Through the Kaleidoscope of a self-taught Illustrator!

Tread through this exclusive interview as Shivam Thapliyal bares it all for us - from revelations of an Illustrator's life in an insider edition to hacks for creative burnout.

Shivam: Engineer turned Illustrator, stressing deadlines.

Shivam: I see my work evolving and changing gradually with notes of colourfully detailed elements in every geometric and smooth form that binds it all together. I enjoy a strong, vibrant, and pop composition. I’ll always keep it as my core illustration style.

Shivam: When I started in 2017, I, merely, knew one or two folks in Product Illustration who were accessible for guidance. I’ve spent my entire time self-learning by making mistakes, getting vital feedback, or writing cold e-mails to designers I idolise.

So, for someone starting in 2022 as a Product Illustrator, I would advise you to have a lot of patience, before you can see your work evolve with finesse. In a candid reflection of the current scenario, everyone wants to be a designer by doing a crash course or is baiting on meagre effort for instant success. Treat it as a marathon, not a sprint.

Secondly, I strongly suggest keeping a Digital Sketchbook of some sort. Start with practising icon sets. These are the basic blocks of Product Illustrations. It will help you get into the Product Illustrator mindset and act in the mainframe of your motif design.

Lastly, do reach out to companies with cold emails! Enlist people whose work you look up to, request feedback, and make sure to work on it.

Shivam: It took me roughly summation of 3 years to niche down and confidently evolve as a Product Illustrator. I started Illustrating for fun in college around 2015 on my laptop. Creating icons and diminutive illustrations in Adobe Illustrator was my usual post-lecture ritual.

Thapliyal, in an unposed nutshell:
A lot of the talented illustrators I speak to rely on the impression of having big brands in their portfolios to get into the industry. Unfortunately, this is a never-ending cycle of to-and-fro between getting no valid clients and conditioning to work for famed brands.

To these calibrated aspirants, I suggest not waiting to get your esteemed "it" brand in your portfolio. Show unsolicited designs. Transform your portfolio.

Shivam: From my experience, three hurdles I think a normal illustrator has to overcome are:

Uno -Saying "NO"- When starting fresh, I was doing everything I was being asked for visual requirements. It blurred my conscience of making correct design choices, whether it is an elaborate illustration or none at all. With experience and consistency, this preferable understanding braces you to perceive the relationship between Product Illustration and its impact on design.

Dos - Understanding the Audience - A lot of what designs you can get approved or what works the best is, primarily, based on your audience. If your key demographic fails to connect with your idea, it simply shows that you have not done your research properly.

*Moving with a candid example* As an illustrator, you opt for a highly metaphorical illustration on an individual level. But, at a practical podium, you need to understand the audience on a basic level. You should tether your vision with them to articulate your visual choices and defend them against personal opinions and biases coming in the feedback sessions.
Tres - Simplicity - Create easy-to-consume visuals. If you incorporate your style by adding several shades of colours for a visual within 40x40 px, you will end up with a cluttered interface no matter how exciting the visual is.

Shivam: A lot! You have to give your inputs making sure to clearly articulate your suggestions. Contentedly, designers are fairly understanding. We ensure to keep the brainstorming sessions on roll and figure out how the final result should look. It is a back and forth process, but over the years, I’ve learnt to accommodate my influence in product design since both of them are tightly coupled.

Shivam: I have a digital illustration journal on my laptop. Between meetings or during lunch, whenever I feel like trying a new technique, I create a few miniature visuals. This keeps me proactively creative. Though, in an unmotivated downturn, I choose to show up, explore and find a way to get excited about the project I am working on.

Shivam: We started this project as a way to give back to the community since Ayesha and I felt a lack of focused talent showcasing platforms in the Product illustration Industry. Interested talents are in utter need of proper mentorship and guidance. Since Ayesha and I have known each other for so long, we wanted to share our learning, and experiences and give a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of Product Illustrations.

We also wanted to make the opportunities in visual roles accessible to all as we connect the talents with the employer. As far as evolving it into our own business, we have no plans to make it into a business in the near future.

Shivam: I was a CS engineer before I turned into Product Illustrator so I am adept at coding. Bahuroopdarshak was created as a part of TIRAF, Delhi. The theme was Altered Realities. Later, it was exhibited in Amsterdam JS Nation Conference, a JavaScript Conference. I was enthralled to see my work being featured in a tech conference on an international platform. It certainly motivated me to keep creating something new.

As for more Indian Illustrators finding a chance to be showcased at bigger exhibitions, I believe it to be an absolute possibility. Technology and recent pandemic has accustomed us to find newer ways to discover modern talents. We are a milestone ahead in accessibility and visibility of talents on social media now.

Shivam:

Thapliyal in Hall-of-fame mode:
The Beauty Bugs is, hands down, my favourite illustration I have made till now. I believe it to be my most celebrated work, getting featured in multiple online prints, to date.

Thapliyal, in self-appreciation mode:
I hope to create something like this again and place it in my house in a bigger frame.

Shivam: I am the worst person when it comes to content strategy. However, I have shifted the kind of content that I post. Until last year, I used to share prim and proper final deliverables on my Instagram.

Now, it is rather elevated to the vulnerable side; sharing the creative process, sketchbook snapshots, experimental work, current reads, and physical products that I find fascinating. I have started treating Instagram as a playground to share and have fun with and not taking it too seriously.

Shivam: AI tools are evolving rapidly. It is quite insane knowing that your first draft is, literally, a text prompt and the final output becomes an artwork. However, on a personal level, I remain ingenuous. The ideation fuels inside my headspace as I sketch it out in my diary and figure out how to make it work. I, usually, start on Procreate and recompose the layers in photoshop to get a good composition.

*Being the devil of the details*, I would, occasionally, spend 2-3 days to perfect a hand posture at precision.

For product Illustrations, it is better to get sketches and an early alignment from stakeholders when the project is huge. Only then do I get into the nitty-gritty of tweaking vectors and getting constant feedback from several people.

Shivam: A crucial mistake I would try my best to avoid that I see a lot of freelancers make is to incorporate all the feedback that comes from the client. As a freelance illustrator, I would prefer to be hired for my expertise and not to churn out deliverables one after another.

Meanwhile, a pivotal part of Illustrator's accountability is to educate the client on certain design decisions and connect with them to provide accurate recommendations rather than just complying with what they’re saying.

Shivam: Several. To name few, I learnt immensely from DKNG Studios. I also look up to Owen Davey’s work. *fingers crossed*I hope to meet them one day and thank for the impact they’ve had in my career.

Shivam: There are no particular books on product illustrations. Ergo, I immerse in research papers on visual design which comes in handy at times.

One of my favourite books is Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. It is a brilliant read for color concepts and design.

Shivam: Thanks for the compliment.

Thapliyal, in his leisure oasis:

My journal has zero impact on my professional performance. I never publicly promote it because I want to keep a space where I can write my raw thoughts and put them out in the world without putting much effort to make them look presentable. I started Journaling last year and found it very useful in getting better at creative writing while securing a memory trip in scribbles. Occasionally, I write letters to my close members with a visual postcard along with a journal entry or a small essay. It keeps my mind fresh to have a creative lush outside my mainstream work.

Shivam: I did go through a rough patch last year where I had exhausted myself completely. Initially, I took a 3-week break and ensured to stay hibernated, and not engage on my laptop.

During the break, I redefined my rooms from furniture, wall decor to handmade flower pressed frames and abstract paintings. It was quite rejuvenating.

Thapliyal, having the glow-up that Gen-Z crave for,

Consequently, as I returned back to work after the break, I devised some of my best works.

I think it’s important to realise the importance of taking breaks and also to do activities outside your core skillset. It simply adds to your productive side in ways you can’t imagine if you were to try being creative despite hitting that creative block.

Shivam: Not much of concrete plans laid out for 2023, but, I do have two goals on my list. Firstly, I want to write more articles on product illustrations. I am committed to keep giving back to my community and help the upcoming talents in every way possible. I have a few drafts in pipeline and this question is a reminder for me to get them finished! so thanks for it.

Secondly, I do want to try to bring some of my work to real world. I want to implement some of my work in products, murals and see them outside the digital screens. I wish to be able to pick up and gift a product I illustrated and designed to my family and friends. *fingers crossed* I really hope to achieve it one day.

You can take a glimpse into the illustrious vision of Shivam Thapliyal by visiting his official website or by hopping on his instagram handle.