Life is so unpredictable! Or it is life’s way of reminding us that every challenge has its purpose. 

Well…Anshi Bansal’s story is an apt testimony of this aspect of life. Her dissatisfaction and displeasure with fashion designing and later pursuit of a career involving software programs eventually landed her in animation, where she found her ultimate fulfilment. 

Stoned Santa had the pleasure of interviewing Anshi, popularly known to her 72K social media followers as Graphic Glimpses, to seek inspiration from her journey marked by unwavering resilience, unbridled passion and unshakeable self-belief. 

Read on to unravel Anshi’s journey from unpredictability to purpose. 

The Twists and Turns of Life

Anshi was neither fond of drawing in her childhood nor interested in art. However, fast-forward to vacations during class XII, Anshi explored drawing and sketching and developed a love for this field to the extent that she desired to pursue her higher education in this area. Consequently, she pursued a bachelor’s in design (Fashion). 

However, after engaging in Fashion Designing for two years, she realised she was not enjoying it, and the Covid-19 pandemic brought another turn of events. The lockdown and online classes from home gave Anshi the time to contemplate her passion and interests and motivated her to explore graphic design, which she found very interesting. 

Anshi also had a good knowledge of software design and secured a decent job in graphic design. However, after working for nearly a year, she realised it was not fulfilling. ‘Though I was employed, I wasn’t enjoying it, and I knew deep down that I wanted to start my own business or venture’, recalls Anshi. 

Marking it as another turning point in her life, Anshi listened to her heart, took the bold step of quitting her job, and sought a new direction for her passion for art and design. 

Graphic Glimpses Comes to Life

It was just a simple suggestion from Anshi’s sister to post her animation creatives on Instagram, which eventually transformed into a passionate project. 

Anshi began designing short animation reels on themes relating to nostalgic memories, childhood games and childhood moments with family and siblings. Her Instagram bio creatively highlights the essence of these themes through the caption, ‘Taking you back to the good old days’.

Anshi pours her heart and creativity into each animation reel, which has resulted in Graphic Glimpses having 75k followers on Instagram and 3.9k subscribers on YouTube. Her followers love these animations because they relate to their lives and favourite memories, which is Anshi’s fuel for excellence. ‘The love and response I get from my audience is truly amazing’, exclaims Anshi.

Anshi’s Motivations and Milestones

The animation and illustrations by fellow artists such as Cristina Furtado (Potatoface) and Satya (Logokuhe) have motivated Anshi to design more creative artwork.  

Over time, her commitment and hard work gained immense popularity and began attracting freelance projects for individuals and brands. Anshi’s portfolio shines with animation projects designed for Bakingo, Blue Heaven, Insights cosmetics, Frozen Bottle and many more. 

One of the most cherishing moments for her was when Ankita Lokhande, a popular Indian TV actress, shared Anshi’s artwork on Instagram. ‘That was really memorable for me’, recalls Anshi.

Anshi’s Tests and Triumphs

While Anshi is a highly skilled artist, she acknowledges that the real test is to find clients in the highly competitive market. Nevertheless, despite such challenges, she is highly optimistic and devoted to her art. She says, ‘It is still my learning phase, and I aspire to design a full animated series in the coming future. 

Anshi’s journey can be understood as a testament to the power of self-belief. She reflects and states, ‘Last year, I had quit my job to establish myself as a full-time artist and I had no idea where it would go, however, I listened to my heart and believed in myself!’ With this motivation and firm belief in herself, Anshi aspires to keep going and excel. 

While architectural planning and animation storytelling seem far-fetched to us, their core lies in artistic imagination and design. Sanya Jain, an illustrator based in Gurgaon, held on to this core and transitioned from sketching buildings to breathing life into animated characters while fueling her passion for art. 

From sketching to storytelling, Sanya’s The Imagine Pot is an exciting journey of artistic evolution and self-discovery. 

Stoned Santa had the privilege of interviewing Sanya Jain, and the insights gained through this conversation will surely awaken the artist inside you. 

Read on to know more!

Transition from Architectural Designs to Digital Animations

Sanya explored the mesmerizing magic of sketching and drawing at a very young age. Over the years, her passion for designing became more intense and fueled her decision to pursue a career in architecture after graduating in the same field in 2015. 

Although working as an architect gave her several opportunities to execute her creative insights, she felt limited. “I love planning and designing interiors, but I realized that at a point you get so engrossed in meeting deadlines and client requirements that the creativity dies, and only corporate tasks are left”, says Sanya.

The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the time and opportunity to resume her love for pencil sketching and painting. Sanya’s interest in art drew her to experiment with digital art. 

She discovered the Procreate software, researched it, and learned more about digital illustrations and animation. And…amidst the global chaos of the pandemic, Sanya’s rekindled hobby soon blossomed into professional digital art forms!

Forging Identity: Creation of The Imagine Pot

As Sanya gained confidence in her skill, she established her brand, The Imagine Pot, inspired by the idea of a magical pot that stirs and brews imagination. Just as a pot combines ingredients to create something new and delicious, The Imagine Pot combines creativity, skill, and imagination to craft unique and captivating illustrations.

The Imagine Pot is however, more than merely a brand, it is a celebration of creativity, emotions, dreams and ideas, that gave Sanya the platform to explore the endless possibilities of cheerful illustration and captivating animation. 

From experiments with different ideas on digital art and playful reels to professional brand collaborations, The Imagine Pot has given wings to Sanya’s creative pursuits.

An Established Professional in Digital Art

After she transitioned to digital art, Sanya initially began with illustrations. However, fast-forward to today, she has specialized in various professional art forms that range from illustrations for children’s books and marketing and promotional content for brands to personal commissions for invitations and home décors like paintings and portraits. 

Whether it is engaging visuals that capture the attention of young minds, brand stories that engage the consumers, or portraits that depict the client’s persona, Sanya’s illustrations and animations are fueled by her passion for art and spreading happiness through her art. ‘I believe that art can bring joy to people’s lives,’ says Sanya.

Sanya further explains that digital illustrations are versatile and have wide applications from personal wedding cards to big advertisements. However, over time, brands have been demanding animation reels also for social media platforms. 

Sanya’s animation content usually focuses on nostalgia, family relationships and motivational ideas and is designed with careful attention to details, enchanting colour palette and thoughtful narratives. 

Her impressive artwork has drawn several established brands including Groww, Kotak Mahindra Bank, HP, ITC, MG Motors and many more prestigious names for creating animations where brand promotion is creatively blended in artwork with marketing finesse. Sanya also designs playful illustrations for entities like NCERT and Faber-Castell. 

Biggest Pillars of Strength: Parents and Family

During the early days of animation, when Sanya was still skeptical about her professional identity as a digital illustrator, her parents and husband motivated her to leave the job, emphasizing how great she was doing. ‘My parents are my best cheerleaders,’ Sanya claimed with a big smile. 

Their encouragement and unwavering support helped Sanya establish herself as a full-time illustrator and animator, giving her flexibility and time with her baby and family.

While there are several facets of art, for the animator Saksham Chaurasiya, it is not only a lifelong passion but also a means to express his thoughts and emotions about life. Life of Mash, is Saksham’s Instagram page with 100k followers, where you can explore all the funny and relatable animations created by him. A self-taught animator from the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, he puts all his heart into his artworks to animate the characters and stories in his animations. 

Stoned Santa had the opportunity to interview Saksham Chaurasiya, and learn about his story, and life as an animator.

Let’s dive into Saksham’s journey from rough cartoon paintings to professional animations.

The Humble Beginning of Animation in Saksham’s Life

Saksham had a strong fascination with watching cartoons and painting since childhood. He says, ‘I loved art and drawing cartoons since childhood, but animation was something that I learned through YouTube tutorials and videos.’ 

Despite having been born and brought-up in a small town, Gwalior, Saksham endeavoured to pursue his dream of excelling in animation. He started working in the field of animation from 2022. 

The reluctance of Saksham’s father to trust the relevance of animation in facilitating a sustainable career also created relevant challenges for him early during his journey. However, over the years, seeing the growing popularity of Life of Mash,  his father has started acknowledging his art and giving him adequate encouragement and support.

The Growth of an Animation Artist

Saksham Chaurasiya is highly creative in blending his art with digital tools and devices. He uses the software Krita to enliven his ideas as he works on them frame by frame. His animations are usually focused on themes such as current trends, childhood memories with friends, and his reflective thoughts about life, religion, and comedy, which are meticulously crafted, scripted, designed and refined by him. 

One of the key features to note in his animations is a male character with spectacles and blue attire. He is inspired by his perception of a ‘faltu man’ who is believed to be worthless but tackles various relatable everyday events of life intelligently.  

Saksham’s Formula for Viral Animation Reels: Comedy and Relatability

The uniqueness of Saksham’s animation lies in his characters, humorous and conceptual storytelling. He explains, ‘I want to make people smile, laugh and reflect on life by connecting my content with the moments from everyday lives.’ 

The most popular reel on Life of Mash by Saksham has reached 12.1 Million views, and most of his reels usually get about 5M-6M views each.

At this rate, we won’t be surprised if he grows to a Million followers in a few months.

Want to connect with Saksham or other talented animators for unique brand promotions? 

Bigger Dreams for Future in Animation

Saksham’s journey into animation does not end at Life of Mash; it’s just the beginning. His aspirations go far beyond Instagram and YouTube. He also wants to develop excellence in 3D animation and VFX, and to open his own animation studio. His dreams of producing longer videos on YouTube and creating videos focusing on trends, nostalgia, and comedy are something to look forward to. 

Advice for Aspiring Animators: Consistency and Relatability 

Saksham’s advice for aspiring animators is simple yet profound. He says, ‘consistency and creating content that helps the audience to emotionally connect with the content is the key. Also, never stop learning and keep on!’ 

Saksham also acknowledges the unpredictability of social media and asserts that good quality and relatability will always give you an edge! 

From creating cartoons in a small town to aspiring to release his cartoon series, Saksham’s journey of self-belief and resilience is a testament to the power of strong-headed dreams and passion. His story is sure to inspire you to overcome any obstacle in your path. 

In a world where people like me and you keep cribbing about our day-to-day incidents, Anusha has been creating humorous animations on such daily life events and has been captivating the hearts of so many people. 

Anusha is a passionate animation artist from Bangalore, whose Instagram handle- MyLittleBubbble is nearing 100,000 followers, and has become a name to follow in digital animation with her creative animations, witty storytelling, keen observation and quirky humour. However, Anusha’s career had begun as a product designer and animation has been an added skill that she had developed over the years. 

MyLittleBubbble – Anusha’s creation, signifies a journey powered by persistence, sheer hard work and passion for art.   

Stoned Santa got the wonderful opportunity to interview Anusha and gain insights into the creative journey of this enthusiastic and avid artist and her career as an Animator.

Creativity Nurtured during Childhood

Having been born in the United States and later moving to India, Anusha’s childhood was a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and unique experiences. Her early love for drawing cartoons and doodling has blossomed into a career in art, a journey that is truly inspirational and unique. 

While Anusha’s parents appreciated and supported her passion for art since childhood, her father suggested that she pursue a future career in a field that aligns with and fuels her creativity. 

This support encouraged her and laid the foundation for an educational path that included graduation in Communication Design from MSU, Gujarat, followed by a master’s in design from Dhirubhai Ambani Institute, while giving wings to her artistic fervours.

The Birth of MyLittleBubbble by Anusha

While Anusha had been engaged with art and doodling since her childhood, receiving the Wacom tablet to learn software was a key event that motivated her to try her hands with traditional digital illustrations and different frames for animation. This became a time to explore new software for animation, techniques, characters and storytelling through animations. She started designing frame by frame and eventually learnt to transform digital illustrations into reels. 

However, until 2019, this practice was just a hobby, and it was the COVID-19 pandemic that became the key turning point for Anusha’s creative journey. 

She realised a sudden rise in the popularity of the reel culture during the lockdown, with several artists posting humorous content and gaining immense appreciation and engagement from the audience, and thus MyLittleBubbble was born. 

Anusha took inspiration from this trend and decided to experiment with reels on Instagram and ta-da! there has been no looking back since then. “People started connecting very soon. One of my earliest reels received 2.5 million views and my followers on Instagram rose from 400 to 10,000, within a few days, right after this reel…now this really boosted my confidence and motivation!”

Can you guess the views received by her most-viewed reel? It is an exponentially high figure of 35 million views! Marvelous isn’t it? In fact several other reels designed by Anusha have reached a smashing figure of 15million views. 

Over time, as Anusha’s skill at animation and storytelling improved, she established illustrations and animation as a side hustle. 

Engaging the Audience with Quirky Storytelling

Anusha’s approach to crafting reels is a unique blend of creativity and strategy. Her MyLittleBubbble draws inspiration from daily observations and everyday events, often overlooked but easily relatable. Her reels are designed for quick and easy viewing, making them highly shareable and increasing her reach among the audience. 

Her animation content showcases themes relating to childhood nostalgia, women-centric stories and mother-daughter relationships. She also stresses, “I believe people find them relatable and become highly engaged with the content.” 

Balancing Profession and Passion 

Anusha’s love for art could not keep her away from art even at her professional front and ensures an adequate balance between her work and artwork. She has a good experience of working as a UI-UX designer at TCS and in product development at Games247 – A leading gaming company from India, that have further honed her skills in designing and developing interactive animations. 

Managing animation reels on MyLiitleBubbble and work projects often get hectic, so she keeps her notes ready with ideas, and whenever time allows, she creates four to five reels at a time and keeps posting them on social media. “Instagram has become too saturated, and it is essential to keep an effective track of your audience demographics and keep them engaged consistently in the reels,” says Anusha. 

Brand Collaborations that made MyLittleBubbble Shine 

Anusha’s growing popularity and recognition by the audience on her Instagram Page, MyLittleBubbble have attracted several brands like Atulya Cosmetics and Toesmith as she endeavours to pursue animation art as her full-time profession. 

Anusha’s key strength is integrating creativity and strategy, which enables her to create a clever blend of storytelling and brand promotion. She says, ‘I design brand promotion for Instagram such that it does not appear like an advertisement, but an artwork that the audience can quickly relate to. 

For the future, Anusha seeks to transform her animation work on MyLittleBubbble from a side hustle to a full-time profession and aspires to work with brands that align with her content relating to childhood, mother-daughter relationships and youth. She also seeks to become more active on YouTube through vlogging based on her personal life experiences and engage the audience.

An inspiring journey of blending creativity with relatability and strategy! Isn’t it?

If you are also looking for some unique and fresh custom animations for your brand assets or brand promotion or want to work with animators, contact Stoned Santa for your  go-to artist! 

We are a one-stop avenue for all your creative requirements, who would love to work with you!

10 Famous Oil Paintings that Changed the World of Art

From a means of communication to religious expression to the portrayal of human emotions and experience, oil paintings on canvas have served not only as creative expressions but also as stories representing entire eras! They depict not only the painting styles, art movements, culture, and the milieu of an age but also the mindset of the people of that age. 

Whether it is the anxiety of the modern age depicted by Edvard Munch in The Scream or leisure and escapism among people portrayed in Georges Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, you can perceive the thoughts and attitudes of the people of that age in the oil paintings. 

Perhaps… maybe this is why the beauty of a handcrafted oil painting is more appreciated for preserving our most beautiful memories than photographs despite their highly advanced features. They capture not only memories, but also the essence of the memories!

Let’s explore some world-famous oil paintings and dive deeper into the brushstrokes on the canvas! 

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

The apex of creative excellence that continues to intrigue the viewers with its captivating smile. Yes! ‘Mona Lisa’ it is! The oil painting where the sitter’s identity has been subjected to much debate and speculation. 

While some scholars have suggested her to be Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florentine merchant, others have guessed it to be Caterina, Leonardo’s mother or even Leonardo’s self-portrait…the mystery continues. 

But that is not all that elevates its fame. The painting signifies Leonardo’s skilful use of sfumato, which involves gradual blending and fine shading to create lifelike emotion. This technique, along with observations of female anatomy, folded fabrics, delicate veil, sensuous curves of her hair and the sombre valleys and rivers in the background, makes the Mona Lisa seem so real. 

Mona Lisa is also the first portrait to showcase the sitter in front of an imaginary landscape and the first use of aerial perspective. 

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh

One of the most renowned paintings in Western Art, Van Gogh’s Starry Night is a luminous oil on canvas that was created during his stay at the Paul-de-Mausole asylum in France, several months after having suffered from a mental breakdown where he had even cut his own ear with a razor. 

During his stay at the asylum, he witnessed several bursts of productivity along with moods of anguish. Van Gogh preferred depicting his observations on the canvas. 

Likewise, The Starry Night portrays the night sky over the Province, wherein the whirling view of the sky reflects his turbulent emotions and edifying thoughts along with his appreciation of nature and its serene beauty. 

The painting is heavily inspired by post-impressionism and signifies the use of swirling brushstrokes, vigorous lines and contrasting colours. 

Girl with the Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

Heard of ‘Mona Lisa of the North’? Yes, Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is referred to be the one because of the mysterious identity of the girl and her enigmatic expression. 

However, this painting is not a formal portrait but a Dutch genre called ‘tronie’, highlighting a headshot with lively physiognomy. 

Apart from the matched colour palette and refined brushwork, the oil painting is famous for its soft eyes, pearl earrings and the intense gaze of the girl, evoking an elegant yet mysterious appeal. 

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Want to gain a glimpse of the mind of any age, go to the art and paintings of that age!

Yes, just as the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci evoked self-control and serenity of the age of Renaissance through his paintings like the Mona Lisa, Munch portrayed the uncertainty and anxiety of the modern age so vividly in his oil painting, The Scream.

While Munch designed four different versions of The Scream, each one evokes the inner turmoil and existential dread he personally experienced having heard a sharp scream passing through nature while walking with his friends. 

In the painting, the wavy portrayal of the sky and water in distorted form and vivid hues convey a strong sense of disorientation, a key characteristic of Expressionism.

Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David

Painted in commemoration of Napoleon’s campaign across the Alps in 1800, particularly while crossing the Great Bernard Pass, Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David signifies his military courage. 

A fun fact: David created five versions of the painting between 1801 and 1805! The first version was commissioned by Charles IV, King of Spain, during the exchange of gifts between Spain and France to restore the relationship between the two countries. The portrait was to be hung in the Royal Palace of Madrid.

The second and third versions were commissioned by Napoleon himself to establish his military strength and power. The fourth version was commissioned by the Republic of Cisalpine and aimed at reinforcing control of Italy by Napoleon, while the last version aimed to acknowledge David’s artistic accomplishments. 

These four versions are displayed at the Belvedere Museum, Palace of Versailles, Kunsthistorisches Museum and Walker Art Gallery. 

Although Napoleon crossed the Alps on a mule and adorned a less glamorous attire, his portrayal with a muscular horse and glamorous attire in the painting emphasises the courage, prowess and authority of Napoleon, thereby making this oil painting a strong symbol of heroism and emphasising the legendary status of Napoleon. 

Despite the portrayal of an event from history, the painting conveys a timeless conception of man controlling power over himself and the natural world, which further elevates the popularity of the painting. 

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat

The highlight of Seurat’s A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is its ambiguities. The painting portrays the upper- and middle-class Parisians on a day of leisure at La Grande Jatte, located near Paris. 

At one end, the painting shows the celebration of the idyllic pleasures of life on a warm spring day; on the other side, it also counterintuitively demonstrates a deep sense of desolation. The men and women in the painting appear frozen in time, detached from one another, and also showcase the mindset of the modern age. 

Apart from the imagery portrayed in this painting, the key highlight of this work is the use of Pointillism, a technique involving the use of small dots of colours to create an image. The optical mixture of unified and vivid colours directly captivates the viewers’ attention.

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

The oil painting was commissioned by the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, and portrays the scene where Jesus reveals that one of the apostles will betray him. 

Unlike the frescoes painted on wet plaster for longevity during the Renaissance, The Last Supper was painted on a dry wall with oil and tempera for Leonardo’s aspiration to achieve greater precision and luminosity.

However, this experimental technique by Leonardo made the painting highly prone to deterioration, discolouration, and flaking, which is complicated for restoration.

While Leonardo took three years to complete, the masterpiece has undergone decades of restoration. At one end, the painting demonstrates Leonardo’s perception of the scene and his focus on drawing the viewers’ attention to the centre of the frame where he positioned Jesus with his apostles reacting in different emotions to His revelation. On the other, it showcases Leonardo’s artistic genius, vision and creativity.

The endeavours and time dedicated to preserving The Last Supper highlight its importance to the history of art, human creativity and Leonardo’s skill of capturing human expressions that have transcended decades. 

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

If you believe that art is only for décor and beautification, you must explore Guernica by Pablo Picasso, that created the most powerful political statement by portraying the devastation of the Basque town of Guernica by the Nazi’s shocking casual bombing during the Spanish Civil War. 

The painting portrays the tragedies of War and the sufferings inflicted upon innocent civilians, which have elevated the status of this artwork to an anti-war symbol and an embodiment of peace.

The painting played a major role in bringing the War to the world’s attention. 

The composition of the painting involving distorted and semi-abstracted bodies, dismembered body parts, sharp angular lines, and overriding visual order evokes a sense of chaos and confusion, highlighting the violence during the War, further highlighting the political significance of the painting.

The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan Van Eyck

While some claim the oil painting to be symbolising the Italian merchant Arnolfini’s Marriage, some claim that it portrays pregnant Mrs Arnolfini, who had died during childbirth, yet some others assert that painting pregnant women during the early Renaissance was considered indecorous, and it is just the excess fabric creating a domelike silhouette of the lady. 

Likewise, with the unresolved mystery, the painting continues to intrigue the viewers. It is this aspect of the oil painting that makes it so fascinating. 

The painting also showcases the oil glazing technique used by Van Eyck to create texture and depth and highlight realism. The close attention to precise details such as the texture of the fabrics, the glazing eyes and the position of the lady’s hand and the reflective mirror and chandelier also signify the focus on meticulous details during the early Renaissance.

The Final Brushstroke!

Are you intrigued by the fascinating timelessness and ways of art serving as a peephole to history, culture and perception of different ages, emotions and art techniques from different eras? Do you feel inspired by these iconic masterpieces of art evoking mystery and brilliance?  

Your wait is surely over now! The artists at Stoned Santa bring history to life through oil paintings and furnish your personal or professional space with the magic of oil painting. 

Hurry up, then! Spot your favourite corners, ready to be adorned with oil paintings, and contact Stoned Santa Now!