For every creative artist there is that one design, that one piece of art, that one creation which gets the ball rolling. That artwork which made you believe in the creative spark in you. For me this has to be this artwork - Chotu, chai la. This artwork is something immensely close to my heart. My first professionally created artwork.
If you are not conversant with the Hindi language this is what the tshirt artwork says: (you) sit in the canteen (cafeteria) and indulge in big talks about child labour and then shout chotu (generic name used to address small kid) bring me some tea. The next part says - you had your tea, but when will you wakeup? (This was in reference with a then-famous advertisement of a tea brand). Basically this design was a sarcastic jibe to the inrony of our young generation.
This design was created some good 10 years back. At that point I had just completed my law school and started with my 9-5 job in a small legal publishing house. I had been designing since I can remember - craft, painting, sketching, origami and so on, but never did that professionally. This design was submitted in a design competition organised by a t-shirt brand called inkfruit. It was technically my second submission, the first one got rejected as I had exceeded the set numbers of colors. I liked the design and being a fresh law graduate, this child-labour thing had much relevance to me. However I must admit I was sure that I won't win. Many of the designers out there commented that the tshirt had too much written on it - something I squarely agreed. Yes, I loved the design and I had to say what I had to say - but the design was literally - tshirtfull. However votes started flowing in. And it started flowing in like crazy. Before I could realize, it had won the competition based in votes. It got printed and started selling. I got my prize money of ₹5000 and a t-shirt. This was great. However the best kick had to come. One fine morning I was in a market when I saw someone wearing the tshirt with my created design - I was thrilled. Then few months later another sighting in the metro. And then yet another. This feeling was really addictive. I thought to myself, this is awesome - I got to do this. Also I had to prove that this was not a fluke. Couple if months down the line there was yet another design competition going on at inkfruit. Submitted my design - won again. Still this could be mere luck. Send in my third design - generations of music - won again. Now I knew I was in the track.
There is an important thing this design - or rather the popularity of this design has taught me - if you design something pouring in your heart on soul - it will be loved, even if it doesn't technically 'fit in' to the established norms. This design did become one of the best selling designs with numerous reprints.
If you are not conversant with the Hindi language this is what the tshirt artwork says: (you) sit in the canteen (cafeteria) and indulge in big talks about child labour and then shout chotu (generic name used to address small kid) bring me some tea. The next part says - you had your tea, but when will you wakeup? (This was in reference with a then-famous advertisement of a tea brand). Basically this design was a sarcastic jibe to the inrony of our young generation.
This design was created some good 10 years back. At that point I had just completed my law school and started with my 9-5 job in a small legal publishing house. I had been designing since I can remember - craft, painting, sketching, origami and so on, but never did that professionally. This design was submitted in a design competition organised by a t-shirt brand called inkfruit. It was technically my second submission, the first one got rejected as I had exceeded the set numbers of colors. I liked the design and being a fresh law graduate, this child-labour thing had much relevance to me. However I must admit I was sure that I won't win. Many of the designers out there commented that the tshirt had too much written on it - something I squarely agreed. Yes, I loved the design and I had to say what I had to say - but the design was literally - tshirtfull. However votes started flowing in. And it started flowing in like crazy. Before I could realize, it had won the competition based in votes. It got printed and started selling. I got my prize money of ₹5000 and a t-shirt. This was great. However the best kick had to come. One fine morning I was in a market when I saw someone wearing the tshirt with my created design - I was thrilled. Then few months later another sighting in the metro. And then yet another. This feeling was really addictive. I thought to myself, this is awesome - I got to do this. Also I had to prove that this was not a fluke. Couple if months down the line there was yet another design competition going on at inkfruit. Submitted my design - won again. Still this could be mere luck. Send in my third design - generations of music - won again. Now I knew I was in the track.
There is an important thing this design - or rather the popularity of this design has taught me - if you design something pouring in your heart on soul - it will be loved, even if it doesn't technically 'fit in' to the established norms. This design did become one of the best selling designs with numerous reprints.
