art

Pencils

My Creative Endeavour With Pencils

Last week, at a meeting with a senior executive we were discussing design thinking and digital product management when during the final moments he asked me a question quite unexpectedly – what I would do with a box of 10 pencils. And adding that my answer cannot be related to using the pencil for any writing purposes.

That question involving a ‘pencil’ evoked memories of my art school and the innumerable creative assignments. By the way, if it wasn’t for my long stint at the school I could have never identified myself with the pencil types (H, HB, 2B, 6B) and how each grade could bring a proportionate effect to my artworks using the pressure of my fingertips, sketching actually became like an addiction. I have preserved some caricatures and most recently switched to a dedicated sketching book for collecting my artworks. At the school, I was pretty average at drawing the human anatomy with a live model where some of my classmates excelled beyond imagination, but I had picked up caricaturing on my own with pencils that gave me an opportunity of applying my style to any human form, which somewhat eased my discomfort of committing mistakes in art, besides being a great way to unwind after a hard day’s work. The pencil was that friend, that helped me grow in confidence. However, my colleague wasn’t expecting this answer, he was looking for something where the pencils were used in more ways than a common writing device.

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Despicable Me 2

I skipped the first instalment to watch this animated comedy, and the amusement lasted until the last sequence! A hilarious account of a super-villain turned hero/dad Gru managing a bunch of dwarfed, babyish characters somewhat awkwardly dressed called ‘Minions’, and 3 very cute daughters. The Minions are these energetic cheerful bunch of Lilliputians, with no regrets for their unremarkable looks, stature or appeal, having fun always but congregating when distress comes in the form of the villain Eduardo/El Macho. 

It has loads of artistic imaginativeness especially the gadgetry which included Lucy’s inventive automobile that is part-submarine part-aircraft and the jelly guns (slurp!), the design of the croc sofa in the girls’ room and the hippo chair, the nacho-shaped Sombrero with Guacamole that the characters dip and relish (that was so creative!), and last but not the least, a pet chicken called ‘Pollito’ acting as the villain’s henchman (or ‘henchcock’?).

‘Despicable Me 2’ is a mad comic caper complete with a love story, tons of Minion naughtiness, artistic fantasies, and 3 adorable little girls! I’m already waiting to watch the next release.