‘Ctrl+Z makes digital art a viable option’

Twenty four-year-old Mazhar Sadiq has been working as an animator at a private television channel in Karachi since 2007. Sadiq has always been passionate about drawing and sketching. “It’s a hobby that I take very seriously,” he said in an interview with Pakistan Today.
When he was in school, he used to draw sketches and portraits. “When I started my first job as a web designer, I was exposed to digital designing,” he said. He had mostly been engaging himself in traditional art, but using computer software gave him a good idea about how flexible digital art really is.
At his present job as an animator, he uses gadgets like digital tablets. “When I started drawing and painting using a digital pen, I fell in love with digital painting,” he said. He likes to study the old masters like Leonardo da Vinci and Sargent. However, he said, he also follows modern artists on various art forums on the Internet.
“I like to draw mostly portraits. I love to see a good rendering when I start to draw. Drawing is very soothing and relaxing for my mind, but it can also be sometimes very challenging. However, if I can obtain a good result, it gives me a feeling of achievement,” Sadiq told this scribe.
When asked why digital art receives more attention than manual art, he said, “Maybe because of Ctrl+Z. In traditional art, ‘undo’ is not an option. Moreover, digital art is also preferred over manual art because no one seems to have much time on their hands these days, and working digitally saves a lot of time. In my opinion, however, digital art cannot surpass traditional art.”
He has always been inspired by detailed and nearer-to-life art pieces, which is why he also likes to put a lot of details in his work.
“I enjoy working on minute details in my work. I seldom work on rough ideas. Finishing an art piece with details is also kind of my signature,” he said.
Talking about the future, he said that it is his dream to work at one of the most prominent American animation film studios, but being a chief executive officer of a successful post-production house is what he is really aiming for.
For novice artists, Sadiq said that if they have a passion for the arts, they need to be sincere and devoted to their work. “They should keep studying their field and practising seriously. This will give them great rewards,” he said.