For three decades AC/DC has reigned as one of the best-loved and hardest-rocking bands in the world. Featuring guitarist Angus Young as their visual symbol and musical firebrand, they grew from humble origins in Australia to become an arena-filling phenomenon with worldwide popularity. They did so without gimmickry, except for Angus’s schoolboy uniform, which became mandatory stage attire. From the beginning they have been a straight-ahead, no-frills rock and roll band that aimed for the gut.
AC/DC by Ken TaylorAcidity by Jugal C | Cupick
JIMI HENDRIX
Jimi Hendrix was one of the biggest cultural figures of the Sixties, a psychedelic voodoo child who spewed clouds of distortion and pot smoke and delighted audiences in the 1960s with his outrageous electric guitar playing skills and his experimental sound.
Jimi Hendrix by Binny Malik | CupickJimi Hendrix by Sarvesh Agarwal | CupickJimi Hendrix by Vaishnavi Ravi | CupickJimi Hendrix by Rajarshi Goswami | CupickJimi Hendrix by Abhimanyu Ghimiray | CupickJimi Hendrix by Satyaki Sarkar | CupickPurple Haze by Jaiwant Pradhan | CupickBold as Love by Roger LawJimi Hendrix by Mounica Tata | Cupick
DAVID BOWIE
A consummate musical chameleon, David Bowie has been a folksinger, androgyne, alien, decadent, blue-eyed soul man, art-rocker and a modern pop star, with each persona spawning a new league of imitators. His late-Seventies collaborations with Brian Eno made Bowie one of the few older stars to be taken seriously by the new wave.
Aladdin Sane by Laura Liberati | CupickBowie Stardust by The Painter of Oz | Cupick
JEFFERSON AIRPLANE
Best known as the hippie revolutionaries who produced Sixties pop nuggets like “White Rabbit” and “Somebody to Love,” Jefferson Airplane survived myriad personnel shifts, including the 1984 departure of founder/guiding light Paul Kantner, several name changes. Over its subsequent years, the band morphed from psychedelic rockers to an MOR pop powerhouse and back again.
White Rabbit by Nour Tohme | CupickJefferson Airplane by David ByrdWhite Rabbit by Vrushali Somavanshi | CupickJefferson Airplane (Artist Unknown)Jefferson Airplane by Feed Your Head | Cupick
COLDPLAY
Coldplay’s sound —elegant, melodic, vaguely spacey and very dramatic — bore plenty of similarity to mid-1990s Radiohead. But the group’s hooks, sharpened by frontman Chris Martin’s ability to pull heartstrings, and the their willingness to evolve their sound, gave Coldplay staying power. As a result, the band became one of the most commercially successful acts of the new millennium.
Thandakhel by Createewitty | CupickStrawberry Fields by Sayok Ray | CupickUs Against The World by Shikha Nambiar | CupickParadise by Paneer Pixel Masala | CupickColdplay Doodle by Chachi Chaudhari | CupickViva La Vida by Arka Baidya | CupickParadise by Naseem | Cupick
PEARL JAM
Along with Nirvana, Pearl Jam were initially known for popularizing grunge, the Seattle sound that exploded nationwide in the early Nineties. But the band became an American rock institution by broadening their heavy, Led Zeppelin-influenced sound while maintaining the emotional depth that made their songs so resonant in the first place.
Eddie Vedder by Nishant D’Souza | CupickEddie Vedder by Laura Liberati | CupickSociety by Antharadhwani | Cupick
ADELE
British diva Adele touches the hearts of millions with her soulful singing style and powerfully emotional yet catchy songs.
Rolling in The Deep by Paneer Pixel Masala | Cupick
BEYONCE
In the 2000s, no pop star was as poised, as polished, or as generally fierce as Beyoncé Giselle Knowles. She scored early success with Destiny’s Child, which started out as a sexier and sassier, then steadily became more and more of a vehicle for Beyoncé’s operatic vocals and general diva-tude.
Single Ladies by Nour Tohme | CupickBeyonce by Seanings | Cupick
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
It took Justin Timberlake less than a decade to transform from a curly-haired New Mickey Mouse Club member to a teen-pop sensation to a debonair, highly respected R&B star.
Justin Timberlake by Seanings | Cupick
LADY GAGA
At a time when mainstream pop was getting dangerously bland, Lady Gaga came charging to the rescue. Here was a New York art diva who knew how to make a spectacle of herself, refusing to wear pants and storming the Top 40 with the battle cry “This beat is sick/ I wanna take a ride on a disco stick!”
Lady Gaga by Seanings | Cupick
ELVIS PRESLEY
Elvis Presley was rock & roll’s first real star, not to mention one of the most important cultural forces in history, a hip-shaking symbol of liberation for the staid America of the 1950s. A white Southerner singing blues laced with country, and country laced with gospel, he brought together American music from both sides of the color line and performed it with a natural sexuality that made him a teen idol and role model for generations of cool rebels.
Elvis by Seanings | CupickThe King of Hearts by Abhishek Choudhury | CupickElvis Presley by Sarvesh Agarwal | CupickRational Immunization Elvis by Biando & Mado | Cupick
U2
With Bono’s soulful, grandiose cry, The Edge’s intricately textured guitar parts, and the steady propulsion of bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr., U2’s sound is instantly recognizable and much-imitated.
Tum Bhi by Createewitty | Cupick
HERMAN BROOD
Herman Brood was a Dutch musician and painter. As a musician he achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and was called “the Dutch greatest and only rock ‘n’ roll star”.
Herman Brood by Carolyn J. | Cupick
METALLICA
Black Sabbath invented heavy metal in the Seventies, and Metallica redefined it in the Eighties. Since erupting on the scene with their debut album, Kill ‘Em All, in 1983, Metallica has been a cutting-edge band – the standard by which metal’s vitality and virtuosity are measured. No band has loomed larger, rocked heavier, raged more angrily or pushed the limits further than Metallica.
Metal Madness by RJ Artworks | CupickMaster of Puppets by Aditya Damle | CupickJames Alan Hetfield by Devraj | CupickMetallica by Sai Charan | CupickMaster of Puppets by Sayok Ray | Cupick
KANYE WEST
Kanye West is full of contradictions: He’s arrogant but self-deprecating, materialistic but religious, remarkably rude but also sensitive. Rather than sublimate those conflicts, his music shows them off. By melding the gangsta ethos with his own nerdy persona and making hip-hop that was at once deeply introspective, utterly distinct, and lots of fun, West became the most important new pop star of the 2000s.
Kanye West by Mohak Gulati | CupickKanye West by Seanings | CupickKanye West by Jayesh Joshi | Cupick
JAY Z
One of the greatest living rappers — and certainly the most inventive and consistently successful — Jay-Z has built a career on combining nimble, braggadocious and largely autobiographical rhymes with adventurous production that incorporates everything from snatches of classic R&B to Broadway showtunes and Eighties electropop.
Jay Z by RJ Artworks | CupickJay Z by Jayesh Joshi | CupickJay Z Decoded by Panjaj Bhambri | CupickJay Z by Seanings | Cupick
LIL WAYNE
His material suggests that Wayne isn’t only the best rapper in the hip-hop, but also the weirdest: The rapper’s grizzled rhymes we
re as all-over-the-place as he was, ranging from quick-tongued braggadocio about girls, cash and guns to gut-wrenching expressions of personal pain to instances of pure id like “I can mingle with the stars and throw a party on Mars / I am a prisoner locked up behind Xanax bars,” from the psychedelic mixtape cut “I Feel Like Dying.
Young Money by RJ Artworks | Cupick
ENRIQUE
Enrique grew up largely in Miami and began singing as a teenager. He released his self-titled debut album in 1995 and, like his subsequent studio works, proved to be a huge success. By early 2012, Iglesias had sold more than 60 million records worldwide. His most successful songs include “Bailamos,” “Rhythm Divine,” “Be With You,” “Escape,” “Maybe,” “Don’t Turn Off The Lights” and “Hero.”
Eye Can Bee Ur Hero Baby by Arindam Majumdar | Cupick
JUSTIN BIEBER
Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber was barely into his teens when he released his 2009 debut, My World, and became one of the youngest success stories in contemporary pop when it went either platinum or double platinum in several countries.
Justin Bieber by Seanings | Cupick
5SOS
Australian rock band 5 Seconds of Summer makes ebullient, high-energy music that straddles the line between ’90s punk-pop and 2000s boy band pop. Formed in 2011, the band features fellow Norwest Christian College grads Luke Hemmings (lead vocals/guitar), Michael Clifford (guitar/vocals), Calum Hood (bass/vocals), and Ashton Irwin (drums/vocals).
Luke Hemmings by Megha Nair | Cupick
JIMMY CLIFF
Jimmy Cliff was reggae’s first international star and remains its greatest living ambassador, having taken the music of Jamaica to all corners of the world.
Jimmy Cliff by Choorma | Cupick
PHOENIX
The French group Phoenix, draw elements from their eclectic ’80s upbringing to arrive at a satisfying blend of rock and synthesizers. Vocalist Thomas Mars, bassist Deck d’Arcy, and guitarist Christian Mazalai were a garage band based out of Mars’ house in the suburbs of Paris. Mazzalai’s older brother Branco joined the band on guitar when his band Darlin’ disbanded in 1995.
Chloroform by Pilar Cordoba | Cupick
ED SHEERAN
Flame-haired singer/songwriter, beatboxer, and guitarist Ed Sheeran’s eclectic blend of acoustic pop, folk, and hip-hop has been championed by everyone from the underground grime scene to American Oscar winners.
Colors and Ed Sheeran by Pritish | Cupick
ONE DIRECTION
Following the success of JLS and the Wanted, X Factor contestants One Direction were the next group of heartthrobs to help revive the boy band concept.
The group was formed by Niall Horan from Mullingar, Ireland; Zayn Malik from Bradford; Harry Styles from Cheshire; Louis Tomlinson from Doncaster, and Liam Payne from Wolverhampton.
Ek Disha by Createewitty | CupickHarry Styles by Seanings| CupickSummer Love by Nikhita Prabhudesai| Cupick
DRAKE
Drake was a cross-platform cultural phenomenon in the 2010s. The songwriter, producer, rapper, and singer sustained a high-level commercial presence shortly after he turned to rapping in 2006, whether on his own chart-topping releases or through a long string of guest appearances.
Drake by Seanings | Cupick
BRUNO MARS
After several years as one of pop music’s premier songwriters, Mars broke out as a singer in his own right with the 2010 hit “Nothin’ on You.”
Bruno Mars by Pritish | CupickBruno Mars by Seanings | Cupick
ALT-J
Their signature blend of layered, folk-inflected dub-pop and soaring alternative rock was first heard on the 2012 singles “Matilda” and “Fitzpleasure” with the group’s full-length studio debut, An Awesome Wave, arriving later that year. The album would eventually go on to earn the prestigious Mercury Prize, alongside three Brit Award nominations.
∆ by thesame | CupickAlt-J by SwineFlew | CupickAlt-J (∆) by Sudeepti Tucker | CupickLet’s Tessellate by Shreya Swamy | CupickHunger Of The Fine by Neethi | CupickAn Awesome Wave by Ragamuffin Illustration | CupickAlt-J by Noopur | CupickAlt-J by Lakshmi Nair | CupickAlt-J by Akyanyme | CupickAlt-J by Rhea Ahuja | CupickAlt-J by Tanya Singh | CupickAlt-J by RJ Artworks | CupickAlt-J by The Monkey Biscuit | Cupick
AWOLNATION
A solo project of Aaron Bruno, AWOLNATION began as a creative outlet for the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.With AWOLNATION, Bruno built a kind of creative free-for-all for himself, allowing him to mix genres as he wanted in a style reminiscent of Beck, blending live instrumentation, electronic elements, and slick production into an electro-pop hybrid drawing from the whole of pop music.
Awolnation by Devraj | Cupick
OASIS
Formed by brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher and their Manchester mates, Oasis rose to the top of the British charts in the mid-Nineties with its flair for classic psychedelic pop. The Beatles-influenced rock of its debut album, Definitely Maybe (1994), made Oasis overnight pop stars.
Wonderwall by Devraj | Cupick
LINDSEY STIRLING
Combining her love of classical music with EDM, hip-hop, and dubstep, violinist, dancer, and performance artist Lindsey Stirling is best known for videos she posts to her YouTube channel, and for competing on the fifth season of America’s Got Talent in 2010.
Shatter Me by Devraj | Cupick
PINK
Contrasting her edgy, tomboyish style with that of her female popstar peers, Pink has had huge success with hits like “You Make Me Sick” and “There You Go.
P!NK by Seanings | CupickPINK by Paul Kafka | Cupick
BOB DYLAN
For almost 50 years, Bob Dylan has remained, along with James Brown, the most influential American musician rock & roll has ever produced. Inscrutable and unpredictable, Dylan has been both deified and denounced for his shifts of interest, while whole schools of musicians took up his ideas. His lyrics — the first in rock to be seriously regarded as literature — became so well known that politicians from Jimmy Carter to Vaclav Havel have cited them as an influence.
Like a Rolling Stone by Sarvesh Agarwal | CupickDylan by Sonika Sil | CupickDylan by Vibhuti Dabral | CupickTime Out Of Mind by Devraj | CupickBlowin’ in The Wind by Arka Baidya | CupickTambourine Man by RJ Artworks | Cupick
SKRILLEX
Sonny Moore found club and mainstream stardom beginning in 2008, when he swapped his gig as the frontman in post-hardcore band From First to Last for the dancefloor-oriented project Skrillex. In 2010, the self-released digital download EP My Name Is Skrillex appeared, combining the Benny Benassi and Deadmau5 styles of electro with the same type of over-the-top samples and giant noise of electronica acts like the Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim.
Skrillex by Prasanth Krup Duth | CupickDrop The Bass by RJ Artworks | CupickSkrillex by Pankaj Bhambri | Cupick
DEADMAU5
Joel Zimmerman, masked EDM hitmaker and celebrity DJ Deadmau5 rose to prominence when his track “Faxing Berlin” found its way onto the playlist of legendary DJ/producer Pete Tong’s radio show. Deadmau5 soon became an important figure in the world of progressive house music,
Deadmau5 by Siladityaa Sharma | CupickMau5 by Jayesh Joshi | CupickDeadmau5 by Paneer Pixel Masala | Cupick
HARDWELL
A superstar Dutch DJ who helped shape the EDM explosion of 2012-2013, Robbert van de Corput tbecame Hardwell when he began DJing at the age of 13. Watching the massive dance parties broadcast on MTV influenced the teen Hardwell to learn how to mix, and he soon became interested in remixing and working on his own productions.
Hardwell by Pankaj Bhambri | Cupick
DEPECHE MODE
Depeche Mode were the quintessential Eighties techno-pop band, parlaying a fascination with synthesizers into huge success on the British charts (where its albums consistently went Top 10) and eventually on the U.S. pop chart.
Dave Gahan by Laura Liberati | Cupick
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
The ultimate New York band — and, arguably, the most influential of all the proto-punk groups — the Velvet Underground were unique among Sixties rockers in their intentional crudity, in their sense of beauty in ugliness, and in their dark and risqué lyrics. During the age of flower power, the Velvets spoke in no uncertain terms of social alienation, sexual deviancy, drug addiction, violence, and hopelessness, evoking the exhilaration and destructiveness of modern urban life.
Lou Reed by Laura Liberati | Cupick
KATY PERRY
A former Christian artist, Katy Perry rebranded herself as a larger-than-life pop star and rose to prominence during the summer of 2008.
I Kissed A Girl by Nour Tohme | CupickKaty Perry by Seanings | Cupick
KATRINA AND THE WAVES
With a charismatic lead singer fronting a band pulled together by guitarist Kimberley Rew, who could write songs like nobody’s business, they seemed tailor-made for success. And they did briefly cut a swathe across pop music in Europe, America, and around the world, achieving some serious success of their own with a pair of catchy, hook-laden songs.
Walking on Sunshine by Nour Tohme | Cupick
AMY WINEHOUSE
British diva Amy Winehouse scored legions of fans with her 2006 album, Back to Black, which showed off her brassy, sweet-and-sour voice and taste for meticulously retro soul music.
Rehab by Nour Tohme | CupickAmy Winehouse by Aman Bahuguna | Cupick
GUNS N’ ROSES
Guns N’ Roses shot to stardom with Appetite for Destruction, the biggest-selling debut in rock history. The album combined Seventies-derived hard rock and a hedonistic rebelliousness that simultaneously recalled the early Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Aerosmith, and the Sex Pistols.
Slash by Shivani | CupickGuns N’ Roses by Aroma Mandal | CupickSLASH-ing Through the Notes by Indranil Saha | CupickTamancha Aur Gulab by Createewitty | Cupick
RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS
Formed in the wake of the L.A. punk scene, the Red Hot Chili Peppers combined funk and punk with macho, sexed-up lyrics. (One early track was called “Party on Your Pussy”). The result was a high-octane sound that made the quintet alt-rock favorites in the Eighties, then superstars in the Nineties.
Lal Garam Mirche by Createewitty | Cupick
CYNDI LAUPER
With her distinctive little-girl voice, thrift-store style, and art-school training, Cyndi Lauper was one of the earliest female icons to harness MTV’s influence and become a pop star.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Nour Tohme | Cupick
NIRVANA
Few bands in rock history have had a more immediate and tangible impact on their contemporary pop musical landscape than Nirvana did in the early Nineties. Within hours of the release of Nirvana’s anarchic, angry single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” —the rules had changed. Artifice was devalued; pure, raw emotion was king.
Kurt Cobain by Nishant D’Souza | CupickKurt Cobain by Rhea Ahuja | CupickDave Grohl by Hay Bagusandi | CupickNirvana by Ocean Clark | CupickTeen Spirit by RJ Artworks | CupickNirvana by Rajeshkumar Ankam | CupickMoksha by Createewitty | Cupick
MICHAEL JACKSON
Jackson changed the balance in the pop world in a way that nobody has since. He forced rock & roll and the mainstream press to acknowledge that the biggest pop star in the world could be young and black, and in doing so he broke down more barriers than anybody.
The Jack O’ Diamonds by Abhishek Choudhury | CupickAnti-Gravity by Nicebleed | CupickMichael Jackson by Seanings | CupickMichael Jackson by Malvika Asher | CupickMichael Jackson by Rajarshi Goswami | CupickMichael Jackson by Pragadeesh Sudarsanam | Cupick
BOB MARLEY
Bob Marley did more than anyone else to popularize reggae around the globe. He was a gifted songwriter who could mix protest music and pop as skillfully as Bob Dylan, and his songs of determination, rebellion, and faith became important parts of the rock and pop canon.
Bob Marley by Sarvesh Agarwal | CupickBob Maal-li by Choorma | CupickBob Marley by Seanings | CupickBob Marley by Vicky Sharma | CupickBob Marley by Rajarshi Goswami | CupickBob Marley by Pink Elephant Illustrations | CupickBob Mali by Orijit Sen | Cupick
IRONIC REVERSAL
Bangalore/Delhi based metal band Ironic Reversal, is the solo project of guitarist Madhur Murli (Ex-Analyzed Consequences) in collaboration with Kaushal LS (Orchid, Eccentric Pendulum) and Rahul Kini (Analyzed).
CLONUS by Ironic Reversal | Cupick
CARAVAN PALACE
Caravan Palace is a self-described électro-swing group from Paris, France, that made its full-length album debut in 2008. Comprised of Charles Delaporte (bass, programming), Arnaud Vial (guitar, programming), Hugues Payen (violin, programming), Colotis Zoé (vocals), Toustou (electronics, trombone), and Chapi (clarinette), the group is chiefly influenced by Django Reinhardt but also cites Vitalic, Cab Calloway, Justice, Lionel Hampton, and Daft Punk among its influences.
Caravan Palace by Devraj | Cupick
THE PIERCES
The Pierces, comprising sisters Catherine and Allison,was a slick blend of folk harmonizing and adult alternative textures.
The Pierces by Rae Zachariah | Cupick
IMAGINE DRAGONS
These Las Vegas rockers, stormed the charts with their blend of synth-based dance-pop and emotionally charged, Brit-pop-inspired alternative.
Demons by Amoolya Bhat | CupickImagine Dragons by Devraj | Cupick
BJORK
The biggest rock band to emerge from Iceland, the Sugarcubes drew notice for their offbeat songs and singer Björk Gudmundsdóttir, an elfin womanchild with a powerful, keening voice.
Bjork by Kabini Amin | Cupick
DAFT PUNK
With their thoroughly modern disco sound — a blend of house, funk, electro and techno — this French duo were one of the biggest electronic music acts of the late 1990s and 2000s. Guy Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter were as influenced by rock bands like AC/DC as they were by classic disco acts.
Daft Love by Jugal C | CupickDaft Punk by Jaydhrit Sur | CupickDaft Force by Daniac | CupickDaff Punk by Olivier Delmas | CupickGet Lucky by RJ Artworks | CupickDaft Punk by Siladityaa Sharma | Cupick
AVICII
Cleverly using dance music blogs as the platform to launch his career,Tim Bergling, aka Avicii, has since become one of the most prominent producers on the burgeoning Swedish house scene.
Avicii by Pankaj Bhambri | Cupick
GREENDAY
Punk revivalists with style, substance and hooks galore, Green Day have gone through two distinct identities. They were bratty, mischievous twentysomethings when they hit MTV in 1994, but Green Day became elder statesmen during the 2000s with American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown—a pair of epic, politically charged rock and roll operas that chronicled the confused reality of life in the first decade of the new millennium.
Wake Me Up When September Ends by Sayok Ray | CupickHara Din by Createewitty | CupickBillie Joe Artmstrong by Rhea Ahuja | Cupick
MADONNA
Her pleasure-celebrating dance music and outré videos gave feminism a much-needed makeover throughout the Eighties, smashing sexual boundaries, making eroticism a crucial pop-song element, and challenging social and religious mores. To her detractors, she merely reinforced the notion of “woman as plaything,” turning the clock back on conventional feminism two decades.
Diamond Queen by Abhishek Choudhary | CupickMadonna by Durro | Cupick
RIHANNA
R&B and dance-pop singer Rihanna’s stark, sexualized hit singles established her as one of the biggest pop stars in music history.
Rihanna by Seanings | CupickI’m Friends With the Monster Under my Bed by CatchyRey | Cupick
EMINEM
Eminem is the best-selling white rapper of all time, alternately comic and confrontational, both hugely talented and highly controversial.
Recovery by Ambady | CupickLose Yourself by Kushagra Singh | CupickI Am Phenomenal by Yatin Raj Singh | CupickEminem by Prashanth Krupa Duth | CupickEminem by Seanings | CupickLike A Toy Soldier by Sayok Ray | CupickRap God by RJ Artworks | Cupick
SNOOP DOG
Rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg, with his lazy drawl and gangster persona, became one of the most commercially successful artists in all of rap. Alongside artists like N.W.A., Tupac, and Ice-T, Snoop epitomizes West Coast hip-hop.
Snoop Dog by Seanings | Cupick
GORILLAZ
Conceived as the first “virtual hip-hop group,” Gorillaz blended the musical talents of Dan “The Automater” Nakamura, Blur’s Damon Albarn, Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatori, and Tom Tom Club’s Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz with the arresting visuals of Jamie Hewlett, best known as the creator of the cult comic Tank Girl.
Feel Good Inc by Sanaya C | CupickGorillaz by Shinoj | Cupick
NICKI MINAJ
Influenced by the unpredictable rhymes of Missy Elliot along with the sexually charged attitudes of Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown, rapper, television reality show judge, and household name Nicki Minaj was discovered thanks to her MySpace page
Anaconda Minaj by Akyanyme | Cupick
LITTLE DRAGON
Formed in Gothenberg, Sweden in 1996, this electronic quartet comprise lead vocalist Yukimi Nagano(Vocals, Percussion), HakanWirenstrand (Keyboards), Erik Bodin (Drums), and Fredrik Kallgren Wallin(Bass).
Yukimi Nagano by Kirti Kalyan | Cupick
PRINCE
Prince is one of the most naturally gifted artists of all time, and also one of the most mysterious.
His Minneapolis sound- a hybrid of rock, pop, and funk, with blatantly sexual lyrics — not only influenced his fellow Minneapolis artists, but also impacted much of 1980s dance-pop music.
Prince by Laura Liberati | Cupick
LANA DEL RAY
Lana Del Rey makes atmospheric, orchestral, retro-’60s-sounding pop that showcases her torchy image and sensuous singing style
Lana Del Ray by Panini Pandey | CupickLana Del Ray by Priyanka Menon | CupickLana Del Ray by Veer Mishra | Cupick
B. B. KING
Riley “B.B.” King has been called the “King of the Blues” and “Ambassador of the Blues,” and indeed he’s reigned across the decades as the genre’s most recognizable and influential artists.
B.B. King by Ocean Clark | Cupick
TUPAC SHAKUR
Tupac Shakur was one of the most dynamic, influential and self-destructive pop stars of the Nineties. The rapper’s husky voice described his stark contradictions, setting misogyny against praise of strong women, hard-won wisdom against the violence of the “thug life” The critical and commercial successes of his music were continually overshadowed by his legal and personal entanglements.
Tupac Shakur by Panini Pandey | Cupick
RAKIM
Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs — perhaps the greatest — of all time within the hip-hop community.His flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he’s not even breaking a sweat.
Rakim-The God MC by Panini Pandey | Cupick
KENDRICK LAMAR
Platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of the rare artists who has achieved critical and commercial success while earning the respect and support of those who inspired him. A native of Compton, California,
Kendrick Lamar by Panini Pandey | Cupick
ERIC CLAPTON
In the Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, and Derek and the Dominos, as well as through his prolific solo work, guitarist Eric Clapton has continually re-defined his own version of the blues. From the start, he caught audiences’ attention with his fiery, adventurous and precise playing. Over the next four decades, Clapton did little to dampen that reputation and was named number four in Rolling Stone‘s 2003 list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”
Eric by Kehaan Saraiya | CupickLayla by Jaiwant Pradhan | Cupick
TOVE LO
Swedish singer/songwriter Tove Lo’s epic, electronically tinged songwriting with raw, brutally honest lyrics is influenced as much by ’80s pop as by contemporary EDM.
I Gotta Stay High All The Time by CatchyRey | Cupick
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY
With a reputation for a scathingly intense live performance and a quickly sold-out CD-R demo, Explosions In The Sky, was touted early on in their career as the next phenomenon in moody and dynamic instrumental indie rock.
Explosions In The Sky by Swati Banerjee | Cupick
RICK ROSS
While Atlanta and Houston artists were establishing their cities as Southern strongholds, Ross aimed at putting Miami back in rap’s national spotlight.
Everyday I’m Hustlin by Ambady | Cupick
FOSTER THE PEOPLE
Formed in Los Angeles in 2009 by multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Mark foster, indie rock trio Foster The People make melodic and atmospheric, dance-oriented pop
A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon by Pilar Cordoba | Cupick
BONOBO
With the experimental warmth of ’60s French films and the pizzicato flavor of horizontal hip-hop, Simon Green’s Bonobo project established the welcome niche of a pretension-free, post-party intellectual chillout.
Bonobo by Nehaal Gonsalves | Cupick
MUTEMATH
Taking cues from several decades of alternative rock, Mute Math (also known as MUTEMATH and MuteMath) fuse together New Order’s synth-dance epics, the Stone Roses’ shambling shuffle, Radiohead’s chilliness, Air’s ambient pop, and the booming vocals of mainstream pop/rock.
Mutemath by Nehaal Gonsalves | Cupick
BAAUER
Besides being at the forefront of the electro-trap music movement, Brooklyn-based producer Baauer made headlines when his track “Harlem Shake” became the first viral sensation to debut on top of the Billboard charts.
Harlem Shake by Sayok Ray | Cupick
LINKIN PARK
Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music.
The Hunting Party by Siladityaa Sharma | CupickLinkin Park by Sayok Ray | CupickLinkin Park by Parth Sabnis | CupickLinkin Park by Sreeraj | Cupick
ARCTIC MONKEYS
By distilling the sounds of Franz Ferdinand, The Clash, The Strokes, and The Libertines into a hybrid of swaggering indie rock and danceable neo-punk, Arctic became one of the U.K.’s biggest bands of the new millennium.
Alex Turner by Daniac | CupickDo I Wanna Know by Sonika Sil | Cupick
JOHN MAYER
After making his introduction as a sensitive, acoustic-styled songwriter, John Mayer steadily widened his approach over the subsequent years, encompassing everything from blues-rock to adult contemporary in the process.
Citylove by Madhuvanti Mohan | Cupick1983 by Madhuvanti Mohan | Cupick
TAYLOR SWIFT
Taylor Swift is that rarest of pop phenomenona: a superstar who managed to completely cross over from country to the mainstream. Swift shed her country roots like they were a second skin to reveal she was perhaps the sharpest, savviest, populist singer/songwriter of her generation.
Reckless by Suchita Isaac | CupickTaylor Swift by Kashish Rabbani | Cupick
SIR MIX-A-LOT
Inextricably linked with his pop culture touchstone “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-a-Lot parlayed a gonzo tribute to women with large buttocks into hip-hop immortality, even despite his failure to score another hit of its magnitude. But even before he struck crossover gold, Sir Mix-a-Lot was one of rap’s great D.I.Y. success stories.
I Like Big Mugs and I cannot Lie by Natasha Phillips | Cupick
GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT
God Is An Astronaut made a strong claim to being the best Irish indie export of the 2000s, thanks to their mix of epic melodies of post-rock, the precision of electronic-fuelled Krautrock and elements of space rock. The band’s status was further boosted by their active anti-war stance and their fierce live performances.
God is An Astronaut by Sin | Cupick
THE BLACK KEYS
The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar,vocals) and Patrick Carney (drums). The duo began as an independent act, recording music in basements and self-producing their records, before they eventually emerged as one of the most popular garage artists during a second wave of the genre’s revival. The band’s raw blues rock sound draws heavily from Auerbach’s blues influences.
Till I Get Away by I,Saint Yuvee | Cupick
RADIOHEAD
Radiohead were one of the most innovative and provocative bands of the 1990s and 2000s, five very serious Englishmen guys who developed their own sound and always tried really, really hard. The band, began as purveyors of a swooning, from-the-gut sound that Alicia Silverstone aptly labeled as “complaint rock” in the film Clueless.
Thom Yorke by Vaishnavi Ravi | CupickRadiohead by Sidharth Ojha | CupickRadiohead by Pooja Bulbule | CupickRadiohead by Albert | CupickThom Yorke by Tanya Singh | Cupick
ZEDD
Born Anton Zaslavski, German producer Zedd broke onto the European electronic scene in 2010 with a remix of Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.” Though known for his glitch, pulsing production, Zedd’s musical journey began in the acoustic realm.
Transmission by Jaiwant Pradhan | Cupick
AYO
Folk-soul chanteuse Ayo emerged as one of Europe’s biggest new pop stars of 2006 with her breakthrough debut LP, Joyful. Born to a Nigerian father and gypsy mother, as a child Ayo absorbed the musical traditions of her parentage as well as influences including American soul, reggae, and Afrobeat.
Only You by Navedita Singh | Cupick
WALK OFF THE EARTH
Walk Off the Earth turn folky pop into a multimedia extravaganza with their irreverent and innovative takes on artists like Gotye and Adele.
Walk Off the Earth by Teo Ventura | Cupick
CHET BAKER
Chet Baker was a primary exponent of the West Coast school of cool jazz in the early and mid-’50s. As a trumpeter, he had a generally restrained, intimate playing style and he attracted attention beyond jazz.
Chet Baker by Kehaan Saraiya | Cupick
THELONIUS MONK
Thelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer. Monk had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire.
Old Monk by Kehaan Saraiya | Cupick
INCUBUS
Incubus became one of the most popular alt-metal bands of the new millennium, setting themselves apart from a crowded field with a tireless touring ethic and a broad musical palette.
In This Moment by Madhuvanti Mohan | CupickAnomaly by Anoushka Gonsalves | Cupick
MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN
Maynard James Keenan of Tool isn’t afraid to unseal the hidden miseries of everyday existence. With Tool’s first album Undertow, Keenan was thrust into the spotlight of alternative rock stardom; his grim lyrics and cold, angst-laden vocals appealed to both goth rockers and heavy metal enthusiasts.
Maynard James Keenan by Swayampravo Dasgupta | Cupick
LUKE SITAL SINGH
Raised in the southwest London suburb of New Malden, indie folk singer/songwriter Luke Sital-Singh released his first EP, Fail for You, in late 2012.
Bring Me Desire Bottled Up Tight by Sonika Sil | Cupick
NEIL YOUNG
Young has always kept his fans guessing, turning an array of stylistic corners — country twang here, poignant picking there, and a whole lot of blaring guitar rock everywhere between. It doesn’t matter if the songs are personal confessions, allusive tales, or bouncy throwaways — since the mid-1960s Young has filled each with immediacy and passion.
Neil Young by Ocean Clark | Cupick
JAMES BROWN
What became known as soul music in the Sixties, funk music in the Seventies and rap music in the Eighties is directly attributable to James Brown. His transformation of gospel fervor into the taut, explosive intensity of rhythm & blues, combined with precision choreography and dynamic showmanship, served to define the directions black music would take from the release of his first R&B hit (“Please Please Please”) in 1956 to the present day.
James Brown by Shruti Anand | Cupick
Do you know any artists or artwork that should be featured on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
We wanted to get to know our artists better so we set out finding the tools they keep in their arsenal. A glimpse at their workstations revealed a much needed component to bringing their inspirations to life.
With the right supplies, materials and tools, the realization of art becomes but a simpler process. With all the amazing art around us on Cupick, we’ve tried to shed some light upon an essential part of the process that goes into creating art.
We begin this series by taking a look at the tools used by five of Cupick’s artists. Click on the images to explore more of their work on Cupick.
ALEX GRIFFITHS
Alex G. Griffiths is an illustrator and designer based out of London. He’s a self-described daydreamer and a glance at his work lends credit to it. Alex’s work is very approachable. There’s an innocence about it, yet it comes with a deeper sense of meaning when you explore his pieces as a whole.
Observatory by Alex Griffiths
Pen and Paper are the tools for Alex and he believes them to be good starting points for any illustrator or designer. His traditional methods bring a whole lot of earthiness to his work, authenticated by his love for nature and the countryside.
Seok Ji, a young artist from South Korea ponders solitude by delving deep into her mind. Unperturbed by the infinity of her imagination, she embraces its beauty along with its ruthlessness. Her artwork reflects what she feels- attuned to her surroundings, aware of and effortlessly at one with nature.
Inner Part by Seok Ji
Seok Ji works with anything she can get her hands on. Her main tools are her vast collection of pens and photoshop. With no fixed time-period within which she operates, her tools afford her the leisure of losing herself in her thoughts.
Detailing and intricate patterns give definition to art, without these accessories art is as good as an empty brush stroke. Param Jain, shows us exactly how patterns come to flow and evolve in his artworks. His impulse to capture the endless creations of nature is clearly mirrored in his artwork. Reverberating an essence of tranquillity and calmness, his style is an elegant treaty between nature and art.
Frida Kahlo by Param Jain
Param uses rotring pens (o.o1 and o.8) to illustrate and enhances his work on Photoshop or Illustrator, if it seems necessary. A continuous supply of coffee is another indispensable tool.
Param’s Workstation and ToolsParam’s Workstation and ToolsWork in Progress
Arushi Kathuria takes form as Swine Flew in her dreams. She is the master of fluorescents and brave contrasts. She personifies the interstellar with limitless colors and a vivid imagination.You can’t help but drown in its blaze.
Cray Cray by SwineFlew
Arushi tends to sit with a blank page or canvas and just let her thoughts flow. Days and may be even weeks go by, until her work nears completion.
Saloni Sinha wanders into immaculately constructed dreamscapes, meandering through its highs and lows, fueled by an insatiable curiosity for adventure. Every vivid detail and every overlooked intricacy, instigates a journey, that only ceases with the familiar. Though Saloni’s artwork depicts alternate worlds with fascination, there’s an underlying sense of belonging, hopeful of finding home amongst the unfamiliar.
Voyager by Saloni Sinha
Saloni starts with drawing roughly on Cartridge paper, then inking it with Microtips and scanning and adding flat colors on Photoshop/Illustrator. She uses a Wacom tablet sometimes for further line shade.
If you are a registered artist on Cupick, share pictures of your workstation with us and the entire Cupick Community. We would love to get a glimpse of where all the magic happens!
Andy Westface draws upon the indefatigable spirit of friendship, to explore the depth of emotional connections. Through his insights into nature, Andy portrays a universal yearning for companionship, the fulfillment of which infuses life with colour and vivacity. He paints a picture of hope for the eternal and ethereal.
In a chat with us, Andy reminisces his childhood and the inspiration he draws from his experiences with everything around him.
INTERVIEW
Hello Andy, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you, tell us more about yourself.
Hello, I was born and raised in Hong Kong. I really think it’s one of the coolest cities. It’s the city that never sleeps. Here are so many skyscrapers, this puts the city at the top of world rankings. Hong Kong is a fast moving city which depends on foreign investments and tourism. It’s the heaven of shopping for the locals and tourists here. And it’s very safe walking on the streets of Hong Kong in
the day or night as Hong Kong city is well-known for the lowest crime rates in Asia.
I liked drawing, football, swimming and being outside when I was a child. And I love animals, so I love to stay in a zoo always. I was allowed a considerable amount of freedom.
I am now a freelance graphic designer and illustrator based in Hong Kong.
How did you realize that art was your calling?
I started to draw when I was a child and I loved sketching on my school books all the time. Since my high school graduation, based on some personal reasons, I have tried few type of jobs not concerned with art or design, but I feel it does not suit for me, in my heart I was tempted to try to create something different. Therefore I chose go back to the school and majored in graphic design. Afterwards I was the art director of a local graphic design company for two years. And now I like to be a freelancer since I can be ” The boss of myself “, and I truly love to be an illustrator so much.
Best Friend by Andy Westface | Cupick
Does your artwork reflect any cultural traits? Do your surroundings inspire your work?My works are mostly a reflection of dreams, childhood, liveliness and personality.
And I’ve always wondered if there will be a day that the animals can communicate with humans and be our friends. It will make our world become such a real fairyland. I love fairytale stories because they are so wonderful and hopeful. It is the message that I want to share. I always want to create a world that is full of positive power. In that world, humans and animals can have their own personality and they can pursue their own dreams. Just like the fox in my artwork ” Rainbow Fox ” who wants to be different from the others, the elephant in ” Fly High And Dream Big ” who wants to fly, and the crocodile in ” Croco Rock ” he loves rock-and-roll as his lifestyle. They are also the dreams of many people. When I put humans and animals together in my artworks, the animals always represent a kind of feeling or the theme of my artworks. I love to use the universe to create the animals because it makes the feeling and the theme of artworks not limited by time. Sometimes, it can be a memory from my childhood. The Orangutan in ” Papa ” represents memories of my father.
In fact, I like to observe and find points of inspiration so everything can become the themes of my artworks. This inspiration can come from a movie. It can come from the daily news. It can come from conversations between my friends and colleagues. It can come from the view out the window from a restaurant or in a car. When I get something, a moment of inspiration, I jot down in my sketch book instantly.
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from the moment you form your idea to the moment you complete it?
It’s hard to say, I think it’s depends on the condition. If I have a very clear idea and image in my mind, I usually can complete the works in few hours or a day. But if not, these kind of pieces can take me a week or month.
MY WORKS ARE MOSTLY A REFLECTION OF DREAMS, CHILDHOOD, LIVELINESS AND PERSONALITY.
Who are your top three favorite artists that you take inspiration from?
I love artworks of Joan Cornellà in Spain, Blanca Gómez in Spain and Yoshitomo Nara in Japan. Their works were inspired me very much.
Papa by Andy Westface | Cupick
Give Me a Hug by Andy Westface | Cupick
We’d like to know more about the art scene in Hong Kong. How do you see yourself in it?
It’s a real struggle for people to become artists in Hong Kong. I really feel people here do not pay attention to or nor spend time on art, they only love money. Compared with other major cities, it’s easy to imagine Hong Kong as something of a cultural desert, with its creative soul smothered in dunes of cold, hard cash. For most people here art is more a little hobby than a career, therefore freelancer designer or illustrator like me was not mainstream. Artists feel helpless always under the Hong Kong Government’s policy.
We believe that art acts as a singular platform which every person can relate to, do you agree? Or do you think language can sometimes act as a barrier?
Yes, I agree with this. I think art just like music has no boundaries, which every person can relate to. So I can say my words and share my stories in my illustrations.
Are you working on any project at the moment? We are curious to know what’s been up your sleeve.
I’m not working on any projects at this moment. After my vacation, I’m currently work on some personal project. It’s a series of illustration about the Contradiction between reality and ideal.
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
Specifically, I will deal with commercial projects as a priority, and then the personal projects. But in my experience, some of my commercial projects have happened from my personal projects. Anyway I’m still learning to get a better balance between these.
Curiosity by Andy Westface | Cupick
How do you tackle problems or constraints you face while working with clients?
I think listening is the most important part. I will listen carefully to the needs of customers, and try to thinking in their position.
Procrastination-what is your relationship with it?
I don’t think I have a procrastination problem. If I do feel like I am not in a good creative condition, I will find some old idea which keep on my sketchbook and just complete it first, Because I have a habit, when any ideas come out, I will keep it down on my sketchbook immediately.
What do you think about India and the artists here? If you had the chance to visit this country, where would you want to go first?
I love that Indian art includes a lot of religious elements, like the Hindu Gods and Goddesses symbols or pattern. I think religion has been an important part of Indian life and most art, including literature have religious elements to them. If I had the chance to visit India, I think I will visit the capital ” New Delhi ” first.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me means someday, my works can push someone to chase their dreams. I always want to create a world that is full of positive power. In that world, humans and animals can have their own personality and they can pursue their own dreams.
How important is music in recreating visions off your mind?
Music really inspires me a lot, I love to listen pop music when I was drawing.
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
I can certainly share my favourite.
” Promise ” – The black bear in ” Promise ” represents our promises to ourselves and the question: “When the time passes, do we still keep our promises?
Promise by Andy Westface | Cupick
” Gray ” – “Gray” is inspired from a feeling of ” right or wrong “. When I was young, I thought the line between ” good or bad ” and ” white or black ” was clear. For example, it is wrong to tell a lie. The ferocious animals like wolves and crocodiles are evil things. However, I found that there was no clear-cut between ” right and wrong ” when I was growing up. There is always a big ” Gray ” area between ” white and black ” . I kept thinking of this concept over the years, and one day, I forget the exact time and place, I remembered that a white bear came into my mind slowly and then a black bear appeared. At that moment, I knew that they would be the most suitable characters of ” Gray “, and my idea crystallized.
Gray by Andy Westface | Cupick
SUCCESS TO ME MEANS SOMEDAY, MY WORKS CAN PUSH SOMEONE TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS.
If you could wish for one, and only one superpower, what superpower would you chose?
Time Travel.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding artists, what would that be?
I’m a budding artist myself, but I think learning how to build up your own style is the most difficult thing to work out when becoming a great illustrator. No one can tell you a shortcut to find the way, trying and practicing should be the key to opening the door of success. And I am still trying my best to establish my own style now. And I would say the following to other artist:
” It always seems impossible until it’s done. “
You should start your illustration career as early as possible and no matter what the results are, just do what you really want.
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
I’m so glad I can be a part of Cupick. It’s really been a great experience and can’t wait for many more to come.
“There is no line between fine art and illustration; there is no high or low art; there is only art, and it comes in many forms.” – James Gurney
Art in India is gaining new forms.It’s the beginning of a period of metamorphosis. At the helm of this change are many a talented artists determined to make their mark and to boldly go where no man has gone before. With social media taking art to a wider audience, artists are being imparted recognition resulting in a welcome shift in the popular art scene.
We wanted to explore the rising talent across India and so we have compiled a list of upcoming artists, starting from Bangalore. (This list is no particular order and may not be exhaustive.)
Danger Cat
Way of the Samurai by Danger Cat | Cupick
Dangercat is the playground of Sonali Zohra’s creative reflections. Amidst Bangalore’s clutter, her illustrations are like a mid-summer breeze, fresh and unaffected. Driven by will and passion, Sonali is also a professional photographer. Her conviction of sticking to her imaginative self is clearly reproduced in her artwork. Discover more of her work here.
Shilo Shiv Suleman
I Never Ask for it by Shilo Shiv Suleman | Cupick
Fearless is a growing collective of artists formed in response to the Delhi Gang Rape and India’s feminist wave with beautiful affirmations of Fearlessness and Courage. Since it’s inception, the collective has been successfully engaging the community in raising dialogue about gender violence and equality. The collective was conceived of and is managed by Shilo Shiv Suleman. Discover more of Shilo and The Fearless Collective here.
Matt Lee
From the Sandown Series by Matt Lee
Matt Lee is an artist, illustrator and educator from the UK who has lived and worked in Bangalore since 2007. He incorporates digital drawing, photography and video to explore the richness of the combination of British and Indian aesthetics. The Sandown series features animals from matchboxes transposed onto sceneries where they are immediately out of place. This duality of sense and non-sense is what Matt examines. Discover more of Matt Lee’s work here.
Kaveri Gopalakrishnan
Travel Light by Kaveri Gopalakrishnan | Cupick
Kaveri Gopalakrishnan is an illustrator,comic artist who graduated in Animation Film Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Her illustrations reflect her own desire for exploration. She travels and pens down her deep love for adventure, that transcends time and space.Discover more of Kaveri’s work here.
Acid Toad
Ice Serpent by Acid Toad | Cupick
Acid Toad is an exploration of psychedelia manifest through the dark mind of its creator – Acid Toad a.k.a Gaurav Basu – an illustrator and designer from Bangalore, India. Vocalist at Inner Sanctum, an extreme metal band and one of the heavyweights in the Indian scene, Gaurav is turned on by all kinds of creative pursuits and is quite adept at giving laughter-inducing interviews. Discover more of Gaurav’s work here.
Gumani
Annoyed Doily Cat by Gumani | Cupick
Pia Meenakshi a.k.a Gumani, is a Bangalore-based illustrator and tattoo artist, who runs her own studio where her imagination runs free amidst waking dreams of wolves, skulls, plants, and other such delightful haunts of wanting to escape into the wild. One can’t help but notice the manifestation of these elements in her work. Discover more of Pia’s work here.
Rucha Dhayarkar
The Cat family and their heirlooms by Rucha Dhayarkar | Cupick
A sense of playfulness, a spoonful of delightful and a sprinkling of nostalgia. Rucha Dhayarkar’s hand-drawn art is a soulful reminder of the joys of everyday life. She reminds us why we and perhaps she herself too cannot let go of the little things that surround us. Discover more of Rucha’s work here.
The Painter of Oz
01100010076 by The Painter of Oz | Cupick
It’s hard not to like someone who loves dragons. Add to that a die hard love for Nick Drake, and you will understand, why Ojoswi Sur is an extremely affable and warm character. The ‘Painter of Oz‘ is influenced by music and literature, but takes on other subjects and does justice to his moniker. Discover more of Ojoswi’s work here.
Joanna Davala
Bangalore by Joanna Davala | Cupick
Joanna Davala decided to pursue illustration as a career because in her own words she enjoyed it too damn much. Currently a student, she found her inspiration from her aunt who had the knack for creativity. Joanna focuses on the mellow and subtle, her artwork reflecting a gentleness that many seem to ignore.Discover more of Joanna’s work here.
Sheena Deviah
Beethoven’s Favourite Fruit by Ragamuffin Illustration | Cupick
Sheena Deviah is primarily an illustrator who is also interested in typography and design. Humour and minimalism are her trademarks but that does not deter her from transforming her experiences, giving light to her unquenched desires.Discover more of Sheena’s work here.
Nupur Panemanglor
Sew It Goes by Nupur Panemanglor
Through her illustrations, Nupur recreates tranquility. The solitude she portrays is never burdensome but a path to self-discovery. Though it may seem otherwise, there is no lack of emotion in her portrayals. It simmers beneath the surface, calm like the deep ocean. Discover more of Nupur’s work here.
Xi Lu
VeganHeart by Xi Lu | Cupick
Xi Lu’s musings are an intriguing juxtaposition of cute and savage. A self- professed cat lover, Xi contributes to the welfare of animals by donating earnings to the Animal Aid Alliance.Discover more of Xi Lu’s work here.
Agni Janakiram
Bird’s Eye View by Agni Janakiram | Cupick
Agni Janakiram is an artist,educator, sculptor and the person behind Lemon Tree Studios. She finds inspiration for her illustrations from nature, imparting them with a resilience so easily overlooked by people.Discover more of Agni’s work here.
Malvika Tewari
Dahoud by Malvika Tewari | Cupick
Malvika’s artwork is a contemplative study of character, of the myriad emotions that affect us in our life, may be even in the span a single day. There is however a undertone of satisfaction, a feeling of contentment that engulfs the one who feels.Discover more of Malvika’s work here.
Surasti Puri
Private Spaces Series by Surasti Puri
Surasti Puri, graphic designer and illustrator weaves a tale of contrasts. Her illustrations present a foreboding sense of loneliness and discontent even when surrounded by distractions that would be welcome otherwise. A quiet descent into utter chaos. Discover more of Surasti’s work here.
Bhavani S Kumar
Bunny Boy by bbubs | Cupick
Bhavani is an illustrator who specialised in 2d animation at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. She takes inspiration from comic books, cartoons and games and recreates artwork that constitutes merging pop art with minimalism. Besides digital illustration, Bhavani has dabbled in story telling, art direction, installation art and sculpting. Discover more of Bhavani’s work here.
A Bad Girl
A Bad Girl | Cupick
The famous (or infamous) bad girl poster originally began as an assignment at Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology. Five students Roshan Shakeel, Sparsh Saxena, Jaiwant Pradhan, Stuti Kothari and Furqan Jawed, inspired by retro school infographics, created the Bad Girl as a satirical take on the gender stereotypes and inequality prevalent in the country.Discover more of A Bad Girl here.
Rohit Bhasi
Bhairon:The Brave by Rohit Bhasi | Cupick
Rohit in his own words daylights as communications designer at a obscenely huge corporation in Bangalore. He is however passionate about illustration, paintings and murals. His work is sprinkled with humour and satire along with warmth and reverence.Discover more of Rohit’s work here.
Prabha Mallaya
On making Wet Food at Home for your Growing Kitten by Prabha Mallaya
Prabha Mallaya is an illustrator, writer and comic book maker. Her artwork is an irresistible cocktail of humour and mystery. She has illustrated many a book covers including The Wildings and Beastly Tales from Here and There, to name a few. Besides book covers, Prabha has published graphic short stories in Mint, the Obliterary Journal Vol II, ForbesLife, and Brainwave magazine.Discover more of Prabha’s work here.
Alagu Chockalingam
Artwork by Alagu Chockalingam
Alagu Chockalingam is a graphic designer and illustrator, with special interests in branding and typography. When she’s not busy discovering new things about the world around her, she loves to bake, to eat, to read and to drink too much tea.Discover more of Alagu’s work here.
Arushi Sethi
Emotional Obesity by feedyourhead | Cupick
Arushi Sethi has been publishing her works through her brand, ‘Feed Your Head’. She is from Gujarat and has lived in many parts of India. Currently pursuing my education in visual communication design, she also has one-third of a B.A in psychology. Other forms of art (life activities) that inspire her to illustrate are Batik, Carpentry and Cooking (terrible and still learning). Discover more of Arushi’s work here.
Vamsi Krishna
Wings by Vamsi Krishna | Cupick
Vamsi Krishna is freestyle photographer and digital artist. Though his artwork is geometric and minimalistic, there is an unusually organic quality to it that mirrors the nature it draws inspiration from. Discover more of Vamsi’s work here.
Abhishek Choudhury
The Jack’O Diamonds by Abhishek Choudhury | Cupick
Abhishek’s artwork reveals a profound influence of cartoons and caricatures. He re-imagines popular faces and peppers them with humour to create thoroughly satisfying doppelgangers. Discover more of Abhishek’s work here.
Nicolai Nazareth
Steampunk Ballerina by Nicolai Nazareth
Nicolai is currently an animation student but with interests in illustration and digital art. He treads away from the traditional, drawing upon his diverse interests to paint a portrait that is as sociable as it is individualistic.Discover more of Nicolai’s work here.
Deepti Ramakrishnan
Introvert by Deepti Ramakrishnan | Cupick
There is no room for melancholy in her expression. Deepti Ramakrishnan, a young illustrator depicts a happy place through patterns and pathways of her imagination. Her artwork appears as an exploration of the universe inside the mind, a thought process that doesn’t seem to have an end or a beginning. You cannot shut it off, you can just let it flow like a stream in the woods. Discover more of Deepti’s work here.
Megha Vishwanath
The Malay Fabric by Megha Vishwanath | Cupick
Megha’s thoughts escape into the moon lit sky which transforms them into a hypnotic dance. Her portraits betray mystery and adventure, of wandering into the unknown and discovering something new. Discover more of Megha’s work here.
Shikha Nambiar
Don’t Worry by Shikha Nambiar | Cupick
Shikha’s rare sense of optimism is utterly encapsulating. There’s no better way to start a day. Reminiscent of graffiti art that adorns many walls in India, Shikha’s art is a glorious rebirth of that lost tradition.Discover more of Shikha’s work here.
Ullas Hydoor
Stuck with a question and the obsession to be first….by Ullas Hydoor
Ullas Hydoor is an architect exploring the world through different mediums of art. With unbridled passion for graffiti, street art and public installations, Ullas has been slowly transforming Bangalore’s faceless walls into a narrative of the society that erects them. Discover more of Ullas’ work here.
Abhigna Bararia
Ant-ed by Abhigna Bararia
Abhigna Bararia is an illustrator, typographer and graphic artist. Intricate, delicate and slightly bizarre, Abhigna’s illustrations are a look into nature’s soul, the stuff that binds it all together and holds true in the face of change.Discover more of Abhigna’s work here.
Neelima Prasanna Aryan
Misfit by Bluinker | Cupick
Neelima paints a picture of strength that traverses a convoluted maze of hopes and dreams but emerges victorious. There is a theme of survival that underscores all her artwork, that highlights the courage acquired through perseverance.Discover more of Neelima’s work here.
Rathee Ramani Iyer
Tibetan Girls by Rathee Ramani Iyer | Cupick
Incessantly knocking upon the fine line between reality and fantasy, Rathee creates a world of distorted yet beautiful and mesmerizing harmony. She draws primarily upon what she experiences, what heighten her senses and surrenders to her free spirited imagination that transforms her thoughts into palpable truths.Discover more of Rathee’s work here.
Sadhvi Jawa
Letting Go by Sadhvi Jawa
Sadhvi, a student at Shrishti School of Art, Design and Technology, has interests in illustration, textile and interaction design. Through her illustrations, Sadhvi wishes to create a safe haven for adults who have forgotten their inner child, a place where all wounds heal and one can cry, smile, ponder, feel joy, get angry, laugh and have one’s own moment. Discover more of Sadhvi’s work here.
Vinayak Varma
Navarasa by Vinayak Varma
Vinayak Varma is a designer and visual artist based in Bangalore. His deep understanding of human emotion is evident from the amazing detail he puts into his work, which contains dashes of humour and satire. Discover more of Vinayak’s work here.
Akash Nandi
Statue Aura by Akash Nandi | Cupick
Akash brings together fragments of imagination to create a portrait of coherence. The puzzle of nature unsolved, Akash wanders into the recesses of his mind to find the answers which take form in his illustrations. Discover more of Akash’s work here.
Shweta Pai
Imprints of the natural world by Shweta Pai
Shweta Pai is a texile designer from Bangalore whose major influence is nature in it plural forms. With utmost regard for natures design, Shweta ensures that her work remains true to its inspiration.Discover more of Shweta’s work here.
Jayesh Joshi
Nari by Jayesh Joshi | Cupick
Jayesh explores the different sides to desire and sexuality through his illustrations. The simplicity of his art echos a larger truth of nature, the un-necessarily deliberate complication of simple facts of human existence. Discover more of Jayesh’s work here.
Koyal Chengappa
Vulnerability by Koyal Chengappa | Cupick
Koyal Chengappa illustrates with passion, the tribulations that accompany humility. Given to assessment and re-assessment of the self, the humble brave vulnerability and introspection to emerge with the gift of self-discovery. Discover more of Koyal’s work here.
Satish Gangaiah
Mogambo by Satish Gangaiah | Cupick
Satish Gangaiah is a UI/UX designer, Digital Artist, illustrator and concept artist from Bangalore. Satish’s art is a take on popular culture. From Sheldon Cooper to Mogambo, Satish breathes new life into characters we love. Discover more of Satish’s work here.
Nawang Bhutia
Sorrow by Nawang Bhutia | Cupick
Nawang Bhutia captures a pervasive melancholy, the kind that can extinguish every little flame of happiness and joy. It is as much a part of us as the joy it so repels but sometimes its power os difficult to overcome. Discover more of Nawang’s work here.
Tanvee Nabar
Book of Verses by Tanvee Nabar
Illustrator, Graphic Designer and Typographer, Tanvee Nabar creates a yearning for solace, a desire for intimacy through her artwork, inspired by nature, people and architecture. Discover more of Tanvee’s work here.
Swati Banerjee
Dictionary of the obscure sorrow-Silience by Swati Banerjee | Cupick
Swati is graphic designer, illustrator and art director currently studying at Srishti School of Art,Design and Technology. Her illustrations are often rooted in raw emotion which is a recurring theme across all her work. Discover more of Swati’s work here.
Johanna Pinto
Dragon Eye by Johanna Pinto | Cupick
Johanna Pinto’s style ranges from Modern Art, Abstract Art and Conceptual Art. A graduate in Textile Design, Johanna incorporates textile design process into making her paintings. Her artwork seems ready to take a leap into fantasy, into a distant dreamland to lose itself in the wonder. Discover more of Johanna’s work here.
Ambady
Terminator by Ambady | Cupick
Ambady turns the dull into something so special, you’ll keep coming back to it over and over. With an interest in figures of popular culture, Ambady delivers the pop to pop art. Discover more of Ambady’s work here.
Nishant D’Souza
Metamorphosis of Thought by Nishant D’Souza | Cupick
The process of transformation is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Nishant D’Souza explores the pain and pleasures of transformation. He ponders the process through which the old is discarded and the new is welcomed. Discover more of Nishant’s work here.
Pallavi Agarwal
Shiva by Pallavi Agarwal
Pallavi Agarwal, graphic designer and student at Srishti School of Art Design &Technology is all for new experiences. As evident from her abstract portraits, she is an adventuress. Discover more of Pallavi’s work here.
Tanya Singh
Like A Virgin by Tanya Singh | Cupick
Tanya’s illustrations are a mirror of her vision of the world. There are no fragments in her universe, diverse elements come together to complement each other and transform each other in their entirety. That’s what makes her portraits so intriguing, they transport us into a world we otherwise would not have had the chance to imagine. Discover more of Tanya’s work here.
Gitanjali Sukumar
Oh Deer by Lotta Farber | Cupick
Gitanjali works her magic to create an alternate universe where beauty takes the form of uninhibited kindness. The vivid colours are a glimpse into our own potential to exhibit this delicate and rainbow hued landscape. Discover more of Gitanjali’s work here.
Shubhangi Goel
Illustration by Shubhangi Goel
Shubhangi Goel, is an illustrator, graphic designer and typographer from Bangalore. With a very diverse portfolio, covering branding, editorial designs and illustration projects, Shubhangi Goel is an up and coming artist to look out for. Discover more of Shubhangi’s work here.
Rhea Ahuja
Kurt Cobain by Rhea Ahuja | Cupick
Rhea Ahuja is the quintessential fan-girl besides being one of Bangalore’s upcoming artists. Her artworks are tributes to her favourites. Nirvana and Alt-J to name a few.Discover more of Rhea’s work here.
Varsha Chakkera
Urban Traditions by Varsha Chakkera | Cupick
Varsha Chakkera uses irreverence to her advantage. Her artworks introduce a twist in the tale, rendering them a confluence of ideas and concepts. She portrays modernity without abandoning her traditional roots. Discover more of Varsha’s work here.
Aniruddh Dube
Cycling is Timeless by Aniruddh Dube
Aniruddh Dube, illustrator and digital artist from Bangalore, fabricates artwork that dwells in memories and nostalgia. It reminds us of the moments we hold so dear. Like the quite music that streams through nature undetected, the memories Aniruddh recreates gently takes hold with no intention to escape. Discover more of Aniruddh’s work here.
Tshirt Baba
Kurruption by Tshirt Baba | Cupick
Thoughtful, funny and satirical, Vishal Kumar a.k.a Tshirt Baba imparts knowledge to his disciples with his witty illustrations. Influenced by everything popular including, movies,T.V, music, comics etc, Tshirt Baba redefines humour. Discover more of Vishal’s work here.
Sara Joseph
In & Out by Sara Joseph | Cupick
Sara Joseph experiments with the abstract but remains rooted to tradition. She explores nature in a different light, open to new discoveries and interpretations but does abandon the beliefs that she holds close.In doing so she reveals the insight offered by curiosity. Discover more of Sara’s work here.
Harshvardhan Gantha
Ryan Gosling by Harshvardhan Gantha
A visual communication designer, Harshvardhan’s interests lie mainly in brand identity design, typography and illustration. His take on Ryan Gosling is surely going to get people swooning. Discover more of Harshvardhan’s work here.
Abhimanyu Ghimiray
John Lennon by Abhimanyu Ghimiray | Cupick
Abhimanyu Ghimiray is a Post Graduate from the National Institute of Design 2011 and a marketing graduate from Sukhdev College of Business Studies, 2008. His artwork is a product of his daily musings, representing the quirky sides to his personality. Discover more of Abhimanyu’s work here.
Ayan Nag
Alphonse Elric by Ayan | Cupick
Science Fiction is a genre quite difficult to navigate but Ayan Nag creates a spectacular world in a parallel universe. A freelance artist who has been in the industry for 4 years, Ayan creates his concepts in the digital mediuam but is equally proficient in the traditional. Discover more of Ayan’s work here.
Maanvi Kapur
Portrait by Maanvi Kapur
Maanvi Kapur, illustrator and graphic designer from Bangalore, captures the essence of everyday life through her portraits. It’s not monotonous but peaceful and patient. Maanvi charts the the journey of individuals who accept their life with grace despite of pain and conflict. Discover more of Maanvi’s work here.
Nithin Sadhu
Doe Eyed Beauty bu Nithin Sadhu | Cupick
Nithin Sadhu’s portraits are made entirely with brown duct tape. Quite a tedious process involved but the result is breathtaking. Sophia Loren would be proud. Discover more of Nithin’s work here.
Aparajitha Vaasudev
Focus by Aparajitha Vaasudev | Cupick
Aparajitha evokes the spiritual with her portraits. Drawing inspiration from mythology, Aparajitha presents an abstract rendering of deities to symbolize the many forms that they can take. Discover more of Aparajitha’s work here.
Vinayak Jayasree
Kaka Thamburati (Queen of Crows) by Vinayak J | Cupick
Vinayak’s illustrations are like the breeze that swifts by while taking a stroll on a pleasant day at the beach. A self taught artist, Vinayak’s influences span from nature to mythology, culture and humour. Discover more of Vinayak’s work here.
Namitha Chegu
Mono Print by Namitha Chegu
Namitha Chegu is a textile designer from Bangalore. Her prints often represent traditional practices yet are deeply modern. Discover more of Namitha’s work here.
Satya Krishna Prakash
Dimaag Kharab by Satya Krishna Prakash | Cupick
Satya Krishna Prakash is an animator and graphic designer. His caricatures contain a healthy dose of sarcasm are downright hilarious. Discover more of Satya’s work here.
Vibhin
Cabbit by Vibhin | Cupick
Vibhin plays the trickster, creating humorous illusions inspired by the inanimate. Often combining pop art and minimalism, he delivers rib-tickling laughter. Discover more of Vibhin’s work here.
Juhi Agarwal
Illustration by Juhi Agarwal
A student of Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Juhi Agarwal’s ability to impart emotion to her illustrations is astounding. The serenity permeating the image imparts some grounding to the cacophony of colours. Discover more of Juhi’s work here.
George Thomas
The Monkey Biscuit by The Monkey Biscuit | Cupick
George Thomas takes form as The Monkey Biscuit, when putting ink to paper. A musician too, he believes in few words and verbosity of his art .Discover more of George’s work here.
Nandita Dhindsa
Place in Life by Nandita Dhindsa | Cupick
Nandita Dhindsa is an illustrator with interests in calligraphy, typography and anything else that catches her fancy. Her artwork mainly constitutes her observations, what she experiences finds her way into her art. Discover more of Nandita’s work here.
Rajasee Ray
The Apple Thieves by Rajasee Ray
Rajasee Ray weaves stories through graphic design, typography, illustration, website design and branding. Her illustrations are an intricately woven story, just as she professes them to be. Discover more of Rajasee’s work here.
Solomonsta
Kali 2.0 by Solomonsta | Cupick
Solomon has been working as a Concept artist and Illustrator for over 5 years now; working on art for games and animation, which includes Model sheets, Concept art, Illustrations, Cut scenes, Backgrounds, In-game assets and fully rendered artworks of various styles. He started off drawing a lot of anime art as a kid inspired by shows like “Macross” and “Saber Riders”. Discover more of Solomonsta’s work here.
Neha Rawat Battish
Salad by Neha Rawat | Cupick
Neha Rawat is a self-confessed dog lover and most of her illustrations venture into portraying dogs in all shapes and sizes. Inspired by cartoons and comics, she portrays a world full of happiness which is so hard not share. Discover more of Neha’s work here.
Jithin Jacob
Biscottee-An Adventure by Jithin Jacob | Cupick
Jithin is a children’s book illustrator and graphic designer based in Bangalore. His illustrations have won the laughter and hearts of children and adults alike. Discover more of Jithin’s work here.
Madhav Chatterjee
Christopher Walken by Madhav Chatterjee | Cupick
Madhav Chatterjeee is a cinematographer, art director and digital artist based in Bangalore. We can tell from his portrait of Christopher Walken, Madhav is certainly an artist to look out for.Discover more of Madhav’s work here.
Manek D’Silva
iScowl by Manek D’Silva | Cupick
Manek has been heavily influenced by television, cartoons, video games and comics and would in his own words rather not show the world as it is.Discover more of Manek’s work here.
Barath Jayarajan
Crown Guard by Barath Jayarajan | Cupick
Barath Jayarajan is a photographer and illustrator, who appreciates the nature around him and captures captivating portraits. Discover more of Barath’s work here.
Ivy Mukherjee
Salvador Dali by Ivy Mukherjee | Cupick
Ivy Mukherjee is a graduate from St. Xaviers College,Kolkata, currently working as a Graphic Designer in Bangalore. As a graphic designer/ visual artist she aims to generate social impact by organizing campaigns and publishing free books to under-privileged children.Discover more of Ivy’s work here.
Prasad Bhat
The Godfather by Graphicurry
Graphicurry is the brainchild of Prasad Bhat and it is so named because he grew up with inherent skills of drawing and eating food. Prasad hold a degree in Engineering but his true passion remained in art. He creates versions of that which already exists and turns them into something spectacular. Discover more of Prasad’s work here.
Leena Swamy
Marilyn Monroe by Kaleidostrokes | Cupick
Leena Swamy stumbled upon art fairly recently. But with what we have witnessed she seems to have always had the knack for it. With caricatures that could possibly make more than just giggle, she is one artist to look out for. Discover more of Leena’s work here.
Pearl D’Souza
Ocean Mist by Pearl D’Souza | Cupick
The ocean is contradictory. It contains multitudes. Pearl D’Souza captures this dichotomy through her art, exploring the vastness of emotion the sea holds, exploring the multitudes which we find within ourselves . Discover more of Pearl’s work here.
Clinto Jagan
Dream of Mind by Clinto Jagan | Cupick
Clinto’s artwork is perhaps a reflection of his own inquisitive nature. Originally from Thrissur, Kerala, Clinto currently works in Bangalore and has even exhibited his work in Spain.Discover more of Clinto’s work here.
Createewitty
Sholay by Createewitty | Cupick
Createewitty was founded by Rohit Kumar as the place to find quirky artwork on tshirts. With influences ranging from Bollywood,Hollywood, comics and humour, Createewitty offers a wide range of artworks to suit your taste. Discover more of Rohit’s work here.
Natarajan Shanmugam
Red Planet Rising by Natarajan Shanmugam | Cupick
Natarajan Shanmugam is an illustrator, graphic designer and 3D artist based in Bangalore. We loved his series of Game of Thrones illustrations. Discover more of Natarajan’s work here.
Param Jain
Ms. Kahlo by Param Jain | Cupick
Param Jain, shows us exactly how patterns come to flow and evolve in his artworks. His impulse to capture the endless creations of nature is clearly mirrored in his artwork. Reverberating an essence of tranquillity and calmness, his style is an elegant treaty between nature and art. Discover more of Param’s work here.
Isfaq Zaman
Submerge by Ishfaq Zaman | Cupick
Ishfaq is a self-confessed lover of stories, drawing and cartoons. His illustrations are an explosive amalgam of all his interests. Discover more of Ishfaq’s work here
Fukvaas
Hollofixation by Fukvaas | Cupick
Fukvaas was started by Ishan Kanwar and Varun Kanwar. Ishan is a Graphic Artist/ Designer and a musician as well. Varun is an Animator and Motion Graphic Artist. Discover more of Fukvaas here.
Aishwarya Ravichandran
Brave by Aishwarya Ravichandran | Cupick
Originally from Chennai, Aishwarya is currently a student at NIFT Bangalore. With a clear insight into form and context, she is as passionate about illustration as she is about fashion. Discover more of Aishwarya’s work here.
Skylit Designs
Do you bleed by Siddharth B | Cupick
Skylit Designs by Siddharth Baskaran is here to solve the dilemma of a lack of choice. Skylit Designs offers customization based on customer submitted designs along with readily available merchandise, bringing you closer to your favourites. Discover more of Skylit Designs here.
Rajarshi Goswami
Tyrion Lannister by Rajarshi Goswami | Cupick
Rajarshi Goswami is a doodler by passion and a consultant by profile. You’ll need to look closely at his wonderfully intricate doodles to decipher all that’s been incorporated. Discover more of Rajarshi’s work here.
Holy Cow Studio
Postcard by Holy Cow Studio | Cupick
Shashank Satish is the man behind Holy Cow Studio based in Bangalore. Graphic Design, Advertising and Photography, Shashank’s diverse interests and achievements have made him one of the foremost emerging graphic artists in Bangalore. Discover more of Shashank’s work here.
Romik Bose Mitra
Shiva by Romik Bose Mitra | Cupick
Romik Bose Mitra, graphic designer, visual artist and student at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, goes by the alias Lazy Jalebi. Through his art, Romik attempts to redefine his perception of the world, breathing fresh life into the dullness of monotony. Discover more of Romik’s work here.
Promit De
Immortan Joe by Promit De | Cupick
Promit De, who also goes by I, Saint Yuvee, is a vfx artist, photographer, metalhead and a bong at heart. His illustrations and photographs are vivid representations of his influences. Discover more of Promit’s work here.
Irikshna
Kakihara by Irikshna | Cupick
Irikshna is the contemplative playground of Camilla Sebastian. Her mysterious portraits lure the mind into uncertainty, escaping which involves overcoming the intense need for gratification. Discover more of Camilla’s work here.
Deepika Prasad
Mom by Deepika Prasad | Cupick
Deepika Prasad is a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer based in Bangalore. Her passion for patterns gives us art a a very intimate character.Her series of postcards and greeting cards are sure to light up anybody’s day. Discover more of Deepika’s work here.
Shruti Bhagwat
Aries by Shruti Bhagwat | Cupick
Shruti is a Visual Communication Design Student at Srishti School of art and design, with a major interest in illustration. She doesn’t hesitate to experiment with different forms of art to find what she’s comfortable with. Discover more of Shruti’s work here.
Mangesh Ashrit
Gangnam Style by Mangesh Ashrit | Cupick
Mangesh Ashrit is an engineer and a passionate graphic artist. His artwork covers sports, movies, travel, music and everything that catches his eye. Discover more of Mangesh’s work here.
Mounica Tata
Cheesy Batman by Mounica Tata | Cupick
Mounica Tata’s illustrations are influenced by the drama of everyday life. The funny, the wacky and the oh-so-dramatic, all find an audience through her art. Discover more of Mounica’s work here.
Jaideep Sen
Fancified Poetry by Jaideep Sen | Cupick
Jaideep Sen’s abstract illustrations and doodles hold a promise to ease emptiness. His art is seductive and free-spirited, borne from the incomplete, always seeking an end. Pen and paper being his preferred tools, he stumbles into the abstract from time to time, besides documenting his surroundings, Discover more of Jaideep’s work here.
Uttam Kumar Pandey
Arya Stark by Uttam Kumar Pandey | Cupick
Uttam Kumar Pandey recreates the glory of popular figures from films, T.V, music etc. Discover more of Uttam’s work here.
Bharat KV
Audrey Tautou by Bharat KV
Bharat is a multi-disciplinary designer focusing on branding and user experience. He has worked with brands like Coke, Citibank, FIFA etc but finds working with start-ups very exciting. Discover more of Bharat’s work here.
Shueyb Ghani
Soul Meets Embryo by Shueyb Ghani
Shueyb, better known as Expanding Psyche, explores the extremities of consciousness, delving in and out of worlds to find a firm footing. Yet the sense of wonder never dissipates and soon another adventure comes along, one that holds great promise.Discover more of Shueyb’s work here.
Bombatt!
Pharaoh Vader by Bombatt!
Bombatt is quirky little studio based in Bangalore, run by Raka Ashok. Often on the lookout for all things funky, Bombatt’s work is a glorious combination of vibrancy and detail. There’s never a dull moment! Discover more of Bombatt! here.
If there are any artists you think should be featured on this list, let us know in the comments below.
If you’re an artist, or love art in general, Cupick is where it’s at. A great place to sell your work and buy art from talented artists around the world. Sign up here.
Innovative typography can be an exciting form of design. If you are a fan of typography, browsing through thousands of artists on Cupick, in search of something you like, will indeed be daunting. We at Cupick, were thus inspired to compile a list of typography artists, whose artwork will keep you wanting more.
So go ahead and treat yourself to some serious type love. Get yourself a tshirt or a poster by clicking on the image.
(This list is not in any particular order and is not exhaustive)
ROBERLAN
Roberlan is a Brazilian digital illustrator, vector artist and graphic designer. His often humorous illustrations are inspired by pop art, colours, cinema, music and pop culture.
Nour Tohme is a lebanese-french designer & illustrator based in Paris. Her series of typographical illustrations inspired by popular songs and indeed a treat.
Saksham Amrendra, is an illustrator and graphic artist based in Bangalore. Amrendra draws inspiration from nature, mythology, architecture and pop culture.
Seanings was created be photographer and art director, Sean Williams, a creative outlet.What started as a personal typographic exploration project quickly grew into something much more. Each type design is hand illustrated and greatly inspired by music, pop culture and pretty much everything around him.
Pragun Agarwal is a graphic designer from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. Pragun loves to experiment with calligraphy and typography, resulting in the creation of beautiful designs.
Coque Azcona is an illustrator and graphic artist based in Barcelona. She combines her enthusiasm for typography and music, to create quirky illustrations.
Mehek Malhotra is Picasso Ki Aulad. So named because of her artistic soul. A student at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mehek loves doodles and colours, which is amply visible through her designs.
Skylit Designs by Siddharth Baskaran is here to solve the dilemma of a lack of choice. Skylit Designs offers customization based on customer submitted designs along with readily available merchandise, bringing you closer to your favourites.
Bhoomi Shah is a Mumbai based Graphic Designer, Visualizer, Web designer, Illustrator and Mural artist. Her typographical series combine contemporary and traditional, to create something eye-catching and fun.
The good folks at Posterhook see their posters as a way of saying things that no words would allow them to communicate. Speak less, show more – that is the mantra at PosterHook.
Deepti Pai is an artist by hobby , passion & education and profession. She is very passionate about Identity and branding, print and publications, packaging, typography & visual communication.
Natasha Anjaria is a graphic/communication designer based in Mumbai. Living in various cities and exploring various cultures has given her a diverse and dynamic outlook to life, which she uses in her design thinking and process.
Nandita Dhindsa is an illustrator with interests in calligraphy, typography and anything else that catches her fancy. Her artwork mainly constitutes her observations, her experiences find her way into her art.
Sheena Deviah is primarily an illustrator who is also interested in typography and design. Humour and minimalism are her trademarks but that does not deter her from transforming her experiences.
Noodles by Neha are a selection carelessly made doodles and illustrations that according to Neha, may or may not be funny. Nevertheless, we think that Neha infuses her colourful and vivacious illustrations with ample humour.
Yasar is creative designer from Kerela, who loves to explore different styles and experiment with colour palettes. He is an avid follower of minimalism and is keen to create designs that make people think.
Yohan Wadia, is an artists based in Mumbai. His acclaimed ‘Mumbai Series,’ which comprises visual puns on some of Mumbai’s landmarks, has been featured on national and international websites and publications.
Having abandoned his Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Anandit has set out to become a self taught Graphic Designer and a revolutionary. Mostly spending his time in the Design Route office in Delhi, he also works on self initiated projects in his free time, that are mostly political or social in nature.
Simran did her diploma in fine arts from the South Delhi Polytechnic. Her illustrations are deeply influenced by personal experiences but not limited to them.
Rakesh is an engineer by profession besides being a passionate artist, graphic Designer and travel enthusiast. He aims to inspire with his typographical illustrations.
Apurva Chadhari, better known as Chachi chadhari, is a lawyer by education and a designer by chance.
Chief Everything Officer at ‘What’s in a Name?’ , for Apurva customization goes beyond simple elements put together, to churn out something that is more personalized.
Shivani Shukla is a communication designer, based in Gujarat. She likes to learn new things and experiment with different mediums to produce different stylized motion graphics.
Inspired by countries, cultures, people, landmarks, music and simply life, Rebecca creates hand-drawn doodle art pieces. To funk up your home or as special gift, have a look at her work.
Shruti Kabo is an illustrator and graphic designer based in Bangalore. With a degree in Visual Communication with leanings towards interface and interaction design, Shruti is currently a freelance artist.
Shruti is a Visual Communication Design Student at Srishti School of art and design, with a major interest in illustration. She doesn’t hesitate to experiment with different forms of art to find what she’s comfortable with.
Vibha Jindal holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and is currently studying graphic design. She uses a minimalistic design approach for hand lettering and typography.
Deepika Prasad is a freelance illustrator and surface pattern designer based in Bangalore. Her passion for patterns gives us art a a very intimate character.Her series of postcards and greeting cards are sure to light up anybody’s day.
Annushka is a Visual Communication student, currently in her second year at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology, Bangalore. She enjoys illustration, mainly flowers, people, food and places.
Koyal Chengappa has finished a four and half year diploma at Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. Koyal overthinks pretty much everything and thinks political correctness is a tad overrated.
We at Cupick are always looking for ways to get to know our artists better so we decided to delve deeper and share experiences of projects our artists have undertaken, be it personal or commercial, present or past.
In a conversation with the folks at Pencilove, Dai Wynn and Alex Griffiths, we get to know more about their experiences with personal and commercial projects, their inspirations, influences and plans for future endeavours.
If you’d like to share your experience related to a personal project, do get in touch with us.
PENCILOVE
Uday Kumar conceived Pencilove a year ago on 1st August, when it went from being just a few photos in his album to a full fledged design venture.
In Uday’s words, “Coming from a middle class family it was tough to make an unconventional career choice so owing to the rat race, like millions of people I too took up engineering and landed in an MNC. To break out of the mundane life of a 9-5 job of a techie I started back sketching and meeting like-minded people. It’s the amazing people and artists I met during those days inspired me to do something I really enjoy and one fine day I admitted to myself that I am deeply madly in love with my pencil and that’s how PenciLove came to existence.”
Pencilove’s motto has been to change the world one canvas at a time. Uday shares with us, a recent project, that is definitely a testimony to their motto.
Wicked Walls was a project about creating a space for India’s first Luxury bikes rental and adventure Services Company Wicked Ride, based in Bengaluru. Creating a creative space where the actual work of the company takes place and hundreds of bikers/customers visit day in and day out was a challenge in itself.
The Team
Uday along with his friends Amit, Lavanya, Namani formed the design studio 3DC (3 Dudes and a Chic) to take on the Wicked Walls project. The surprising thing about 3DC is, none of them is formally trained in art or has been to design institutes, but that didn’t stop them from learning and doing quality work.
“The love, passion and commitment each one of us shares towards art is what keeps us ticking”, says Uday.
Amit is the super dude and the creative wizard of the team. He was the reason all the members met through a fine arts club. Lavanya is their lucky charm and is the one who came up with the idea of having a team of 4 and starting up as an art collective and Namani is a live wire, the one who keeps the enthusiasm of the group at peaks all the time.
Wicked Walls
Team 3DC visited the Wicked Ride office and were impressed by the setup which they were presented with; the site was small yet beautiful. After a few hours of brainstorming they decided to go with a biker theme for the entire office.
‘A biker centric theme would depict the entire journey of a prson from being a non-biker, juggling his monotonous life and work where he is entirely juiced out of his life because of the big bad world out there finds his calling and liberation in a bike. Then the design for the office room would take the biker in the person to the next level to get into luxury biking. We had decided to do murals of different aspects of bikes and biking with inspirational quotes on the main wall and that would culminate to the logo wall”, explains Uday.
3DC at work
The idea of drawing on a wall as a canvas excited each one of the team members. They were inspired by graffiti and started learning and working on murals, which was a challenge in itself but it gave them the freedom to experiment. In addition to a few residences they have also done murals for office recreation areas and conference rooms of a reputed MNC in Bengaluru.
3DC at Work
Both the client and their customers appreciated their work and they loved it. Their mural was even featured in a newspaper article which covered Wicked Ride.
The Road Ahead
Besides commercial projects, 3DC have undertaken a couple of independent projects where they painted govt. primary schools at the outskirts of Bengaluru in collaboration with an NGO. Apart from the wall murals they also did a project “Lighting up lives” where they hand painted diyas during Diwali last year, the proceedings of which were donated to an NGO that looks after the underprivileged kids.
The Wicked Walls project for Wicked Ride has been received really well and the 3DC team have been asked to take up the interiors of the future branches of the company in Jaipur and Pune. Currently also under progress is a commissioned wall mural project for a pub: The Local in Bengaluru, with 3DC in talks with the management of the pub for future projects.
On PenciLove’s association with Cupick so far
“The art scene in India is catching up. There are many awesome and talented artists who are bringing a change; thanks to platforms like Cupick which are providing a platform to hundreds of artists like us under one roof and making art accessible to the masses. We believe we can make the world a better place through art one wall at a time. We always look forward to meeting new like-minded people and collaborating to bring about a change”, adds Uday.
To discover more of Pencilove, follow their work here on Cupick.
DAI WYNN
Dai Wynn, an Australian artist, paints from recollections of his own travels. Through his art, he lets his appreciators relive their memories too. Dai’s studio is located in Eaglemont at the foot of Mount Eagle, birthplace in 1888 of the renowned Heidelberg School of Art. Founded by Arthur Streeton and Walter Withers, it promoted plein air painting and has latterly been described as the school of Australian Impressionism.
On his current project
“My ongoing project is to paint the very best images of my experiences in places where many people dream to visit. I believe that a visual artist must strive to capture a fleeting moment in time where Man and Nature conspire to compose a rare masterpiece which may never be seen again.” affirms Dai.
Dai’s choice of subject matter and composition is a very pleasant experience, since he intends his viewers to see beauty in his works. While he calls himself a “realist”, he tries to avoid photo-realism in his painting process.
“My goal is to produce works which up close have a wonderful texture that appears almost “edible”, adds Dai.
In many respects, his ongoing artistic project is a visual diary of his travels. When faced with the problem of potential customers who appreciate my works but somehow cannot see themselves collecting, he has a simple solution, to produce relatively small works relatively quickly. “In this way I can cover a larger number of travel locations, while producing affordable artworks to suit many personal tastes. Something for everyone, if you like”, Dai elaborates.
On his journey through Italy
Dai and his wife travelled around Italy in early November 2006, and joined a bus tour which took them around the well-known historical cities of northern Italy’s Lombardy, Tuscany and Umbria regions, including Milano, Bologna, San Marino, Perugia, Assisi, Firenze, Verona, Padua and Venezia.
This was followed by a second tour of Roma, Napoli, Pompei, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi and Ravello on the southern Italian coast.
Not surprisingly, tour companies want to show visitors the older precincts of Italian towns and cities. So their visits concentrated on the historic inner areas of towns, including churches, walled enclosures, castles, fortifications and market places.
“As a visual artist, I am surrounded by the patina of age, typified by crumbling building façades, uneven cobbles, verdigris on copper roofs, water-stained walls, moss and lichen on stonework, patched walls, cracked stones, and a kaleidoscope of earthy colours. Some villages oblige my senses by offering a swathe of badly, but brightly, painted houses. This is often in evidence in villages by the Mediterranean Sea”, reminisces Dai.
Dai recounts his trip to Venice, which he describes as magical, despite the seething throngs of tourists from around the world.
“Venice has always offered me an almost endless series compositions of elaborate building façades reflected in still canal waters. The activities of all manner of canal traders offer unceasing fascination. The lack of streets, and therefore the absence of street traffic, is so refreshing. Sitting under an umbrella on a canal quay, eating pizza and sipping chianti while watching the world go by, often interacting with cheeky restaurateurs touting for business, is worth several million dollars”, says Dai.
Venice, Sorrento, Ravello and thousands of other tourist magnets in Italy, indeed Europe in general, offer an interesting balance between urban decay and modernity.
“As a visual artist, I love the effects of urban decay. No surface is flat and uninteresting. No colour has recently emerged from a paint pot. You may call it “dirty, dingy, decayed” – I prefer the term “patina of age”, explains Dai.
On the place he would love to visit most in the world
“The east coast of Canada beckons, particularly those places with a French colonial history. We have previously spent time in Québec and loved it”, says Dai.
To discover more of Dai Wynn, follow his work here on Cupick.
ALEX GRIFFITHS
Alex Griffiths, an artist based in London. He’s a self-described daydreamer and a glance at his work lends credit to it. Alex’s work is very approachable. There’s an innocence about it, yet, comes with a deeper sense of meaning when you explore his pieces as a whole. I fell in love with his work the moment I saw it. It’s filled with lovable animals, especially a crafty little fox, nature and this warm feeling of isolation.
On publishing his first book
He recently published his first book of illustrations, The Middle Of Nowhere. Here’s a little glimpse of it.
“The response has been great, far better than I had expected. I’ve sold nearly 200 books now and orders are still coming, so that’s really pleasing! I’ve also had some great coverage and feedback which has been really flattering as well“, says Alex.
From starting the initial sketches and putting a mock-up together to having it ready for print, Alex confesses say it took almost a year of working in the evenings, weekends and whenever he had spare time. Before starting this project he had been doing more one-off illustrations, but felt that he wanted to push himself further and try to create something more substantial, something with meaning.
On inspiration for his book
Alex finds inspiration in the internal journey’s we all go through in our minds everyday.
On new projects
Alex confirms, “I am working on a new idea for a children’s book, but that’s a long way off right now. I am trying to experiment more and push my illustration style in a slightly different direction but introducing colour into black and white drawings. It will be a lengthy process but I’m excited to see where I end up.”
To discover more of Alex, follow his work here on Cupick.
Barruf expresses his desire to connect with nature through his portraits, which speak volumes of the solace that he derives losing himself to nature’s mysteries. A self-taught artist, Barruf displays an innate talent for recognizing and documenting the intricacies of his profound experiences. His work is often delightful, yet he effortlessly draws upon poignancy when he ventures into more serious territory.
In this interview, Barruf speaks to us about his influences and inspirations, and the surreal experiences that paved the way for his very recent foray into art.
INTERVIEW
Hello Barruf, it’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you, tell us more about yourself.
Well… I am Cédric Duarri D’Haene, but my artistic name is Barruf. I was born in Manresa, a city near Barcelona in 1985. When I was a child, I was very introvert, shy, disorganized, very curious and a really good student; anyway, I hated doing homework and studying. I wanted to know everything about anything, but I loved to learn by myself. Nowadays, I am a man and I am still very disorganized, curious, and chaotic, but I’ve improved a little bit on my social skills. Illustration, painting and exhibiting my artworks to the public, has given me more confidence and has helped me a lot to lose some of my shyness. The thing I love most is nature; I love to spend time with animals or walking on the forest (mostly alone). I enjoy drawing and painting a lot, it is my passion, and the way I am choosing to live my life.
English Bulldog With Stonehenge by Barruf | Cupick
You describe yourself as a self-taught artist. How did you realize that art was your calling?
I realized that art was my calling when I felt the inner need to create very often, like a kind of addiction. This need to create was born thanks to a set of events: health problems (spinal injury), personal affairs and some surrealistic moments. That happened in 2012, and in 2013 I started to try to make a living from it.
Does your artwork reflect any cultural traits? Do your surroundings inspire your work?
I am interested in the different cultures of the World; My culture is the Catalan; but I don’t know if it is reflected on my artworks consciously. Anyway, I think that all artworks could have one way or another reflected cultural traits from the subject who created it. My surroundings often inspire me, especially in my abstract artworks, but I use my surroundings to disconnect from my inner world, which is my main source of inspiration.
Ornate Spirituality by Barruf | Cupick
Talk us through your creative process. How long does it take you from the moment you form your idea to the moment you complete it?
I am not able to make an average of the time between I get an idea and the moment I complete it; Often I start to work on the idea the same day I have it; but lots of times I work with ideas that I got days or weeks ago (even months). The time of realization depends on many things, like style and technique used and the level of detail, so it can take me between 2h (sometimes less) or 30h (sometimes more). For eg, the average time to finish a detailed illustration (like the dog series ones) is about 12h, if I don’t take into account the time needed to visualize and decide the most important aspects of the design.
MY SURROUNDINGS OFTEN INSPIRE ME, ESPECIALLY IN MY ABSTRACT WORKS, BUT I USE MY SURROUNDINGS TO DISCONNECT FROM MY INNER WORLD, WHICH IS MY MAIN SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.
Who are your top three favorite artists?
Honestly… I don’t have a top three of favorite artists; I like a wide variety of art styles, and I enjoy them better or worse depending the situation or context. I admire lots and lots of artists, and I could give you a large list of illustrators and painters, dead and living ones.
We’d like to know more about the art scene in Spain. How do you see yourself in it?
I believe Spain has many great artists in all the art branches. But I think that the artistic situation is a little stagnant, and in my opinion it is because the government is not encouraging art and culture properly. I don’t see myself in any artistic scene; I consider I am not an artist prominent enough to see me in the Spanish scene. But who knows, maybe with hard work and time, I will get a little place on it.
God Sun Mask by Barruf | Cupick
We believe that art acts as a singular platform which every person can relate to, do you agree? Or do you think language can sometimes act as a barrier?
I very much agree, art is for me a platform that allows everyone to express themselves. I think that art can dissolve language and cultural barriers between people.
Are you working on any project at the moment? We are curious to know what’s been up your sleeve.
At the moment I am planning to start a new illustration series and I have a “small” collective project taking form, but I cannot talk about it until the project sees the light on Christmas (if we are lucky and the project is published). This lasts months I’ve been focused on promoting and get feedback of my artworks on exhibitions and art fairs.
Sacred Scarab by Barruf | Cupick
I BELIEVE THAT ART CAN DISSOLVE MANY OF THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS BETWEEN PEOPLE.
How do you manage to divide time between personal projects and commercial work?
I am very chaotic and really bad organizing my time, I tend to do many things at the same time; so I just do what I think is a priority at the moment; but I get bored soon, so I can change my priorities really often in the same day. What is true is that when I get tired of my commercial work, I work on personal artworks to disconnect and relax me.
French Bulldog With Arc de Triomphe by Barruf | Cupick
What do you think about India and the artists here, if you had the chance to visit this country, where would you want to go first?
I think that India has a very rich artistic heritage and a huge diversity of cultures; India is for me like a symbol of plurality, and this plurality is visible too in the artworks created by Indian artists. If I had the chance of visit India I would like to visit first the state of Gujarat because I would love to visit the Gir Forest Natural Park. Then I would like to visit lots of places… India is Gigantic!
What does success mean to you?
I think that success means to be happy by being oneself.
How important is music in recreating visions off your mind?
I love music but I usually work in silence; music can influence me with the imaginative and sketching processes, where I am used to listening to music that I feel that fits well with the upcoming design, but when my hands need to work, silence makes easier for my hands to listen to my mind. When I am doing more repetitive things or finishing the details sometimes I use classical or relaxing music.
According to you, what is your greatest work so far?
This is a hard question; I don’t feel I have any great artwork; Anyway I have my own tastes and there are some of them that I like more than others; I feel really comfortable painting abstracts. And if we talk about illustrations, maybe the Horned Tribal Mask or Gentle Pug are my favorites, because they are the firsts of their respective series.
Gentle Pug by Barruf | CupickHorned Tribal mask by Barruf | Cupick
I THINK THAT SUCCESS MEANS TO BE HAPPY BY BEING ONESELF.
If you could wish for one, and only one superpower, what superpower would you chose?
I would chose Healing powers.
If you could give one piece of advice to budding artists, what would that be?
I think I’m not the right person to give any advice to other artists. But anyway, I can explain to them what I try to apply to myself: “Feed your work with hours every day (if it is possible) and enjoy it. Do it in your way, and never surrender!”
How has the journey been with Cupick thus far?
I am new on Cupick, but at the moment all I can say are positive things; I’ve received a very nice attention from Cupick team, and I think they work seriously. I think their online platform is very intuitive and there are lots of good and interesting artworks available. I wish that our relationship becomes a success, and both parts can get a good mutual benefit from our work and efforts.
It was a great pleasure to associate with Phantom Films once again. Masaan is a very special film, a far-cry from your typical movie and we’re happy to have been a small part of its journey. This contest was a great place to showcase talent from around the country; a big thanks to Ranjan Singh and Priyank Vyas of Phantom Films for making it happen. It was an honour to have the films director Neeraj Ghaywan, Anurag Kashyap and fusion band Indian Ocean on the jury to help select the winners.
The number of entries were overwhelming and we’d like to thank all the artists for taking part. Whether you’re a prize winner or not, this is a very special film and we hope you enjoyed creation process.
Selecting the winners of the contest wasn’t easy. Apart from the jury, we also factored in votes from the general public who showed their love for various artwork. Without further ado, we’d like to present all the winners below.
First Prize
Prize: The winning prize is a Wacom Intuos Pen and Touch graphic tablet.
Shirish R Madghe
The impression of the judges were that if there were an alternate poster for the film, this would be it. The simplicity of the poster drawing from a spectacular view of the Ganges is a glimpse at the depth of the film.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Shirish R Madghe
2 Runners-up
Prize: Each runners-up receives a Moleskine Art Plus Sketchbook worth Rs.2500.
Jay Kay
A sombre touch to the poster, Jay Kay’s design also delves into the mood that Masaan stirs with its captivating story.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Jay Kay
Shaani Aurkya
The poster leaves a breath of silence in its trail; this struck a chord with the jury.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Shaani Aurkya
Five Honourable Mentions
Prizes: Artists will get an Official Bombay Velvet Goody bag in addition to a Large poster and t-shirt of their artwork.
Malavika Reddy
Malavika’s poster is minimal, yet the sombreness truly does celebrate life, death and everything in between. This poster was a fan favorite.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Malavika Reddy
Rahul Jha (RJ Artworks)
Rahul Jha, one half of RJ Artworks, has created a vibrant poster in watercolors and pencil.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Rahul Jha (RJ Artworks)
Ajinkya Bane
Vibrant. It captures the essence of the film.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Ajinkya Bane
Nisha Majumdar
Bright colors and digital touch make this a delightful poster.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Nisha Majumdar
Praveen Kumar
The poster has a touch of gloom that reflects the struggles of the lives in socially confined Varanasi.
Masaan Fan Poster Design by Praveen Kumar
Prize winners apart, there were a host of great submissions. If you’d like to take a look at all the 49 submissions, head over to the Masaan contest page on Cupick.
It’s never a bad time to remind yourself why you love the Game Of Thrones. There’s something for everybody: mystery, deceit, the ladies, the men, the gore and gruesomeness, the good and evil and a tonne of characters to root for and despise.
Waiting for the next book and TV Series seems to be taking forever, so we’ve come up with a big bad list of kickass Game of Thrones posters to help you tide through this unbearable interim. Go ahead and treat yourself!
The Game of Thrones inspired by George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos. Three main stories interweave a dynastic war among several families for control of Westeros, the rising threat of the supernatural Others beyond Westeros’ northern border, and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the deposed king’s exiled daughter, to assume the Iron Throne.
Valar Morghulis by Vrushali Somavanshi | CupickGame of Thrones by Manuel Kilger | CupickGame of Thrones by Monisha Miriam | CupickGame of Thrones by Vaishnavi Ravi | CupickNights Watch by Debojyoti Roy | CupickGame of Thrones by Patricio BetteoGame of Thrones by RJ Artworks | CupickRaven Tree by Natarajan Shanmugam | CupickGame of Thrones by Tanvi Karnik | CupickHear Me Roar by Natarajan Shanmugam | CupickGame of Thrones by Vania ZouravliovGhost by Vaidehi Panchal | CupickWinter is Coming by Trisha Sarkar | CupickGame of Characters by Olivier Delmas | CupickGame of Thrones Characters by Olly MossShin To The Throne by Aditya Ghasias | Cupick
EDDARD STARK
Eddard Stark, known to his friends as Ned, was the head of House Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, Lord Paramount and Warden of the North, and Hand of the King to Robert I Baratheon. He was the father of Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon by his wife, Catelyn Tully and to Jon Snow, his illegitimate son by an unknown mother. He is a dedicated husband and father, a loyal friend and an honorable lord. Eddard’s death led to the breakout of war between House Stark and House Lannister.
The North Remembers by Paneer Pixel Masala | Cupick
Ned Stark by Christian Nauck
DAENERYS TARGARYEN
Daenerys Targaryen, is the only surviving child of King Aerys II Targaryen, who was ousted from the Iron Throne during Robert’s Rebellion.She lived in exile in Essos, until she was sold into marriage by her brother to the Dothraki Khal Drogo; the two gradually fell in love, but she lost her husband and stillborn son to the manipulations of the vengeful maegi MirriMaz Duur. Her marriage to Drogo and subsequent interaction with the Dothraki people gave her the confidence and strength to lead and the belief in herself as the rightful queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Following the death of her brother Viserys, Daenerys was left as the last Targaryen, and intends to claim the Iron Throne as her birthright.
Daenerys Targaryen by Vivek Nag | CupickDaenerys by Varsha Vijayan | CupickDaenerys Targaryen/Mhysa by Jayesh Joshi | CupickOh My Khaleesi by Mujia LiaoKhaleesi-The Mother of Dragons by RJ Artworks | CupickBehind the Fire and Blood Targaryen by Akyanyme | CupickThe Khaleesi by Hardik Gandhi | CupickDaenerys Targaryen-Freedom by Nikhita Prabhudesai | CupickKhal and Khaleesi by Jaina SoloMother of Dragons by Pencilove | Cupick
Mother of Dragons by Snigdha Chaya Saikia | Cupick
Khaleesi by Chaitanya Kumar | CupickKhaleesi by Olga Tereshenko
JON SNOW
Jon is the illegitimate son of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. He was a steward in the Night’s Watch. Serving on the Wall, Jon found a place of acceptance where the circumstances of his birth were of little importance.
Jon by Varsha Vijayan | CupickJon Snow by Vivek Nag | CupickJon Snow by Sean DonaldsonNothing by Daniac | CupickYou Know Nothing by Parth Sabnis | CupickSnow Warrior by RJ Artworks | CupickJon Snow by Vishal Hardia | CupickKit Harrington by Sara Joseph | Cupick
CERSEI
Cersei is the widow of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Regent of the Seven Kingdoms. She is the daughter of Lord Tywin Lannister, twin sister of Jaime Lannister and elder sister of Tyrion Lannister. She has an incestuous relationship with Jaime, who is secretly the father of her three children, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen.
Cersei by Roux | CupickQueen Cersei by ArneCersei by Varsha Vijayan | Cupick
TYRION LANNISTER
Tyrion Lannister is the youngest son of Lord Tywin Lannister and younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister A dwarf, he uses his wit and intellect to overcome the prejudice he faces.
Tyrion The Imp by Sachin Kamath | CupickPeter Dinklage by Aakash | CupickTyrion by Varsha Vijayan | CupickTyrion by FinngualaWhore Lotta Love by RJ Artworks | CupickTyrion Lannister by Rajarshi Goswami | CupickTyrion Lannister by Vivek Nag | CupickTyrion Lannister by Priyanka Menon | CupickTyrion by Rodrigo W.R. RezendeTyrion lannister by Yohan Wadia | CupickTyrion by Pencilove | CupickThe Imp by Vaidehi Panchal | Cupick
JAIME LANNISTER
Ser Jaime Lannister is a knight of the Kingsguard, the son of Tywin Lannister, twin brother of Queen Cersei Lannister, and older brother of Tyrion Lannister. Previously he served in the Kingsguard of Aerys II Targaryen and, infamously, he betrayed and killed Aerys during the Sack of King’s Landing, earning him the sobriquet “The Kingslayer”.
Jaime by Varsha Vijayan | CupickKingslayer by RJ Artworks | CupickJaime by Yerbol Bulentayev
OBERYN MARTELL
Prince Oberyn, known as the Red Viper of Dorne, is the younger brother of Doran Martell, the Prince of Dorne, and the late Elia Martell, wife of Rhaegar Targaryen, the late Prince of Dragonstone, and heir to the Iron Throne. Oberyn is well known for his fighting skills, passionate temper, and sexual appetites.
Oberyn by Varsha Vijayan | CupickOberyn by DrColourMountain vs Viper by Paneer Pixel Masala
JOFFREY BARATHEON
Joffrey ruled the Seven Kingdoms having claimed the Iron Throne after his legal father, King Robert Baratheon, died. However, Joffrey was actually the illegitimate son of the incestuous relationship between Jaime and Cersei. Because of this, his claim to the Iron Throne was challenged by Robert’s younger brother, Stannis Baratheon.
King Nothing by RJ Artworks | CupickJoffrey’s Red Wedding bu Maria Gabysheva
ARYA STARK
Arya is the younger daughter of Ned Stark and his wife Catelyn Stark. She is headstrong, fiercely independent, disdains traditional women’s pursuits, and thus is often mistaken for a boy.
Arya Stark by Uttam Kumar Pandey | CupickArya Stark by Skylit Designs | CupickArya Stark and The Hound by Teemu JuhaniNo Fear by RJ Artworks | CupickArya Stark by Chaintanya Kumar | CupickArya Stark of Winterfell by Leona
HODOR
Hodor is a simpleminded servant of House of Stark at Winterfell working in the stables. He aids Bran Stark’s mobility after he sustains a paralyzing injury when falling from a tower by carrying him from place to place, in his arms, in a basket on his back, and in a wheelbarrow.
Hodor Faster Stronger by RJ Artworks | CupickHodor by Mike Wrobel
HOUSE LANNISTER
House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, one of its richest and most powerful families and oldest dynasties. The major characters Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion and the recurring characters Tywin, Kevan, and Lancel are members of the house
Lannister House by Mrinal Rai | CupickHouse Lannister by DavidDeb
HOUSE ARRYN
House Arryn is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It has ruled over the Vale of Arryn for millennia, originally as the Kings of the Mountain and Vale and more recently as Lords Paramount of the Vale and Wardens of the East under the Targaryen kings and King Robert Baratheon.
House Arryn by Sreeraj | CupickHouse Arryn by Tom Gateley
HOUSE TARGARYEN
House Targaryen is a noble family of Valyrian descent that escaped the Doom. They lived for centuries on the island of Dragonstone until Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters rode their dragons in the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms. House Targaryen ruled as the Kings on the Iron Throne and the Great House of the crownlands for nearly 300 years, until their ouster in Robert’s Rebellion.
House Targaryen by Sreeraj | CupickHouse Targaryen by CereaLKSigil Fusion by Parth Sabnis | Cupick
HOUSE STARK
House Stark of Winterfell is an exiled Great House of Westeros, ruling over the vast region known as the North from their seat in Winterfell. It is by far one of the oldest lines of Westerosi nobility, claiming a line of descent stretching back over eight thousand years. The head of the house is the Lord of Winterfell. Before the Targaryen Conquest, the leaders of House Stark ruled over the region as the Kings in the North.
Winter Is Coming by RJ Artworks | CupickGame of Thrones by Prafful Patel | CupickHouse Stark by IamacoyfishWinter Is Coming by Natarajan Shanmugam | Cupick
HOUSE GREYJOY
House Greyjoy of Pyke is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It rules over the Iron Islands, a harsh and bleak collection of forbidding islands off the west coast of Westeros, from the Seastone Chair in the castle of Pyke on the island of the same name. The head of the family is traditionally known as the Lord Reaper of Pyke.
Iron Born by Monisha Miriam | Cupick
House Greyjoy by Flora Turcinovic
For tshirts, posters, prints, cards and coasters head over to Cupick.
If there are any more awesome Game of Thrones posters you’d like us to add to this list, don’t forget to leave a comment below.
With all the amazing art around us on Cupick, we’ve tried to shed some light upon an essential part of the process that goes into creating art.
In this series of workstations and tools, we feature the treasures of five brilliant artists from around the world. Click on the images to explore more of their work on Cupick.
BARRUF
Barruf expresses his desire to connect with nature through his portraits, which speak volumes of the solace that he derives losing himself to nature’s mysteries. A self-taught artist, Barruf displays an innate talent for recognizing and documenting the intricacies of his profound experiences. His work is often delightful, yet he effortlessly draws upon poignancy when he ventures into more serious territory.
French Bulldog with Arc De Triomphe by Barruf
Barruf’s arsenal of tools consists of: graphite pencils, Chinese ink, traditional nib, brush, charcoal, graphitepaper, and Photoshop. His work station at the moment is divided into two small rooms, but he is waiting to get a better place to create and live.
Barruf’s WorkstationBarruf’s WorkstationBarruf’s InventoryBarruf At Work
Andy Westface draws upon the indefatigable spirit of friendship, to explore the depth of emotional connections. Through his insights into nature, Andy portrays a universal yearning for companionship, the fulfillment of which infuses life with colour and vivacity. He paints a picture of hope for the eternal and ethereal.
Gray by Andy Westface
Andy mostly uses a pen and sketchbook. Equipped with a laptop and a digital drawing pen, he usually completes his works with Adobe Illustrator.
Sudeepti Tucker, an artist from Delhi explains how art can be beautifully preposterous. She invites you to witness the bold strokes and designs taking life in her artworks. From sailing through space to elsewhere, she doesn’t shy away from letting her mind pick a story from a parallel universe.
Sailing Through Space by Sudeepti Tucker
Sudeepti’s basics are her pencil case, which has one pencil and a whole bunch of colored pens that don’t work. Her brushpen that she partly loves and hates. A bunch of Pigma microns in different sizes. A set of watercolor bricks, brushes and some poscas. Recent additions include a set of Copic markers and a box of 72 inktense blocks that she has been waiting to try out.
She evolves surreal cogitations and mirrors them with a brush on a sheet. Rachna Ravi, a painter from Delhi, turns figments of imagination into intriguing animate stories. We cannot help but witness the fascinating ways Rachna presents her paintings; her ideas unconventional and undeterred.
Bucket List by Rachna Ravi
Rachna most often uses pencils, brushes and poster paints. She uses water colours sometimes, along with ink or acrylics but almost all of the work she does, is in poster paints.
Divya Tak is the best of both worlds, having graduated in Quantum Physics and illustrated her way through art. Ever seen an artist effortlessly recreate incorruptible innocence on canvas? Divya’s illustrations are an ode to life’s simple pleasures and an epitome to what we call ‘sugar, spice and everything nice’.
Say Hello To My Little Friend by Divya Tak
Most of Divya’s artworks are cute and happy. When something catches her fancy, she just puts it to sketch and then transitions it to whatever medium she wants to work in, digital or traditional.
This week, we bring to you hand picked abstract art pieces that are bound to add a touch of mystery, a dash of charm and a whole lot of elegance to empty walls. Take your pick from artworks by over fifty artists on Cupick.
(This list is in no particular order and is not exhaustive)
STO
Stoian Hitrov is graphic designer from Bulgaria, interested in visual communication with minimum elements. We were very intrigued by the warmth he imparts to his interpretation of a beautiful landscape.
Azarias, an artist based in France is as mysterious as his portraits. A closer look at his abstract geometric series of artworks reveals a rich love for spontaneity and vivacity, imparting a certain playfulness to his portraits.
Darwin, an artist currently based in USA, leans towards the figurative and expressionistic. Along with personal experience Darwin incorporated sarcasm, satires, irony, theatrical elements and finally surrealism and modern expressionism into his work. In some of his recent work, he is experimenting with chiaroscuro a master technique used by many artists during the Renaissance.
Obvious Warrior is an exploration between the possibilities of 3D digital work and manipulated optical camera effects. Pedro Soares Filipe, an artist based in Portugal is interested in futurism, experimental art of all kinds, glitch and dry humor.
Sonika, a student in the field of graphic design, likes experimenting with text, colour and visuals, but her primary interest lies in illustrating an array of things that cross her mind.
Elisabeth is a color addicted and nature-loving artist and graphic designer from north of Sweden. She finds inspiration from everything between a grain of sand to the universe at large.
Pia Schneider is an artist based in Germany, who is happy to do what calls to her. She’s a passionate Freelance Artist, Graphic- and Textile Designer, Illustrator and Media designer since 1999.
Nika Martinez, a photographer and surface designer, based in Spain, draws inspiration from woven textiles and tribal motifs to art deco and even illustration. Her glorious patterns are incredibly decor worthy.
Anil Ayyakutty is a medical student and a self taught artist. His incredible hyper-realistic drawings using colour pencils, are quite intriguingly breathtaking.
Divya Singh’s whimsical wanderings are captured through her thought provoking art. Paintings on canvas and walls and other surfaces/illustrations, sketches, drawings, from various diaries and sketchbooks/Prints and Installations, Divya dabbles in all forms of art.
Shawn Pomeroy, is an artist based in Canada. His portraits embody the highs and lows of life, often depicting peace and turmoil. The artwork below is his tribute to his brother.
Jeff Ivorson, an artist based in USA, describes his work as intricate, chaotic, and unpredictable. Most of his work is non-objective pure abstract and delves into the world of the expressionist, minimalist, and pure colour field.
Tanya Singh, is a colour loving artist based in Bangalore, who describes herself as a compulsive doodler. We were quite amazed by the the simplicity of her illusion.
Navedita Singh, is an artist based in Delhi who expresses herself through pens and paper. The portrait below is her interpretation of Eddie Vedder’s “Guaranteed”.
Shubit Sagar, is young designer based in Ahmedabad, studying B.des in visual communication. He makes an effort to learn the things which are mostly unseen, which become the inspiration for his artwork.
Antonio Fernández Hidalgo (Toni F.H) is an expressionist abstract painter and graphic designer, based in Madrid. Since 1996, Antonio has been practicing some expressionist figurative works and cubism, however in 2002 he reached a personal evolution in different ways of expressionist abstract art.
Vamsi Krishna is freestyle photographer and digital artist. Though his artwork is geometric and minimalistic, there is an unusually organic quality to it that mirrors the nature it draws inspiration from.
With a strong background of advertising in his family, Yohan grew up on a healthy creative dose of visual communication. His portfolio features work done in various streams of advertising and graphic design such as UI/UX Design, mobile game design, communication design, conceptualization and ideation and merchandise design to name a few.
Sanjay Ramachandran is an illustrator and character designer based in Mumbai. We loved his take on the amalgamation of organic and inorganic elements to create a sense of coherence.
Federico Cortese is an independent artist and an architect, based in Turin, Italy. His main artistic technique is the use of classic oil colours, associated with other media and materials, such as graphite, coloured pencils, charcoal, inks and industrial paints.
Arushi Kathuria is an illustrator and animator based in Mumbai. Her artwork contains a remarkable amount of what we would put as sugar, spice and everything nice.
Megan Justine Hencrich is a mixed media artist based in USA. Her desire as an artist is to explore and create alternative realities, to transport the viewer on a dream-like journey to another time or place.
As an artist Lee Anne has experimented in almost every media including painting, fashion design, interior design, and videography― but has settled on photography and design.
Camilla Sebastian is a young and upcoming artist from Bangalore, India who works in a diverse range of mediums. Her works often depict seclusion, isolation, melancholia and other themes.
Archana Aravind, a freelance Graphic Artist, was born in India and is currently living in Chicago. She’s extremely passionate about art and believe that it is the quintessential essence of human life
Mudita Pasari, expressess through poetry, be it in the form or visuals or the written word. She always finds herself experimenting with what she wants to say and sometimes what she really has to say.
Aboobacker Sidique from Kochi completed his Masters in Design at IIT Kanpur and is planning to continue with a doctoral in art and design. Bringing life to his imagination, painting from life as much as possible, using bold brush strokes and a strong light source gives his paintings vibrancy. He classifies his style as Abstract Realism.
Arushi Sethi is an artist from Gujarat and has lived in many parts of India. She is pursuing her education in visual communication design and also has one-third of a B.A in psychology. What intrigues her the most is that every artist irrespective of their medium cuts open a chunk of their mind. This chunk engages us all in this unspoken dialogue.
Manasvini is an architect hoping to moonlight as an illustrator, based in Banglore. With a dream to rule over a postcard empire one day, she goes about creating art in her spare time.
Akash Nandi is an illustrator and graphic artist based in Bangalore. His artwork is unconstrained, leaving the viewer open to exploring the depths of one’s imagination.
Corne Akkers is a self taught artist and art teacher at The Hague, The Netherlands. In his paintings colour, nuances, form, light and colour intensity are carefully tuned to the story to be told.
Param Jain, shows us exactly how patterns come to flow and evolve in his artworks. His impulse to capture the endless creations of nature is clearly mirrored in his artwork.
Francis Minoza and Laurence Minoza are two brothers who make up the design team Nicebleed, based in the Philippines. Their illustrations cover elements of surrealism, nature and macabre.
Karen Little trained as a dancer at London Contemporary Dance School, and as a Fine Artist at Camberwell School of Art, London. Her series of abstract artworks based on eggs, is as humorous as it is surreal.
Čila Šimurda is an outsider artist, member of Art Brut Serbia, part of the European Outsider Art Association, and creates impressive works which carry bit of Schiele´s vibes in an extraordinary way of expression in it.
Shrushti Rao is an illustrator and graphic artist based in Mumbai. Her inspirations range from pop culture, humour to nature and everything around her.
Adler Dare has been interested in drawing since he knew himself. Paper and pencil were always his best friends ans he has kept his passion alive with his artwork.
Nishant D’souza is an artist based in Bangalore. He describes himself as not the best with a pen and pencil but loves writing and sketching, which he intends to pursue passionately.
Jatin Meshram is a mixed media artist interested in watercolour, poster colour, oil paint, etc. Besides digital art, Jatin is very enthusiastic about traditional art.
Geetanjali Sukumar is an artist based in Bangalore. Her works mirror her adventurous and playful side. They are always full of life, colour and reflect her positive energy.
Leonie sees her art as a process to explore and connect with her intuitive voice. While her work is mainly abstract, she doesn’t constrain herself to any one particular style, preferring to be flexible.