18-Year-Old Prianka Bassi on the Art of Drawing

Prianka Bassi is a phenomenal artist whose detailed drawings have been shared by thousands of people on Social Media. She’s an outstanding 18-year-old (awesome right?) who can draw just about anything with her pen, creating illustrations and mind boggling art that’ll make your head spiral in wonder.

Of course, we thought it would be really inspiring for her to share her creative process with us and her general thoughts on Art and Creativity.
Here’s our chat with her 😉

For Creative Girls: How did your journey into art begin? What made you start drawing?
I have always had a passion for art and have been drawing ever since I was a child. I would always doodle on my homework and on small areas on walls around my house, which didn’t make my dad very happy!

Lol. We can imagine the part where your dad would get angry.
There’s a general debate when it comes to art and all things artistic on talent. Did you go to an art school? Or have you learnt all by yourself?
I am a self-taught artist and have never been to an art school or received any sort of art lessons, but I do believe that anyone can draw, if they have access to the resources and are given some guidance. My art teacher in school has constantly shown me new techniques and media to work with, which I would have never discovered if I had just relied on my own talent, in the comfort of my own home. Therefore, although some individuals do have a natural talent, I do believe that even if you are completely rubbish at drawing, regular practice and some guidance will help you to become better at what you do.

When you started drawing, were your family members in support? Or did they have any form of objection to it?
My family has never had a problem with me drawing, but I did realise that they initially wanted me to focus more on my academic subjects, rather than art. They wouldn’t force me to quit art but they were slightly hesitant at first and would always try to convince me to focus more on my other subjects. However, after I turned 16 and began to focus more on my detailed and intricate style of working, my parents realised that this was more than just a hobby, and became impressed with the amount of detail I could produce with just a few pens. Ever since then they have been extremely supportive of my work, and now love to show my drawings off to all their friends and family!

What do you do to get better at drawing?
I practise EVERY SINGLE DAY! I am constantly drawing new things which means I develop and build on my skills with every piece. I also love to watch videos and gain inspiration from other artists, which in return helps me to learn new techniques and try them out myself.

We’re mega-curious. What inspires you? What influences your art? Do you see something and just decide to draw it…?
I have always been inspired by anything which involves detailed pattern work. Whether it’s in the form of nature, flowers, architecture or clothing, anything which is adorned in patterns will inspire me. I have also always been interested in different cultures and astrology, which is why you can mostly see elements such as mandalas and signs and symbols in my work.

Do you make money from your art or do you have another money making venture?
I do sell prints of my work and also do commissions for various people from which I gain money. As I’m still currently in high school, this is a great way of making some pocket money through my talent.

What’s your creative process like, what does a typical creative work day look like for you?
If it’s a school day, I usually come home from school, spend 1/2 hours on my academic subjects, and then work on my art for 2/3 hours in the evening. However on the weekends, if I don’t have other homework or activities to do, I can draw for literally 10 hours straight!

Wow. That is amazing!
Usually, the journey to being an artist who makes money from her art can be tedious. What’s your advice for people who want to do their art full time and make money from it?
It can be very hard to earn a full time earning from art because there is so much competition out there and sometimes it may feel as if people aren’t acknowledging the effort and time you put into your work. However if you keep creating new work and have a positive mindset, anything is possible! Also, try not to listen to negativity around you. Surround yourself with positive people who motivate you to do better, rather than those who drag you down.

How do you define being creative? What does it mean to you?
Being creative to me is simply allowing yourself to be free and liberated, to share whatever is running through your mind, to the rest of the world. Creativity to me also means to have ideas that not many other people may think of.. that makes you different and unique from others

What constraints do you encounter in creating your work?
As I usually work on large paper, I find it quite hard to find a suitable place to work in. I need a huge table and a comfortable chair too because my back starts to hurt if I sit down in one position for too long! My neck and eyes usually hurt when I draw for too long, but that’s quite a common problem for many artists.

Aside from drawing, do you do anything else to release your creativity?
I’m a huge fan of rap music, so I used to write my own raps/poems in my spare time. I love music in general, so just listening to music and drawing helps me to release all my creativity.

What are your future plans for your art?
I don’t know what the future holds for me but I am sure that I want my future to be full of art and creativity, as it is now. I’d love my art to be recognised worldwide and would love to branch out to fashion and designing for big companies

What memorable response(s) have you had to your works?
The time when Buzzfeed saw my work via Twitter and wrote an article about me!

To see more of Prianka’s work follow her on Twitter and Instagram