Ajit Thomas, a practicing dentist to many… but to
me, his family and many close friends, he is as an exceptionally talented artist
that the world needs to know. His realistic portrait sketches are remarkably
real. Each one of his work is a master piece highlighted with perfection and are
detail intensive. He also juggles with clay modeling, cartooning and
caricature. For Ajit, art is a family affair. He grew up watching his father’s
creative art work and there was no turning back since then. Ajit kept his art
inspiration alive while juggling with his profession. And now he has produced
some brilliant portraits that the world needs to see. Let hear more from Ajit
and view some of his spectacular work.
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| Ajit's latest portrait work |
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A brief
about yourself
Saving the world from cavities is what I do
to earn a living. I am a trained Dentist, all the way from India, working in
the Middle East.
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How did
your journey as an artist begin? Did you have any formal training or is it
self-taught?
I have been fascinated by art and craft
from as early as I can remember. A fascination for colors started with my first
Lyra 48 color pencil set that my father gifted me for topping in class when I
was 8 years old.
My father was an exceptionally talented
untrained artist, and unimaginably creative. It was watching the artist in him
that set off my passion in art.
I have not had any formal training; it has
been just observing and DIY all the way.
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What is
your medium for your art work? How would you describe your art style?
I have no idea about various art styles. I
just enjoy doing whatever helps excite the senses.
I am into Pencil sketching, Water coloring,
Clay modelling, Cartooning, and Caricaturing for quite some time now. Recently
I tried a hand in color pencil portrait sketching. And when I liked what I saw,
I decided to take it to the next level. Social media has been of great help in
getting exposed to ‘detailing’ in art: and I must say there are a lot of
incredible artists out there who do exceptional art work.
·
What's
your inspiration for your art work?
Art runs in my family. And I am just an
extension of the big tree. I hope to keep creating using whatever talents I
have. The genes seem to have passed on
to my children too. Inspiring through art is the best inspiration!
Would like to mention an artist friend Hemanth,
for inspiring me with his mind blowing portraits
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What is the
most challenging aspect about your work?
Detailing in portraits requires a lot of
patience. Bringing life into the eyes of the subject and replicating skin tones
are the toughest for me. Am I allowed to mention material costs here??? (Ofcourse! :D)
·
What is your creative
process like? And what keeps you motivated?
The only time I have an artist’s block is when I am asleep. When you are
into sketching portraits, you tend to observe every face you come across. So
there never is a dearth of subjects and motivation to sketch. And if I ever get
saturated sketching, it is then cartoon or caricature time. When creations
strike a chord with people, that is
motivation enough!
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Do you commission
different projects? And how can people purchase your work?
Yes, I do accept commissioned
projects which are requested either directly through social media or through
friends and family. I have not ventured into selling my creations. But maybe
I’ll break into the commercial scene someday.
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What is your favorite
art piece that you have done till date?
Difficult to
pinpoint one particular favorite …but if you insist, the Dark Knight in modeling
clay (A lot of work went into the detailing. I hope to one day convert that
into a more durable material using 3D printing) and the Amitabh Bachchan
portrait which I managed to get autographed by the great himself along with a
small note of appreciation.
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Any tips or words
of wisdom to aspiring artists who want to pursue a similar career.
Yes……with great
powers come great responsibilities!!! No,
just kidding…there are no definitions and destinations in art… it is what you
see and pick up along the way that makes the ride enjoyable. Expose yourself to
creations of both masters and amateurs. Learning is a continuous process…..take
risks and experiment…, if you succeed, let the world know and if you fail, do
not tell anyone …!
Thank you Ajit for sharing your work and your art journey with me and my readers. Looking forward to seeing more of your work and an exhibition in the near future.
Above pictures are copyrighted Ajit Thomas.
