CHENNAI: For many of us, turning our passion into a profession is a lifelong activity. But not for Elangovan Loganathan, who nurtured his love for visual arts and went on to become a caricature artist. “I first worked in Sathyam Cinemas and then moved to popular children’s comic, Chandamama. That’s when I started taking a keen interest in caricatures, though I have done some portraits in my childhood,” says Elangovan, who has a degree in Visual Communication from Loyola College in 2002-05.
In 2011, Elangovan soon started making wedding caricatures. Over the past six years, he has caricatured over 2,000 wedding invitation cards. “I started my website in 2011, and eventually a Facebook page called Elocaricatures, where I started promoting my work. 2017 has been the best year for me so far,” he says.
From Harry Potter to Game of Thrones and popular film posters, Elangovan has done it all. “I also designed the poster and other caricatures for the film Kalyana Samayal Sadham. It gave me a boost. When I meet with my clients, I show them these posters mainly and they are convinced,” he says.
Elangovan moved from hand-drawing to digital caricatures when he was with Chandamama in 2009. “I then researched a lot on caricatures in India and noticed that not many do it here. Now, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the new trends in the US, the UK, and Australia,” he adds.
To make a wedding caricature invite, all that one has to do is send him the pictures of the bride and groom, and explain the theme to him. “If it is a theme that I understand well, then I get to work immediately. But, if it involves some pop culture themes that I am unaware of, I ask either the clients to explain to me or I spend time reading up on it,” he says adding that he also gives suggestions to the couple, but doesn’t force them to use his ideas.
Most of his clientele comprise NRI couples. “They prefer having a traditional caricature in a setting that they love. For example, I had a couple who like football, and I made a caricature where they are in the stadium being congratulated by their football team’s manager. These are the kind of quirks I add,” he shares.
Elangovan can finish an order within a week and there’s not a lot of back and forth. “All that matters to any couple is that the caricature should look exactly like them. If they are not satisfied then they send it back,” he points out. He doesn’t print the invitations but sends the picture to his clients, who then print it out according to their needs.
The caricaturist-cum-new father works, mostly at night, from his home in ECR. He also creates individual caricatures for corporate events, which are usually given as souvenirs. “People are quite aware about this art form. It is considered as a good gifting option. I get about 15-20 orders a month and it is fun to work during the wedding season. There’s not a dull moment in this business,” he says, adding that he also researches every day on Facebook and Instagram to get new ideas.