Meet the Doodle Dude – Anubhav Sahu

Text by Prakriti Panwar, (Intern) Staff Writer

Image courtesy: Chanda Rajat Sahu

Until a few years ago, doodling was something children would indulge in out of sheer boredom and you would often find those masterpieces of mischief on the back of their notebooks mostly during the science period.

Today, it is considered one of the most diverse and inclusive art forms. Apart from allowing people to express themselves however they like, doodling also gets the creative juices flowing almost instantly! Doodling is also a form of expression, which people are waking up to.

14-year-old, Anubhav Sahu, from Mumbai (a student of Billabong High Internation School, Malad) has been doing the same for some years now. When his mother first sent him to an art class at the age of six, the teacher sent him back saying that he could not teach the little boy anything more.  He was already drawing accurate and proportionate life forms! “As a child, Anubhav was quite hyperactive, art was the only thing for which he would sit together for hours and do” Chanda Sahu, Principal and Founder of WizKids International, Mumbai and Anubhav’s mother recalls.

Anubhav has a knack for creatively bringing things to life and depicting them in an upbeat jazzy manner. We at The Lifestyle Portal were privileged to have a chat with him and as we bring to you the various experiences of the young art maestro.

The Beginning of a Hobby

Anubhav started drawing perfectly when he was just five. As a child, he used to draw everything he saw around him and has been drawing ever since.  He briefly recalls how he began his journey.

“I saw doodle artworks online by artists and got inspired to doodle myself. I started art in general, in 2014 and doodling in 2018. I used to draw anything on TV, cartoons or robots and am mostly self-taught.”

We asked Anubhav about his plans and whether or not he would like to explore other, more technologically advanced forms of art. He admits that though he has tried digital art, he has not explored it fully. He shares, “I do plan on taking Digital Art as a subject in my school this year since we are offered a course. It is sort of hard to transition from traditional to digital art, but I feel it is quite relevant because, in fields such as product designing or logo designing, digital art is a common medium.”

The Appealing Factor

Art means different things to different people. For some, it may be therapeutic, while for others it may be a stress buster. Anubhav too has a distinct and unique interpretation of the same.

“The fact that you can display the creativity of your mind on a paper is what attracts me the most. I find art calming and satisfying. It’s a good way to pass time and it soothes me. Doodling is something that in any way drawn, can’t be judged, it’s always the product of a creative mind”

We even asked Chanda, Anubhav’s mother, about her, take on art and creativity. Being an educationist and a mother, she provided us with the perfect aspect, “The curriculum of my school has art. I feel that the world is getting too cold and cruel.  It’s also lacking in empathy in many. Nowadays children don’t really seem to have an appreciation for art and aesthetics. They are too involved in technology, gadgets and smartphones. Other than the fact that art is really calming, it also tends to bring joy and smiles to children’s faces.”

The Inspiration

After seeing Anubhav’s distinctive and quirky doodles, we asked him about the source of his creativity. He simply replied, “I get inspired by everything I see around me including natural elements, universal creations etc and depict it in my own manner. That is what makes it unique.”

Anubhav makes sure that he writes an explanation to his work just like any other artist. In fact, this habit of his, as his mother recalls, started really early. As a five-year-old kid, he made sure to write explanations for his drawings, even though he could not write proper sentences! Anubhav even mentioned his two favourite artists, the ones he looks up to.

“The work of Vince Okerman (@vexx) and Zach Hsieh (@zhcomicart.nd) looked like fun. I realized I did not have to think much and I started doodling because of them.”

The Mediums and tools

It is a known fact that doodling is a form of art, which is quite minimalistic in nature. However, after having a chat with Anubhav, we realized that there is much more to it than just markers and pens since he uses a variety of them for various purposes. “I mostly use a fine and thick black lining pen (UniPin, Staedtler, Sakura Pigma Micron and alcohol-based markers.” We further asked Anubhav as to why other forms of art or painting such as watercolours or acrylic did not appeal to him. He plainly replied, “I have tried exploring and mixing various styles, but I realized that it’s quite common. I prefer doodling.”

Future Plans

Since Anubhav has recently entered the ninth grade, we asked him about his plans for the future.

“I would like to pursue archaeology, but who knows, I might take art as a supporting job.  For me, art is a hobby. However, I do not mind doing art as a side business.”

In fact, he has already begun his side business! After seeing his doodles, Anubhav’s friends started placing orders for trendy phone covers with him. He sold each doodle artwork on a phone back cover for Rs 130/- and still has eight of them which he could sadly not deliver due to the lockdown.

Anubhav’s mother clearly stated that she is completely fine with whatever he chooses to do in life. “Although I am a science graduate, I did not do much in my own field. What I do now is much different from what I studied. What I feel is that it is your interest which will take you ahead. A job will keep you motivated 9 to 5 but interest keeps you motivated 24/7. And if you do what you love, you are never working.”

A simple activity such as art has so much more to it than colours and paints. Anubhav, with a few pens and markers, created a world of his own on paper, inspiring us to do the same. A little bit of creativity, paired with some skills can really develop numerous important values such as patience and appreciation. We too, with two extra weeks at home, can at least try to explore our thoughts and ideas and get a little closer to connecting with ourselves.

About our Intern:

Prakriti Panwar is a Grade X student of The Navy Children School, Mumbai. She is a wordsmith and a bookworm. At the age of 14, her short story was selected to be published as part of an ebook after she won a countrywide contest. She loves to weave stories, paint, play the guitar and piano and sing. She plans to pursue her interest in writing by becoming a journalist.

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