THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Can you think of earning close to Rs 25,000 per month by selling portraits through social media profiles? For portrait artist Sumesh Guru, sketching is his bread and butter. Sumesh discovered his knack for sketching only when he was in college. “I didn’t know how to draw when I was in school or rather, I never tired my hand at it. An impulsive attempt at drawing during college revealed my talent. Soon after, I began training under Santhosh Kumar, an artist based in Balussery, Kozhikode,” says Sumesh, who is working as a graphic designer in a private firm. However, he finds time to sketch every day. “I prefer drawing to graphic designing,” he adds.
Sumesh has drawn over 400 portraits over the last four years. Though he has also dabbled into mural paintings, Sumesh says he prefers sketching portraits. “I receive more commission for portraits as compared to murals.” Sumesh takes close to two days to draw a single portrait. A standard portrait with dimensions 14x11 inches costs Rs 3,500.
“The demand for pencil sketches is higher compared to oil paintings as the medium is more affordable. Also, a lot more time and effort goes into making an oil painting,” says the artist. He is usually commissioned to recreate images to be gifted during weddings, birthdays and anniversaries.
“The portraits I drew initially were not perfect; the proportions were distorted and did not resemble reference images. But through continuous practice, I have sharpened my skill,” says the 32-year-old artist. “It is only through practice that one can learn to draw perfectly,” he adds.
Portraits sketched by Sumesh have been gifted to various artists, including actor Tovino Thomas. He also bagged the first position in a drawing competition organised in the memory of veteran actor Kalabhavan Mani.