Looking at his sketches, it is impossible to say that he's created them with colour pencils only. The realism of Michelangelo (his hero) is evident in Sashikant Dhotre's work
Looking at his sketches, it is impossible to say that he's created them with colour pencils only. The realism of Michelangelo (his hero) is evident in Sashikant Dhotre's work. The intricate detailing and the startlingly true-to-life images make his work seem like a story on canvas. CS caught up with Sashikant Dhotre, whose exhibition, Remembrance, is on at the Tulika Arts Gallery till January 15. 
Who: Sashikant Dhotre
What: Talking about his colour pencil sketches
Larger than life
Most of the characters in my sketches are real people who've made an impact on my life. For instance, I've drawn my childhood friend Gafar who used to play marbles with me. He might not have been a brilliant student, but he was a pro at the game of marbles. Not surprisingly, I always lost to him. I'du00a0 gone tou00a0 my village last year and I was ableu00a0 tou00a0 catch up with him, that's when the oldu00a0 memories came flooding in and I thought of immortalising him on canvas. One of the women in my drawings is again someone from my village, the wife of a school teacher who was like a brother to me. Everyday in the evening, she would longingly wait for her husband to return from school. I have always been fascinated by the people in my life and they have found a place in my art.
No gain without pencil
Drawing with colour pencils on black paper has its share of challenges. You can't undo a stroke, once you've made itu00a0 because an eraser doesn't work on black paper. So the first stroke is the final one. But I enjoy the challenge and can say that I have mastered the art of getting it right too. It's been two years since I've been working on this medium and I love it.
Prized catch
I haven't studied art, even though I did enroll myself in the J J School of Art. I have no clue why I dropped out after a month of studies. I wasted away two-three years of my life, but even then, I would spend hours looking at paintings. Michelangelo and Rembrandt are my all-time favourite artists. I have received many awards and recognition for my work, even though I have had humble beginnings. I have about nine awards in my kitty, right from The Governor of Maharashtra Award to the UK Colour Pencil Society Award.u00a0
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