This Bengaluru pencil artist got even Malayalam actor Tovino to take notice of his work

Imagine that you are waking up to that irritating alarm on a working day. You rub your eyes, like any Gen Y kid, you open your Instagram. And you see that you have received a message from your favourite celebrity, and he has also tagged you in a post. Sounds like a dream, right? Sachin Rajeev experienced something similar when Tovino Thomas messaged him appreciating the artwork which Sachin had posted the previous day.

Actor Tovino Thomas' sketch by Sachin Rajeev

Sachin drew a pencil portrait of Tovino Thomas on September 2017. With about 400 followers back then, Sachin posted the artwork and tagged Tovino in the same. "With zero expectations, I slept that night. I woke up to Tovino's message the next day. My happiness knew no bounds. I took a screenshot and forwarded the same to almost all my contacts," he giggles.

He has been drawing from the age of four and has won over 200 prizes in school. However, this artwork of Tovino was his recognition in social media. "After that, I received numerous messages and appreciation. This boosted my confidence as an artist," said the 24-year-old.

He was inspired by the artworks of the popular pencil sketch artist Jono Dry. "I have no words to express how great Jono's artwork is. They are simply amazing. I follow his style but use my own ideas," he shares.

One of his favourite artworks (Pic: Sachin Rajeev)

Being a creative associate at Byju's The Learning App, Bengaluru, he always wished to work in some field which is related to art. "After schooling, I made up my mind that I would do something creative only. But I didn't know the path. That's when I came across an advertisement of animation course and decided to pursue the same," says the BA Animations and Graphic Design graduate.

He did not take art seriously then, but when life started becoming monotonous after he found a job, he realised the need for a hobby. "I started living a monotonous life. So I decided to draw sketches. There were times when I couldn't sleep because I was that involved in my artwork," he smiles.

Thrissur Pooram (Pic: Sachin Rajeev)

One such masterpiece where he worked tirelessly was a sketch of 'Thrissur Pooram' in all its glory. "Every Malayalee is proud of Thrissur Pooram. The decorated elephants, the traditional instruments and the crowd gathered to witness this festival is an unforgettable experience. Previously I only drew in A4 sheets, Thrissur Pooram picture was my first picture in an A1 sized canvas," he shares. This remains his favourite artwork till date, and it was recently sold at an exhibition at Kozhikode.

The prizes won by Sachin till date for his art (Pic: Sachin Rajeev)

A group of like-minded artists organised the exhibition at Kozhikode. "We got introduced to each other through Instagram. 28 of us formed a WhatsApp group and decided to organise an exhibition. A part of our earning is kept aside for providing food to the orphanage during the New Year," tells the Kannur native.

Maintaining a balance of his passion and profession, he says that they are both two sides of the same coin. "In future, I might start my own animation firm. But, for now, I wish to concentrate on my profession and my artworks. I am planning to organise a workshop in February 2020," he signs off.