New ways to watch the world

Somnath Pal talks about learning through observation and empathy, to create art that’s emotionally engaging and carries a strong personal voice

Create art that engages the viewer, with Somnath Pal.

Five years ago, I was a brat who was overconfident about my art skills. I drew the same four poses over and over again, but since I drew them well, it just fed my ego! And then I met one of my heroes, who was kind enough not to throw my sketchbook away, but harsh enough to let me know that I didn’t know how to draw. “Your drawings have no life. You need to feel what you are drawing. Your back needs to ache if you’re drawing someone bending over,” he said. Honestly, I didn’t understand a thing. But it did set me off on a hunt to understand what he meant. Three years later, after having regularly sketched every day, I got the first glimpse of what he was getting at. While drawing a girl sinking into her sofa, I realised I was sinking myself, to feel the pose.

This wasn’t my only experience, though: there were numerous more that shaped my observation. Each of them opened me up to a world of possibilities. Through this workshop, I would like to share my ideas that could give you that little push to explore the world for yourself. My aim is to help you personalise the worlds that you create through your art.