I've always had a love for creativity, right from a very young age. From drawing, painting, and playing with lego to making DIY crafts, creative activities were always great fun. My design journey began in the college days when I started getting my hands on the Adobe Suite by watching tons of YouTube tutorials. As it turned out, I loved graphic design and began to gain knowledge through experience and a LOT of Googling.
I illustrated the bike below even before I was fully skilled in Adobe Illustrator. This design piece is highly flawed yet close to my heart as it is my first illustration. I got my early inspiration from simple things that were right in front of me, and this bicycle was one of those things.
Illustrated in 2017
I never had any formal training until I started a Web design course at a design & tech institute based in Delhi, India. From then on, I was hooked. I practiced as much as I could, creating rubbish and some good stuff. I think it's imperative to challenge yourself and try to get better every day. But I learned something critical - I learned the value of effort, and I got used to it. I spent countless hours per project and spent nights doing my best in every single detail.
Here is a redesigned version of my first illustration. Little did I know, the bike's design resembled the penny-farthing bicycle, also known as a high wheeler. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds and comfort.
Illustrated in 2019
I reinterpreted historical graphic design styles to create a combination of contemporary and vintage design that's fresh and unique using texture- the grunge effect and gradients. Also, used the same colours like that in the original illustration to keep its essence in place.
This post has been pretty self-indulging, but I enjoyed sharing a part of my design journey. For me bringing design and real-time problems together is the ultimate goal. And I'll tell you more about it another time!
