Meet the illustrator Chaitanya Krishnan

Please introduce yourself to us!

Hi, my name is Chaitanya Krishnan. I’m an illustrator and animator.
At the beginning of my journey I worked at various studios including a gaming company and then a Design Studio for 8years. After a year freelancing, I realised I wanted to focus on one thing rather than being a jack of all trades. So I cofounded a studio, where my partner and team create videos on various social/environmental issues. – Falana Films (falanafilms.com)

horned devil caterpillar – alternative style ©Chaitanya Krishnan

Why do you make art?

I Always doodled, as far back as I can remember, and thats why I always knew that I belonged in a visual field.

Anything else would be unbearable. I make a new piece everyday.. its a challenge that i’ve set myself. Even on the busiest days, come 10:30pm.. I need to create something for an hr before I finally crash.

©Chaitanya Krishnan

When working on a new project, what are the first steps you do?

Ideate.. sometimes with visual research on the net. At work we bounce ideas around the teammates. At home I do detailed personal studies into the subject.

I then move on to visual storyboarding/sketches. Trying out multiple mediums before I lock on one style+medium

©Chaitanya Krishnan

What is your favourite artwork and why?

By someone else – all time favorite – Holbien’s The Ambassadors

When I first saw it in a book, the distorted skull was so bizarre, i thought it was a print error of some kind. Once I read up on it, I realised that it was optical illusion gold!

By someone else more recent – Emilie Stabell’s The Journey

Up until I saw this piece, I thought that I’d seen everything in digital art. This is a perfect example of an artist taking multiple mediums and crafting a cohesive finished piece!

My own – Daily Doodle Charging Deer