Face-to-Face... with Poornima Kapoor

Face –to-Face... with Poornima Kapoor

September 30, 2020

Poornima is an artist based in Rajasthan, India. She is a full time User Experience Designer who loves drawing for children. She has illustrated ‘The Ferns and Blooms Trilogy’ and some other children’s books. Her style is characterized by its simplistic form and striking use of colour.

Elvira: So, tell us who is Poornima Kapoor as a person?

Poornima: (laughs) Now that’s a tough question to answer! Personally, I would say she’s a happy go lucky person who lives in the moment. She does not have unrealistic expectations from the world. She does not worry about the future. She trusts uncertainty and radiates positivity even through her illustrations.

Professionally, she’s a determined go-getter who plans and organises. She is a learner who believes that if she will put her heart into something she will get it right eventually.

Elvira: Nice! My next question to you is -what got you started on illustrations? Also, tell us something about your major project, ‘The Ferns and Blooms Trilogy’.

Poornima: Hmm... My earliest memory of some fine drawing is from school, class 4th or 5th. I remember being able to copy sketches and drawings perfectly. Colouring however wasn’t ever my strong suit. In fact, I'm still scared of using black as a liquid colour which is also one of the reasons why I do all my illustrations digitally.

After school, during engineering, I almost completely quit drawing except the small occasional doodles on cards and gifts for friends.

But then later I decided to study design. I went to NIFT which is where I was reunited with art and drawing. That is when I began illustrating and painting for a lot of college assignments. And then quite unexpectedly, one fine day I stumbled upon the chance to illustrate ‘The Ferns and Blooms Trilogy’.

I was so skeptical to even begin with it. I, of course knew how to go about it and being a design student understood the process. But I think you were surer about my capabilities than I was. (laughs)

It was by far the most interesting project I’ve worked on. I love drawing simple, yet interesting things, bright and colourful. The books are filled with magic, interesting events and characters which are just that. It was just the right fit for me.

Elvira: Looking back, I don’t remember having a single moment of doubt. In fact, after I mentioned the first book to you and we finalised the look I was so much at peace. The very first image you sent me was fascinating, it was just the thing I had in mind. You captured everything we discussed so beautifully in that illustration. Talking about illustrations, you’re currently working on a weekly comic series – Tales of Skelly (which is quite popular on social networking sites), among other things. How did this series come about?

Poornima: Well, to be very honest I formally started looking at some illustration courses after I took up ‘The Ferns and Blooms Trilogy’.

I came across a character similar to Skelly in one of these courses. I found the character interesting. It kind of spoke to me, if you know what I mean and I attempted to interpret it in my own voice. I made a skeleton that wears a bright pink shirt with heart print on it, a vibrant red flower behind the ear and sometimes even a yellow silk scarf (laughs) and that’s how Skelly was ‘born’.

I saw the potential in the character and hesitantly asked my friend Abhishek, the co-creator of ‘Tales of Skelly’ if he’d be interested in doing this comic series.

Let me tell you, I’ve actually attempted doing comics before, multiple times, but never have I ever been able to do more than 3 or 4 episodes. It requires a lot of work and creative thinking, all within a regular small time frame. I knew I had to ask for help this time. Abhishek graciously agreed and there are 22 episodes of the comic on the internet now.

Elvira: Wow! This is wonderful! I accept I quite like Skelly. Though initially, I wasn’t very fond of him but he has sneaked his way into my heart, at least! (laughing) Now I have a very difficult question for you. Both the aforementioned projects are worlds apart. How is Poornima the illustrator of ‘The Ferns and Blooms Trilogy’ different from Poornima of the ‘Tales of Skelly’? I mean, how do you manage to do justice to these two very different concepts?

Poornima: (laughs) I’m glad to hear that you like Skelly. Well, yes these two are very different projects and they have two different sets of audiences. I as an illustrator however enjoyed working on both of them equally.

It was surely challenging to jump from one mindset to another while I was working on both these parallelly for a short time.

For that very purpose I have some hacks of my own. I have two completely different sets of brushes I use for these illustrations and two different colour palettes also, which does half the trick.

I actually didn’t draw anything else simultaneously on days I worked on the book, which helped keep my head clear.

I have an illustrated version of the ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ which I sometimes re-read or skimmed through before beginning with the book, if I needed to get into that ‘zone’.

I draw Tales of Skelly generally after some tiring office work.

I don’t like listening to music when I’m working on Tales of Skelly but I did listen to some upbeat music while colouring ‘The Ferns & Blooms Trilogy’.

This difference in the process helped me manage better and jump ship from the trilogy to weekly comics.

Elvira: Interesting! I’m sure this will be quite helpful to those who indulge in multi-tasking. Poornima, I know that you have your own online merchandise store and you contribute the entire proceedings from it to S.L.A.P. – an N.G.O. committed to Women safety. This is a beautiful gesture and a wonderful social project you’ve undertaken. What other project/s of yours are we to look forward to in the near future, professionally and even socially?

Poornima: I’m currently working on a children’s book project with S.L.A.P., a Delhi based N.G.O. to sensitize children on child sexual abuse.

I’m definitely looking forward to doing more books with you in the coming year. (laughs)

I’m also doing a 2021 calendar for my online store the proceeds of which will go to support this same N.G.O.

I have a few themes in mind and I want to work on my own books, for children of course. But at this time the idea is far-fetched.

Elvira: It was wonderful having this conversation with you Poornima. I wish you all the best for all your future endeavours. I’m very proud of you! And yes, we have quite a few projects lined up in the coming year and years ahead. Cheers to that!

You can visit Poornima's merchandise store here or follow her on instagram for new comics each Saturday.