fbpx
Unique Corporate Gift Ideas – An Insight into Personalized Caricatures

Unique Corporate Gift Ideas – An Insight into Personalized Caricatures

Unique Corporate Gift Ideas – An Insight into Personalized Caricatures

Corporate gifting is a great way to strengthen connections with employees, clients, and partners, and organisations have leveraged corporate gifting for a really long time. 

In this blog, we want to talk about Caricatures as a mode of gifting for corporates.

Corporate caricatures make for a great and unique gifting idea as they are appealing and appropriate for any corporate occasion. For instance, the office staff can adorn a caricature of a retiring employee with handwritten wishes and personal anecdotes. 

Our team of skilled caricature artists can help you add a personalized touch by converting your imaginative ideas into a memorable gift. Moreover, we provide digital renditions of corporate caricatures and the actual original art on demand.

 

Shark Tank India Collage of personalised cacicatures

Unique Corporate Gift Ideas – Personalized Caricatures

Our experience in personalized gifting has enabled us to create a list of unique corporate caricatures

 

Corporate Gift Idea 1 – Boss Lady Appreciation

The multiple roles that a woman can play in society are tremendous. And to acknowledge the efforts of their boss, who plays each role with so much dedication, a group of juniors wanted to create a unique gift on her birthday. Therefore with the “multi-tasking woman theme” as recommended by our gifting experts, coupled with the creativity of our caricature artist, we came up with the following masterpiece!

 

Boss Lady Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Corporate Gift Idea 2 – Raavan, The King of Multitasking 

In the corporate realm, having a team leader who leads by example is a treasure worth cherishing. But how do you appreciate the leader’s efforts who motivate your team to perform better? A unique corporate gift is an ideal way to acknowledge such a leader.

Based on this context, one of the teams of a leading global company came to our gifting experts. They wanted to gift their multi-tasking team leader a farewell gift! Our gifting experts recommended having the team leader depicted as Raavan – managing ten different tasks in a way that shows ten different people are individually working on it simultaneously! 

And this is what our caricature artist came up with –

 

Raavan The King of Multitasking Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Surprise Caricatures for your team?

Corporate Gift Idea 3 – Forbes Edition “Best Performer Award” 

Our clients wanted to gift their best performer on his work anniversary. The idea was to portray the employee on the Forbes cover page as a caricature with a few quips. Our caricature artist – Chetan, created this masterpiece.

 

 

Forbes Edition - Best Performer Corporate Gift - Caricature

Corporate Gift Idea 4 – Team Superheroes Assemble!

Running a business is no less than a team of superheroes coming together to channel their skill sets and experience. They keep accomplishing unique projects while keeping their customers happy. And what better way to appreciate the efforts of such a team than by giving a personalized caricature gift

We got to work on one such exciting concept, where we had to represent the employees as superheroes and depict them in their elements. And the following is the snippet of a Marvel caricature theme –

Team Superhero Corporate Marvel Caricature
 

Corporate Gift Idea 5 – Football Fanatics Caricature

We had the opportunity to create a personalized gift for Tom, the (ex) VP of BCG London. He was moving to another consulting firm, therefore the BCG team decided to gift him something really special.

A group caricature with the entire BCG team dressed in football jerseys standing at the centre of a stadium.

PS – It was our first ever international order for caricature. 

 

Football Corporate Caricature
Corporate Gift Idea 6 –  Favorite Character Caricature

Affine Analytics wanted to gift their top-performing employees something unique and customized. They asked their employees the names of their favorite superheroes or fictional characters. The company approached us to make customized caricatures based on the characters and photographs of the employees who shared them.

 

Favourite Character Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Looking For a Personalized Corporate Caricature?

Corporate Gift Idea 7 –  Dream Team Caricature Ft Royal Sena

Yet another fantastic opportunity from BCG India Office, we had to create a unique gift for the team that worked with Schneider Electric.

The gift was to appreciate the team’s efforts, and the theme was to represent the team as Indian mythological heroes who were a part of the royal sena. 

We used different clothing styles and placed each team member in a particular role. And this is what we came up with

 

Dream Team Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Corporate Gift Idea 8 – Recreating PayPal Mafia Caricature 

Remember PayPal Mafia? A group of original PayPal employees who had difficulty adjusting to eBay’s corporate culture left the company, only to start their own companies and venture firms in subsequent years. The term gained popularity as it was used as a headline for an article in Fortune Magazine with a featured photo of former PayPal employees in gangster attire. 

Well, this was the theme for our next creation. BharatPe, a leading digital payment service company, wanted us to curate a similar image to that of PayPal Mafia. And this is what we came up with

 

Reference Picture

Manchester United String Art
Paypal Mafia Concept Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Corporate Gift Idea 9 – Retirement Caricature Gift 

One of our clients wanted to gift his retiring colleague, who worked as a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF), a unique caricature. Since the theme was fighter planes and the occasion of WSS retirement, we came up with the following creation 

 

Retirement Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Corporate Gift Idea 10 – Women’s Day Caricature

We had the opportunity to work on an exciting project for Women’s Day. A team wanted to gift their lady boss a personalized caricature on Women’s Day. The idea was to showcase their boss’s multiple roles in everyday life. From being a trained classical dancer to managing the house to being a fantastic cook, and a globe trotter, each of these roles was depicted as a caricature

 

Women's Day Corporate Gifts - Caricature

Get your Caricatures with Stoned Santa

Why Choose Stoned Santa for a Corporate Caricature Gift?

Stoned Santa has several years of successfully serving thousands of clients with unique customized gifts. And personalized caricatures are our hot-selling gifting line, and for all the right reasons – 

  • You can go wild with your imaginations with a pinch of sarcasm, and our artists can add their creativity to incorporate them into the caricature.
  • Caricatures make a unique gift for any corporate occasion, be it retirement, awards, etc.
  • Caricatures have a comic effect, which can tickle the funny bones while being a memorable souvenir.
  • Caricatures are available in digital prints and original art pieces.

Our gifting experts are here to guide you through the originality of the corporate gift, through the work in progress, until the timely delivery! Get in touch with Stoned Santa gifting experts today.

 

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

11 Illustrators In India

11 Illustrators In India

11 Illustrators In India We Can Vouch For!

India has always been the home to exquisite arts and creativity, giving birth to several talented and renowned artists worldwide. Illustrations are one such art form that has garnered the attention of many young and aspiring artists in India, thus introducing a new wave of change in the Indian art industry. These artists are revolutionizing every aspect of life, from content creation to customized gifting. This article celebrates the art and achievements of 11 such illustrators in India while highlighting their daunting journey amidst the career stereotypes in India.

An illustration by Uday Mohite, an inspiring Illustrator in India

What is an Illustration?

Illustrators are incredibly skilled artists who specialize in creating depictions or visual representations from scratch. They might use various tools, including pens, pencils, colors, acrylics, etc. There are several types of illustration art, such as pencil art, lithography, charcoal and more. Oftentimes, the terms designers and illustrators are used interchangeably. However, designers rely on pre-built templates and offer limited creativity, while illustrators have no limitations.

Chaaya Prabhat: One Day at a Time

In the realm where color speaks louder than words, the prodigal Chennai-based artist returned to India from Hong Kong to depict everyday life through a new lens.

Some find their passion after exploring various fields, while some are born with the clarity and the talent to compensate for that vision. Chaaya Prabhat inspires several illustrators in India as exceptional artists and a professional who are challenging traditional career roles one day at a time. Having amassed a follower base of eighty-four thousand followers, Chaaya is creating waves as a renowned illustrator in India. 

Her works vary from quirky concept illustrations to book cover illustrations, leaving viewers with a new perspective of mundane everyday life events. Undoubtedly the most well-deserved Graphic Artist of the Year, 2023, in our opinion!

 

An illustration by Chaaya, an inspiring Illustrator in India
Chaya Prabhat, a promising illustrator in India

Ranganath Krishnamani: Vintage to Facebook

Where stories unfold through colors that weave a rather beautiful reality of life, viewers are sure to fall prey to the beautiful canvas of the multi-disciplinary art director from Tamil Nadu. 

As a headliner in the art community, Ranganath founded LiquidInk Design, which caters to several corporates but nurtures aspiring artists through inspiration in design and careers. 

Managing a follower base of sixty-two thousand followers through his company page Liquid Ink, the inspiring Bangalorean never fails to mesmerize his followers with captivating posts.  From vibrant narrations to unparalleled precision, and concept illustrations, there’s no doubt that Krihnamani’s works have attracted the attention of corporates like Facebook, Google, Adobe, Cure.fit, and more.

 

The master illustrator and trend-setter, Ranganath Krishnamani

Looking For Personalized Illustrations?

Satish Gangaiah: The Chatpatta Affair

The tricky art of creating captivating yet meaningful concept collage illustrations comes easily to this freelance designer, Satish Gagaiah

Boasting 15 years of design experience as an Illustrator in India, Satish Gangaiah has worked with several creative companies and ad agencies, highlighting an impressive and versatile work portfolio. Behance is one of the many platforms where one can find, get inspired, and even buy from this talented mind. 

Comic book illustrations might be one aspect of his service provisions, but viewers might be in for a treat should they ever let Satish’s imaginations run wild through concept collage illustrations. ‘The Chatpatta Affair’, an artwork displayed on his Instagram profile with five-thousand five hundred and forty, is an exquisite yet quirky illustration that paints the love for India’s favorite snack, the ‘Gol-gappa’, in a new light.

 

A collage by Satish Gangaiah, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Answesha Paul: Realism Redefined

The combination of thought-provoking imagination artwork, compensated with intricate details, highlights the nurturing and protective nature of womanhood subtly. Answesha Paul, a twenty-three-year-old illustrator in India, is striding forward to appreciate femininity through the lens of an experienced illustrator. 

The young illustrator in India loves showing her consideration for details with the playful use of watercolors, acrylics, and seasoned finesse in various artworks. Her designs range from everyday concept depictions of individuals, animals, and folklore, sprinkling life to their emotions in a surreal manner. If you want to get inspired, Answeha’s artistic prowess will surely fill your creative, hungry mind and help you look at the world differently.

 

An amazing illustration by Anwesha Paul, an inspiring Illustrator in India
Anwesha Paul, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Dejeshwini: Canvas, Colours, and Quote-play

Enchanting strokes, intricate sketches, and unending creativity is the perfect replacement for Youtube shorts and Instagram reels for your inner art-hungry philosopher. Depictions of the vibrant and fading Indian society with a token of color play can be found on Dee for drawing, which Dejaswini manages.  

Using her art as a medium to speak with 41.6K followers on Instagram, Dejaswini is crafting a new form of story-telling, through her work as an Illustrator in India. As one of the most talented illustrators in India, Desjawini also has a knack for writing, which allows her to play with imagination, canvases, colors, and quotes, thus leaving her viewers spellbound and wanting more.

An amazing concept illustration art by Dejaswini

Chaitanya Limaye: Chai, Crackers and Breathtaking art

Enter into the world of breathtaking artistry intricately coiled with exceptional digital artwork by Art of Chai, or the person behind the page, Chaitanya Limaye. 

Indeed a perfect name for an Instagram page, which viewers can enjoy with some chai, crackers, and mesmerizing depictions, helping viewers to lose themselves in a spiral of thoughts. Adding a creative sprinkle of mermaid illustrations to depictions of Dad as a superhero, Chaitanya uniquely expresses his empathic nature through his timeless illustrations. Rest assured; you’ll have some quality time on a breezy evening when you enter his art realm with a chai in hand with sixty-thousand other followers.

.

Chaitanya Limaye, an inspiring Illustrator in India
An sketch by Chaitanya Limaye, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Order from the Best Illustrators in India Today!

Bhavya Desai: The Illustration Puzzle

Collage in a frame might be standard, but converting the whole page into a gigantic collage is a feat only a few talented illustrators in India, like Bhavya Desai, have accomplished. 

Illustrators often enjoy the freedom to perfectly convert their imaginations into depictions without constraints. However, Bhavya Desai is one such illustrator in India who combined his imagination to create art and arrange it on his constraint-specific Instagram wall, resulting in a visual treat. Such feats mark the ability of Bhavya to leverage pre-built designs and imaginations to create outwardly designs worthy of appreciation. While making his mark in several illustration arts, Bhavya’s artwork often depicts a sense of free-flowing messy yet beautiful watercolors.

 

An illustration being created by Bhavvya Desai, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Uday Mohite: Master of students and portraits

The master artsman and teacher who can convey stories through realistic portraits in real and digital formats is famously the Indian_Illustrator by more than seventy-thousand art lovers on Instagram. 

The visual odyssey, intricately crafted by Uday Mohite, is a treat for art and non-art lovers, as portraits made by the master are sure to catch the attention of every wandering eye on the social media platform. Even so, realistic portraits are just one piece of the puzzle, as Uday Mohite is also famous for creating banner illustrations, thus offering some stiff competition to digital artists online. However, be it a competing digital artist or an aspiring student, Uday Mohite is always ready to spread this unique talent through his classes. Indeed, one of the most promising illustrator in India!

 

An illustration by Uday Mohite, an inspiring Illustrator in India
An couple illustration by Uday Mohite, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Diah Chakraborty: Transitioning pens to timelessness

The transition of an ink spot to a line to create a timeless piece from the unending library of imagination is already creating waves in the illustration community. 

Nicknamed the ink_isto_paper, Diah Chakraborty has the uncanny ability to use pen and paper to convert her imagination into an exquisite yet simple artwork. Even so, Diah’s pen art is just the tip of the iceberg, as the community of more than twenty-thousand often tends to relive the past through Diah’s illustration of the traditional Indian lifestyle with a comic artwork style. 

Even though Diah loves creating children’s book illustrations, there’s no doubt that the young illustrator in Kolkata can add a unique color to mundane everyday life events in a fun way.

Be madly in love with what you do and do it, irrespective whether you do it full-time or on the side. And lastly simply have fun and enjoy the process.

Diah Chakraborty - An inspiring Illustrator in India

Ashwini: Illustrations, Stickers, and Quotes

Art never fails to mesmerize, but few arts often tend to leave a smirk on your face due to their mischievous and quirky nature. Such is the case for more than four thousand five hundred followers, who love to receive their daily dose of inspiration with sprinkles of humor. 

Ashwini, or the Grummpy Doodler, often sticks to the basics with simple designs with deep meaning. Unlike several illustrators in India, Ahwini likes to get creative by using various objects such as strings, cards, and stickers. Her knack for creating designs with objects and adding words with a fine spray of mischief always offers her viewers with laughs and amazement and the same time.

 

A card illustration by Ashwini, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Conceptualize Illustrations on Various Gifting Objects!

Shraddha Piche: Where Simplicity Meets Affirmations

Simple illustrations coupled with positive messages can often light up one’s day in a rather creative way. One such page named, Just_add_doodles came to life with this enlightening vision and now has a follower base of more than seventy-five thousand.

Doctor and counseling psychologist turned illustrator Shraddha Piche wavered from her traditional career route to enlighten the minds of content consumers through her creativity and positiveness. With a beautiful message stating, “I hope you get everything your heart desires”, Shraddha’s page reveals a simple and cheerful design, further enhanced through her minimalist illustrations and quotes. 

Next time, when you’re feeling lost, you know where to wander around!

A concept by Shraddha Piche, an inspiring Illustrator in India

Why buy Customized Illustrations From StonedSanta?

Selecting the perfect gift is a rewarding and daunting affair at the same time. With several options inside and outside the digital realm, making a choice gets tougher. However, could you imagine one of these illustrators sitting with you on the opposite end of the call, brainstorming to create the perfect gift for your loved ones?

These illustrators can add their spin to create the perfect gift, but they come with a specialty that no one can ever provide. Whether your loved one is having an eventful day or is resting on a calm Sunday morning, they’re sure to enter a blissful spiral of thoughts every time they see your gift. Is there a price you can put up for that smile and happiness?

StonedSanta is a custom gifting company made from this simple thought to gift happiness and memories for you and your loved ones without breaking the bank. With various options and experts to help you prepare the perfect gift, gifting has never been more effortless! 

Furthermore, with the express shipping options, the company has proven its efficacy in working under pressure to ensure your loved one is left with a beautiful smile that never fades for years to come. Fill in the form to join the community of more than 5000 happy customers who created their perfect gift with love from StonedSanta partnering with the best illustrators in India.

 

 

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

The Serious Art of Caricatures with Prasad Bhat

The Serious Art of Caricatures with Prasad Bhat

Interview with Prasad Bhat

The serious art of Caricatures : Prasad Bhat on Caricatures, Graphicurry, Comedy and more.

Prasad Bhat, Founder of Graphicurry

16th May, 2019

Prasad Bhat is the mastermind behind Graphicurry, a caricature specialist and an illustrator based in Bangalore. His quirky caricatures have brought him global appreciation. Like every other Indian kid, Prasad Bhat studied Engineering and struggled to get a job after his graduation. On realizing that engineering was not his cup of tea, he started his own design studio turned art store, Graphicurry.

Prasad never fails to bring a smile on your face, whether through his caricatures or comedy. His skills have attracted some of the coolest clients such as Amazon Prime, Disney and MARVEL. His artwork is original, authentic and witty.

Here are excerpts from when we caught up with Prasad Bhat for a quick interview and a dozen laughs.

What’s the story behind Graphicurry?

“Art and food are two of my most favourite things, hence the name ‘Graphicurry’! Luckily, the URL name was easily available”.

“Graphicurry started off in 2013 as a logo and designing company for corporates, and eventually evolved into a personalized caricature store. Today, we have over a hundred varieties of caricatures and merchandise of famous TV shows, movies, and artists”.

What made you take up an off-beat career and start Graphicurry, having studied engineering?

“I graduated with a score of 75% in engineering. I was over qualified for Call centres and under qualified for IT Companies. While I was desperately looking for a job, my girlfriend suggested that I pursue art seriously. I began to learn various digital tools. 6 years have passed, and here we are. Graphicurry has over a hundred personalized caricatures and merchandise”.

One of your prominent works includes Vector art. What made you pursue it?

“There are so many artists out there who have access to the same tools as I do. I’ve always wanted to have a unique style when it comes to art in order to stand out from the rest. That’s the main reason I started drawing vectors. Plus, I really enjoy drawing them”.

“I sometimes feel like a low-key plastic surgeon”.

How do you manage to get the right balance between realism and exaggeration in your artwork?

“I prefer keeping my art minimal over intricate detailing. Honestly speaking, people don’t like their features to be exaggerated. Everybody wants to look better. So, I only focus on making my clients look cuter”. *chuckles*

As you make customized caricatures, you might have come across various customization requests. What’s the most common request that you get?

“Make my wife look beautiful”. I’ve heard this so many times. I sometimes feel like a low-key plastic surgeon. I wish people could accept themselves and others as they are. I’m a brutally honest person; I would trip at requests like this. Thankfully, my wife, Deepthi takes care of all the client communications and makes my life easier”.

Caricature of  F.R.I.E.N.D.S illustrated by Prasad Bhat.

“That’s when I realized that I had travelled so far to get to the point where my favourite thing had to be recreated by me”.

Any current projects you can talk about? What was your biggest project until now?

I had my ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ moment when Disney asked to draw Mickey in my style to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Birthday! That’s when I realized that I had travelled so far to get to the point where my favourite thing had to be recreated by me”.

“Currently, I’m excited to be working on a few projects for Hotstar, which is upping its presence on the online media industry”.

Being an artist, what’s your biggest pet peeve?

“Most of the orders I get are for gifting purposes. Few clients provide hazy images for reference. This is my biggest pet peeve”.

How do you think the digital age has helped artists?

“I’m truly blessed to have digital aid. I have a competitive advantage over others as I was among of the first few artists to start digital caricatures in India. Most of the caricature artists who did not adapt to the technological changes, are still struggling. Technology has introduced us to unlimited possibilities. It’s up to us to make the best use of it”.

 

“All artists have a shelf life. I’m ready to face life as it comes”.

Could you tell us about your “Evolution” series?

“The evolution series focused on famous celebrities such as Leo, Matt Damon, Tom Hanks, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robin Williams and others. It was a tribute to all the amazing roles they’ve played so far. I also worked on a project where Ranbir Kapoor evolves into Sanjay Dutt. The idea is to keep the face unaltered and change other details such as the outfit, attire and expressions”.

What inspired you to start stand up comedy? Where can we see Prasad Bhat in the years to come, as a comedian?

“Even I’m not sure why I started doing comedy. I think I like to suffer and be broke. Jokes apart, I love making people smile and I wanted to do that professionally. Recently, I performed in Mumbai for a huge crowd, the video of which will be releasing soon. Other than that, I attend 2-3 open mics every week. It is tiring to run an art store and pursue comedy. But, I’m getting there”.

Prasad Bhat in one of his Stand-up comedy sets.

You have made some amazing caricatures of various Sitcoms. Which is your favourite sitcom of all time?

“Seinfeld is my all time favourite. It’s think that it’s the best show ever and everyone should watch it! Each character has its own charm that makes the show so special”.

Have you ever hit the rock-bottom? Tell us about it.
“I had hit the rock-bottom after my graduation which made me start Graphicurry. Since I’ve already been there, I don’t fear it anymore. All artists have a shelf life. So, I’m ready to face life as it comes. On the other hand, even if I get a lot of money and fame, I won’t let it get into my head. I like to keep myself grounded”.

“If you wake up with a burning desire in you to achieve something, you must follow it”.

Do you plan on taking up workshops?

“No, that’s my last resort. I’m not a big fan of teaching because I’m very impatient. If everybody stops buying from me, then I’ll give it a thought”.

Being a popular artist, demands you to have a constant social media presence. How do you cope up with this?

“I have to constantly post engaging content for my audience. I can’t post whatever I like, it has to be trending. Right now, there’s Game of Thrones fever everywhere. So, few of my posts are based on that”.

They say that art can reduce stress and promote relaxation. Do you agree with this?

“To a certain extent, art is therapeutic. It might seem fun drawing all day. But trust me, it isn’t. It is a lot of work and requires patience”.

Lastly, do you have any tips or advice for the budding digital artists?

“Don’t Do it”. *laughs*
“I’m just kidding. I usually don’t advise others much. It’s easy for me to ask others to pursue art. But, there are other factors one must consider like financial security and emotional support. To be an artist in India, it takes something more than just talent or hard work. It takes a thick skin. Hard-work is overrated. Unless you have a huge inheritance, or become an overnight sensation, it’s really hard to get financial returns”.

“Nonetheless, if you wake up with a burning desire to achieve something, you must follow it. I also believe that if your parents support you, you’d get too comfortable and become lazy. The magic happens only when you step out of your comfort zone. So, I think all the parents should kick their kids out of the house after they grow up “.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

Prasun Balasubramaniam – Journey to the centre of Mandalas

Prasun Balasubramaniam – Journey to the centre of Mandalas

Interview with Prasun Balasubramaniam

Journey to the centre of Mandalas with Prasun FineArts

Prasun Balasubramaniam, Mandala Artist

14th May, 2019

Prasun Balasubramaniam is a self-taught Mandala artist and illustrator who hails from Salem, Tamil Nadu. She is known to create intricate, vibrant, and vivid artworks, and believes that Mandalas require intense focus and attention to the present moment, which induces mindfulness. Here, you can read some of the wisdom Prasun shared with us and get a glimpse of her beautiful mandalas that can satisfy the OCD in all of us.

Tell us a little about your childhood? How were you introduced to art?

Growing up in Mumbai, I actively took part in many art competitions and creative activities which kept me occupied. I was introduced to the basics of art in a summer camp. Although my parents never encouraged me much to pursue art thinking it would be a waste of time, I was persistent enough and never stopped drawing.

Prasun with one of the Mandalas she drew on her Studio Wall. 

How did you develop an interest in Mandalas? How has your journey of choosing art as a career been?

After my 10th grade, my family shifted to Salem and having stayed in a happening city like Mumbai, I used to get really bored. Hence, in my free time, I doodled and made Mandalas.

Even during my engineering days, I used to doodle on my notebooks to survive the boring lectures. Thankfully, my teachers thought that I was taking notes.

I was unaware that the doodles I made were called ‘Mandalas’ until I came across an article that spoke about the different types of mandalas and the healing powers they possessed, after which I started extensively researching and learned a lot.

After completing my Bachelors in Engineering and M.tech, I worked at a research company for a while which I eventually quit to pursue art full-time.

Soon I started posting on Instagram, and the love and appreciation I got from my followers gave me confidence to draw more and more.

Commission a personalised mandala art piece from India’s top artists! 

Contact our Art Experts now

We can trace back the history of mandalas to ancient Buddhism and Hinduism. Do you connect with mandalas on a spiritual level?

Personally, I feel mandalas are meditative than spiritual. I can say that mandalas are a religion by themselves. While working on mandalas, you mostly use the subconscious mind, giving rest to the conscious mind. Creating a mandala calms me down and helps me get closure. I have curated a mandala colouring book for the same purpose.

I’m a standard Image Caption.

Some logs are made by the participants attending her workshops

The mandalas that you’ve created seem so flawless. How did you master the symmetry?

Trust me, there are a lot of flaws. There are times when I make a lot of errors and then are times when it comes out really well. The key is to keep trying until you become perfect.

What led to the inception of Prasun fine-arts?

Boredom. I was jobless and at home for a almost 6 months, and the peer pressure of getting a job got the best of me. I decided to start Prasun Fine arts in the summer of 2015, and since then I have never looked back.

What can one expect from your Mandala art workshops?

The participants of my workshop will go through the process of creating a Mandala design from scratch where in they are provided with worksheets which gives them the freedom to choose a pattern which they’d want to draw. 

Although you cannot achieve perfection in the first attempt, the attendees go back home happy and satisfied with their designs. 

Mandala art is immersive and gives the participants an experience they cannot forget. 

 

Do you agree that mandalas should include some element of free-flowing form rather than having the perfect mathematical symmetry?

No, Mandalas are supposed to be circular in nature. Any form of energy starts from a point and spreads into a circle. There are excellent examples of this in our universe, like the solar system, the Chakras or even a flower.

 Mandala art therapy is a form of psychotherapy which is supposed to help in finding a sense of healthy mental balance. What are your thoughts on the same?

Mandalas help in promoting a healthy mental balance by reducing stress, increasing attention span and dealing with depression. It can benefit all the age groups. Interestingly, people aged above 80 years also visit my workshop.

How has technology helped mandala art form to evolve?

Call me old school, but I prefer traditional art over digital art any day. I love the vibration between the pencil and the paper. Nonetheless, I use the iPad for designing tattoos as the customers come back with requests for modification. Technology is definitely a boon for artists like me, but one should start off with traditional mediums.

What inspired you to start urban sketching?

I’ve always loved trying out new things and appreciated the beauty in my surroundings. Drawing Mandalas was getting redundant and I wanted to try something different, that’s when I started drawing Urban landscapes. 

I am not very good at it, but I hope to be there soon.

If you were to meet your former self, what advice would you give?

I would ask my former self not to worry much about studies and start practising art earlier.

What advice would you give to the budding artists?

Keep practising and never give up. Explore what you like until you’re 35 (or even until later if you have the energy). Attend workshops and take up classes. Discover your passion and pursue it.

Studying may give knowledge, but practising art builds your overall personality, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.

 

How I got an ROI of 322% for my startup - Stoned Santa by spending a night with 400 Uber drivers

How I got an ROI of 322% for my startup - Stoned Santa by spending a night with 400 Uber drivers

How I got an ROI of 322% for my startup – Stoned Santa by spending a night with 400 Uber drivers

There are days that teach you things and then there are days that change your life.

On the night of 5th August 2018, I set out to execute one of the biggest marketing campaigns of my life which has not only helped my startup grow in revenues and customers but also gave me life lessons that shall stay with me forever.

My intern, Sanjay, and I spent 40 hours at the Bangalore airport interacting with over 600 cab drivers and successfully convinced 400 of them to advertise my startup – Stoned Santa in their cabs.

I am sharing my journey of this campaign right from idea to execution and the results we were able to achieve in 3 months of the campaign going live.

1% Inspiration – The inception of the Idea

Startups aren’t easy and this life comes with its share of highs and lows, I was at one of my lowest points – broken and burnt out, almost on the verge of quitting and going back home forever!

On my way back home from the office, I got talking to a cab driver and a couple of minutes into the conversation, he told me about his experiences as a door to door salesman selling Encyclopedias and I told him about Stoned Santa.

We then got talking about traditional marketing methodologies, the art of selling door to door and that’s when he suggested me to try something different for Stoned Santa since it’s a creative business and marketing ourselves just digitally won’t be enough.

In the spur of the moment, I pitched an idea to him in impulse, -“Will you put up an advertisement for my company in your cab?” He says, Yes. I note down his contact details and thank him for the much-needed inspiration.

He drops off an energized and motivated version of me who is all charged up and excited for this new marketing campaign.

99% Perspiration - Planning and execution

My gut gave me good vibes about this idea and I started interacting and surveying every cab driver I met in my daily commute. Over a month I collected the following stats from nearly 100 rides.

I was confident that people would notice our advertisement in the cab because –

1. The brochure would be placed right in front of the eye.
2. Bangalore traffic can be brutal, and a bored curious human mind might be interested in checking      out the AD.
3. Our name - Stoned Santa, since a lot of people have found our name unique and attractive.


Planning – Number crunching


I made a few assumptions from my past conversations with the drivers.

  1. Out of the 12 in the back seat, I assumed 10 of them would notice the advertisement. (Impressions)
  2. I assumed, 5% of them would visit the website. That is 1.5 people per cab per month. (Website Visits)
  3. From my experience in marketing, I predicted 10% of our website visitors would sign up for gifts on my website. (Leads)

Designing the Brochure

A good design doesn’t just look good. It serves a purpose. And our purpose was to pique the curiosity of the people in the cabs.

Here’s what we came up with after almost 10 iterations.

We were now ready with the strategy, the design, cans of Redbull and our 800 printed brochures. The big question! Where do we find so many cabs? The Bangalore airport! We booked a cab and set out to our great expedition at 9 pm on the 5th of August.

The first cab

Within minutes of getting into the cab, began our first pitch in a mix of broken English, Hindi, Kannada and sign language.

“Anna… Hi! I’m Shashank! My startup helps people find the right gift for their friends and family and we help spread joy and I’ve been doing this since college.
We work with artists who are still in school and college by providing them with a platform to earn and get recognized for their work.”

A few minutes into the ride he noticed that we had lots of brochures with us and asked what we planned to do with them.

I told him our plan of putting them in 400 cabs in the airport! His expression changed and his face lit up with a huge smile!

He laughed out loud and said, “Cab drivers ka full support milega aapko, aap bahut acha kaam kar rahe ho”. (You’ll get full support from the cab drivers)

Sanjay and I were beaming now as well! We were live in our first cab! 399 more to go!

When we reached the airport, we got down and he handed me a friendship band and wished me a Happy Friendship Day. I didn’t even realize it was Friendship’s day. What a beautiful way to start the night!

 

1 down 399 more to go!

It was 11:45 pm when we arrived at the airport. To our disappointment, we found empty parking lots with a couple of sleepy drivers.

In the first 3 hours, we managed to convince only 20 cabbies, at this rate it’d take us 60 hours to get into 400 cabs! We did not have enough Redbull for that!

We were sleepy and wanted to go back home. Pessimism shadowed our minds, but was giving up an option? We called for a break and parked ourselves in the parking canteen to rest.

1 down 399 more to go!

Around 4 am, we were awakened by the sound of car engines which were music to our ears. We jumped in joy and witnessed scores of cabs assembling in perfect order.

The parking lot was now full of cabbies moving around drinking tea, smoking cigarettes and washing their cars.

It was time to rise and shine.

We walked up to the cab drivers with our bags full of brochures and struck conversations with them individually.

Our conversations and the bright shiny brochures grabbed the attention of other cab drivers around us and in no time we were surrounded by curious men eagerly listening us tell our story and what we planned on doing with the brochures. 

Soon it wasn’t a 1–1 pitch anymore, we found ourselves talking to a group of 4–5 people which catalysed the process.

My gut gave me good vibes about this idea and I started interacting and surveying every cab driver I met in my daily commute. Over a month I collected the following stats from nearly 100 rides.

What did we offer the cab drivers? 

After we offered them digitally made portraits of their near and dear ones, quite a few of them said they don’t need anything in return and they’ll happily keep it in their cabs. 

Pleasantly surprised and curious, we asked them the reason behind this sweet gesture. To which they replied, “Aap itne young age me itna mehnat kar rahe ho”(You’re working so hard at such a young age).

I guess Hardwork was the language that connected us with the cab drivers and they wanted to play a role in our story too. 

After almost 40 hours of our adventure at the airport, we were live in 400 cabs! This feeling of achievement and accomplishment was greater than anything previously experienced.

Post campaign adventure

 

 

 

 On our way back, we called our parents and said “Mission accomplished”. But something didn’t feel right, I wasn’t so sure about things working out. I wanted to be sure that this campaign worked.

I had been experimenting with Quora for a while and decided to write an answer about my day and within 48 hours of writing the answer, it had over 40,000 views, 4000 upvotes and was responsible for sending almost 1300 visitors to our website.

We broke even with our investment in the first 72 hours of the campaign going LIVE! I was on cloud 9. My Quora and Facebook feed was flooded with notifications of people congratulating us for the campaign.

DID IT PAY OFF? THE Numbers — Our Revenue, Customers, Artists

Let’s start with the breakdown of the costs incurred during this campaign. The numbers have been rounded off for easier understanding.

The following table includes some important stats from the cab campaign and the Quora answer combined, (since the Quora answer was a part of this).

Concluding notes and our learnings from the campaign


More than anything, this campaign has taught me a lot about life. I was humbled by the humility of the cab drivers to see how eager people are to help each other. 

This campaign and its success is dedicated to everyone involved in this. The cab drivers who welcomed us with open arms, the artists who worked extra hours to deliver art on time and Sanjay Nalamaru who spent his precious time working shoulder to shoulder with me on this campaign.

Yes, just 2 people pulled this entire campaign off in 40 brilliant hours. The best 40 hours of my life. This has taught me to dream big and do everything it takes to get there and make a milestone out of it.

Our partners sell the Rolex replica from our partners. We on holidays always give your employees quality fake watches.

I hope you found the campaign details and our story insightful. If you have questions, I’d be happy to answer them in the comments. 

We have planned some more off-beat marketing campaigns for Christmas and New Year. If you’re interested in knowing more, Please sign up here.

We are doing a major giveaway for Christmas and New Year where you could win some amazing handmade art crafted by our team of highly skilled artists. If you’re interested, Please follow this link.


 

Looking for the perfect gift?

Look no more, our gift experts will get in touch with you and help you with all your requirements.