Born in Dubai, Sarita Kolhatkar's career in illustration stemmed from her childhood interest in art and comic books. She obtained her BFA in Animation and Illustration from the prestigious San Jose State University’s School of Art and Design in California. She started her career as an Environment Artist at ArenaNet in Seattle, USA, where she worked on popular RPG PC games such as Guild Wars 2. She eventually moved back to the UAE and has since worked on several projects including the illustration of four children’s books which were published in 2013.
Last year, Sarita was granted an apprenticeship at Imaginism Studios in Toronto, Canada, where she worked under Senior Concept Artists Bobby Chiu and Thierry LaFontine.
Sarita’s hyper-fantasy artwork uses bright and multi-layered surfaces to create a visual depth that is both appealing to our senses and intricate to the eye. Her artwork also often explores themes of fantasy within the context of personal narrative and storytelling and has been described as having a storybook quality with a “child-like” spirit to it. Her interests include video games, science fiction, fantasy, and comic books.
Sarita’s Agenda:
8:30 AM – 10:00 AM
I usually wake up by 8:30AM, grab some breakfast and head over to my art studio. I give myself an hour and a half to start my day, as I’m not really a morning person. I linger with a hot cup of chai latte and read the news to stay updated on the happenings around the world. As an artist, I think it’s very important to be aware of everything around you because you never know when inspiration will strike and it’s essential that you stay informed. Once I’m done reading the news, I answer all my emails. Then, I go over all my social media accounts on Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook, and get that out of the way so I’m not distracted by them for the rest of the day.
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
As a freelance artist I make it a point to not work on more than three projects at a time so as to devote each project my full attention. Around this time I'm browsing my Arts Projects folder which includes all my freelance work. I usually have clients from all over the world and on any given day I could be working on a variety of projects, ranging from storybook illustrations, illustrations for a company's advertising campaigns, or character and environment designs for a video game. I organize my time by the hour so that each one of my projects gets an even amount of attention, and since I work fast I am usually able to finish the desired work on time.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
I grab some lunch for the first half an hour and then spend the next half an hour reading a book. I am always looking for children’s stories to inspire me for my own personal portfolio, so I’m always reading something to keep me visually inspired. I’m currently reading “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
2:15 PM – 4:00 PM
If I have more client work left to do then I do it, or I attend to client meetings. You are also likely to find me updating my website BubbleRockets.com with new art projects!
4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
I’m lucky that I'm following my passion and have made a career doing it. But this also means that I don't adhere to a typical 9-5 job lifestyle, and at times not having a structured timeframe for work can be overwhelming and a bit monotonous. So I make it a point to get out and do something fun, other than art. Either I hang out at the beach, or catch up with my best friend over some coffee, or go for a walk or swim. I have my dinner at about 6PM.
7:30PM – 8:30PM
Post dinner I work on my own personal projects for my portfolio. If you are in the creative field then I think it's very important to keep your portfolio updated with new art. I don’t like to keep any art older than two years on my portfolio as I’m always growing and evolving as an artist, so I need my work to reflect that and look fresh. I’m definitely a night person, so I'm usually very creative at this time of the day. And since it is my own personal work, I let my imagination run wild!
One of my personal daily projects is to sketch a doodle inspired by my day's events. So I sit and reflect back on the things that have happened in the day, something that makes me smile or a moment that inspired me and I sketch it. However, this is not just a doodle; I use it as a form of practice to keep myself up-to-date with new art techniques (it’s like working out everyday to stay in shape!). When working on my doodle I consider story, composition, lighting, colors and different digital painting techniques. I also challenge myself to complete the sketch in under an hour (this is how I learned to paint fast!).
8:30PM – 12:00AM
Once I get my doodle done, I upload it on my blog. Then, I begin working on a character design or environment design for my portfolio. I organize my time such that everyday I have at least three hours to work on my own projects. It normally takes me a week to finish a project from the concept phase to the finished illustration. Once I’m done with a project I upload it to my website and usually an interested client contacts me right away. I try to keep my projects varied and different while maintaining my own aesthetic. Clients like to see you challenge yourself and see variety in your work, which ultimately makes you more hireable.
By 11:45PM, I force myself to get off the computer, or else I could be there all night! Painting is so much fun for me I could do it forever... I make sure to stretch, do some yoga and get into bed by 12AM. I'm lucky to be doing what I love, so I always look forward to the next day!
