“Sketching helps me empty my mind,” says Pratap Chalke an illustrator from Sawantwadi, a small town in south Maharashtra. From line drawn portraits of people to coloured blocks that form figures, his work is a fusion of hypnotizing details and pronounced brush strokes.

Going for an Applied Art degree at B. S. Bandekar College of Fine Art was a natural choice for Pratap. “Drawing is the base of illustration so I worked hard on my basics during college before turning towards stylisation,” he says talking about how his education helped merge passion and profession.  

Pratap enjoys adding layers to people’s personality as he draws them. His love for portraits is constantly evolving while experimenting with various techniques. “At the beginning I used to draw realistic portraits, but later I began trying different styles and drew how the person fit my mind rather than how they were,” he says describing the different emotions that are evident in his portraits.

His work ranges from charcoal drawings to brush pen sketches and digital art on Photoshop and Illustrator. “I like trying out new tools because it really changes the final product of what I’m working on,” he adds. While he goes to charcoal for bolder requirements like his work on a campaign for WWF, he prefers brush pens for daily doodles on Instagram. However, the constant trial and error method doesn’t stop here, Pratap also spends time carefully choosing the surface for his art, “I like working on different textures. One of my sketchbooks is a logbook.”

Between juggling with his work as an illustrator at Locopopo and freelance projects, Pratap makes it a point to sketch on paper as much as he can. “I try and draw everyday even if it is just a practice so that my drawing skills aren’t lost in the digital world,” he confesses.

Amidst his freelance work for various companies from Philips to WWF, his personal favourite is a recent illustration for Gaysi Zine that he ideated and illustrated spontaneously.  “I draw a lot of inspiration from Lokesh Karekar, having worked with him for three years,” he says, talking about his approach to illustration. While Sameer Kulavoor is another constant favourite, he is also an ardent admirer of Van Gogh’s techniques and use of colours.

He hopes to design some art prints in the future while continuing to work on illustrations for advertising. If you’d like to see more of Pratap’s work, visit his Behance profile.