What is the best thing that I love about my work? Since I was a kid, I would draw and paint repeatedly because somewhere it’s the inheritance. Later I explored my paintings into an ‘IDEA’ where I drew characters or environments, weapons, Props etc. After graduation, I met some illustrious artists. I knew there was a Concept Artist forthcoming. My fondness for my work is that I’m simply passionate about it. It’s my calling that requires me to be at my own whim, use my skills and intellect and put it to work to create and contribute to the possibilities of games and movies.

What is my idea of happiness? In the pursuit of happiness we tend to forget the significance of sorrow. Sorrow teaches us more about life rather than happiness. It teaches us how we choose to look at dear ones, how we treat and be sympathetic with peers. I draw lessons from it which makes me steadfast but also flexible. Life is a combination of happiness and sorrow. To me life’s like a ‘Ying Yang’ story and I would like to quote ‘’how will you know the importance of standing up, if you never knew falling down’’.

What is my greatest fear? I fear that my work would get commercialized and plastic ( which I will never let happen ). Current trends of using AI tools for creating art disgusts me and disregards the hard sweat I put in making my academic and professional career. I do fear companies and CEOs who are adamant on making a quick buck will forget about quality and thus ignore the process of creating good pre-production and concept arts.

What are the traits that I most disapprove of myself ? I think sometimes I am overwhelming. I am a very thoughtful person who overestimates about the world, people and ideologies while being meticulous. I tend to look at things scrupulously which requires me to read and get educated about things and then consequently implement my thoughts into action, which is effective, but is plainly time consuming.

Which living persons in my profession do I most admire? I do like the work of John Park, a great concept artist who has worked recently on the Avatar 2 movie. My work is very much inspired by Ralph McQuarrie and Norman Rockwell. Ralph, whose inspiring work on the Star Wars franchise is very detailed and beautiful. Norman Rockwell was one of the pioneers of the earliest publication illustration artist whose work I look up to as one of the front runners for future conceptualization in art.

What is my greatest extravagance? I don’t really have an extravagant nature. I do love some stuff which I am really proud to spend money on but because I come from a humble background, I always think about saving money and not showing off.

On what occasion would I lie? When I talk about saving money and not showing off.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? Sometimes it gets boring. I don’t completely abhor it but also couldn’t find a reason to like it. Sometimes the requirements are very strict, sometimes there are no creative liberties, sometimes the work is mundane and requires zero nerve fibers to execute it. But I guess it’s a part of the process.

When and where was I the happiest in my work? It was at the start of my career and even now. I met so many great professionals in the beginning of my career, whose teachings landed me where I am today. Later on I fell into the whirlpool of bad companies and toxic environments but then I corrected my approach and started spending more time and focus on honing my skills and got rather notable opportunities. I am at my happiest right now, where my skills are recognized and getting noticed by industry professionals.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I have put hard efforts grinding myself and in that process I have come to appreciate the perspective. I have always been humble and respectful towards life and grateful for what I have. Changing myself would mean losing my identity. Although I have always strived and outdone myself, I am proud of imperfections that stand out.

What is my greatest achievement in work? I don’t feel I have yet achieved what I can call ‘Greatest’. I have worked on numerous films and games, worked with veteran people and created some best works, but somewhere I do feel that in the future I will achieve something which I can designate as my ‘greatest work’. As one progresses, you will notice – your skills getting sharper, you becoming more aware of your professional surroundings, you will feel that people approach you and they want you to contribute to their
companies or ideas. But as you progress, the feeling that your past works were weak and you would often laugh it off. The metrics to define greatest achievement is relative and yet everyone grinds for it.

Where would I most like to live? I come from India – a place that is comfortable to me, has great contribution in my upbringing, my rationality, my ideologies and specifically my work. I do wish to explore the world and work in different countries but I will always come back to my hometown where I belong.

What is my most treasured possession? I would say my skills, rationale, temperament and perspective of looking at people, things and situations. I haven’t spent a dime on expensive coachings or tutorials but would always find a way to sharpen my skills.I have been humble like an earthworm but also righteous as a lion.

What is my most marked characteristic? I am an amicable person who extends his friendship beyond Instagram, Facebook or Snapchat. I am blessed with some good people around who became my friends for life and one human in particular will become my life partner soon. I always keep in touch with people and use some of my time to personally talk to them.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? In terms of inspiration, my city comes last in the list. I draw inspiration from my workspace. When I get to work, I get inspired. As of now there is no place which I can call inspirational or maybe I am yet to discover it. I do believe inspiration can sometimes come around from the most unusual places, like sitting on a toilet seat.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink in my city? Breakfast story in Nagpur, which serves awesome breakfast and has such a nice vibe to it. Makes me wanna stay there all day.

What all books influenced my life and how? I’m not a voracious reader though I enjoy reading fiction. In my wisdom books are not the only source of learning, certainly books can do that, but because we live in the Age of the Internet one can pretty much get other means of influential media that are way more entertaining and enlightening.

What music would I listen to on my last day? I would love to hear Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tarrega or David Bowie’s Space Oddity.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? My most favorite is Luke Skywalker/Darth vader. I fancy the whole analogy of the character, like how he was the most powerful yet ignored and underestimated by people. He is the most influential and the most captivating character in my opinion.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? Mahatma Gandhi has inspired me. In the entire history you will never come across a being who gave a fight to the empire without guns, swords or army. What he did with Non-violence and Truth will always be remembered in history.

Which movie would I recommend to see once in a lifetime? ‘Pyaasa’ 1957 by Gurudutt.

What role does stories play in my life and work? I love stories, and in fact my work involves stories. Most of the characters have stories. Stories are an innate part of our society. I once heard in a podcast that ‘Currency is the most important story humans have ever told to each other’.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ mean to me? I am a self taught artist as I have put in time to learn and practice. Even after all those efforts one puts in, certain things are just not meant to be but that does not mean a complete closure rather it’s a portal to another which is why life is worth taking a punt.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? My parents. They have always been there for me and always pushed me to do my best. They have always supported my individual decision-making and let me be as I grew up.

Which people or companies would I like to work with ? I do not have specific preferences for the companies, but I would want to work where an artist is respected along with his skills. I want to work where the CEO doesn’t just know about making money but also trying to do something remarkable. Therefore, I would like to work for people who know how to create great Games, Movies etc.

What project am I looking forward to working on? I would love to work on a Narrative-based game such as ‘Red Dead Redemption’ or ‘Prince of Persia’, ‘Raji’, ‘Ori and the Blind Forest’.

Where can you see me or my work?
You can check out my portfolio at https://www.artstation.com/shantanuwarghade
Check out my linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/artbyshantanu/
Also Contact me at – wshan618@gmail.com

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? Even if you fail in it, even if you are not supported by anyone, you constantly find a way to do it at the end of the day. Because passion is what drives you and never lets you retire. Passion is like a flower in the concrete, it will bloom no matter how hard the environment is.