The Illustrator Who Brings Stories to Life Through Art!

There is always room for a story that can transport people to another land! Illustrator and designer Himanshu Bankar shares his passion for sharing stories and evoking emotions through his art.

Like many other artists, Himanshu Bankar’s creative journey started as a child. Every milestone was a turning point, from the first water colours to the time he bought first canvas. Every little thing had a significant impact on his journey and propelled him forward.

He most fondly remembers the time he started learning digital art. He had installed a drawing app - Autodesk Sketchbook on his smartphone, and made one of his first illustration projects on that tiny device. After that there was no turning back.

Never really interested in academics, Himanshu immediately jumped into the creative world right after high school by enrolling himself in a bachelors of “Applied Arts”. He has dipped his toes into both waters and thinks both learning methods have their advantages, but formal education has taught him how to apply his talent and skills in a professional capacity.

Himanshu grew up with mythological stories, watching series and reading comics like Amar Chitra Katha & Chandoba, and mythology, history and fantasy worlds inspires him even today. Creatives take in what they see, read, or hear and that then manifests in their work.

Each illustration of Himanshu’s have elements that are distinctly Indian as he feels being an Indian, we are gifted with so many stories which have different roots and layers in them altogether. He is just on the path to retell all those stories through his artwork

His passion for creating art, sharing stories, and evoking emotion comes from within. "Dive deep into that genre and feel it first if you want to sketch something or produce art." Dramatic, but essential to Himanshu's achievement.

For instance, he physically listens to jumpy-playful music when he wants to draw something that has to do with children. Alternatively, if he wants to depict a scene from a tale, he reads the story and makes an effort to picture himself there. According to him, observation, analysis, and communication are the three most crucial skills a designer may possess outside of design.

Stylistically, his portfolio has an amazing range from whimsical to more photoreal but what guides the look of a specific piece for him depends on the subject. On occasion, he places more emphasis on the idea and the feelings expressed in the piece than on the actual painting itself. But he tends to utilise less realism in the pictures, which are based on fiction. His main sources of inspiration include movies, real-life events, Pinterest boards, and Instagram postings.

People and their stories interest him the most. Visual references are important to his process; anytime a story idea arises, he begins by looking for content that is comparable. Other times, while listening to music, he starts picturing scenes that are related to the lyrics. It helps in adding the element of emotion.

While collaborating with clients, Himanshu always prefers to ask them every detail about the project so he can begin visualising. However, when clients are unsure about what they want, he generates ideas for them. He feels that clients can bring out the best version of you. So, one should always be ready to break out of their comfort zone and respect the clients’ opinions.

Sometimes, extra time and some imagination is all one needs to find the right solution.