A rtist Babrus Khan started his professional life at the age of 17. He has been into comics, video games and, most importantly, drawing since childhood. He always wanted to become a comics artist or a game designer, or work on cartoons. “I started working after my Intermediate exams due to family problems,” Khan said. “My cousin, whom I respect the most, helped me get an internship in a small company when I was 17. I had no qualification and no experience, and I didn’t know where I’d end up in the future. My thrilling professional life had begun and I wanted to do my best,” he added.
He became an artist purely out of his love for comics and video games, and he was so into them that he spent most of his time reading about game engines or software on the internet, which affected his studies and resulted in bad grades. His working style is heavily influenced by comics and mangas (Japanese comics), but “my work falls somewhere between them,” he said. “One thing I love about comics and manga is that they’re very expressive. What’s really interesting about them is that you get to step into a whole new world through them. For example, there are comic book characters based on the seven deadly sins and each character is represented by a sin,” he added.
Khan does not like to draw that which already exists. “I draw what I visualise,” he said. “I want to show everyone what’s inside my head. That’s why I appreciate comic books and comics art because all these artists come up with amazing worlds and ideas. I believe this style of art has no boundaries,” he added. He is familiar with both 3D and 2D software, but he spends almost all of his time on 2D software. “Adobe Photoshop is my best friend,” he said. “Other than that, it depends on the requirement. I might use Adobe Illustrator for vector graphics, but that’s very rare,” he added. He started drawing with pencils and pens so, naturally, he still prefers them, but “my graphics tablet is a lifesaver. It’s like a part of my body now,” Khan said.
He believes that digital art, which requires mostly technical knowledge, has made life easier for even those with average drawing skills. However, he said, traditional artists benefit from these software the most. “Paintings that used to take days or months to complete can be completed within hours with the help of software,” he added. According to him, the value of both traditional and digital art is essentially the same. “It’s just that digital art can save a lot of time,” he said. “However, most digital artists who are also traditional artists work on the canvas first and then scan and digitally master their work,” he added.
Khan loves production designing, concept art and almost everything about art direction. The process of designing everything regarding a project is what attracts him the most. For example, he said, a film’s art director visualises everything from the wardrobe and makeup of the characters to the creatures and the landscapes. “Following that, artists fortify those concepts for the big screen. As far as I’m concerned, however, I like to come up with new ideas and make them real,” he added.
Out of all his artwork, a metal dragon called ‘Abraxas’ from his comics titled ‘Vendetta’ is his most favourite character. When he was drawing Abraxas, he asked himself why dragons are always drawn like giant lizards from ancient times breathing fire, and then made his dragon to be “a cybernetic creature”. Abraxas is a hulking metal beast with a human brain; it looks more menacing than your average dragon and lives in the future.
About his future, Khan said he wants to create his own comics. “Two of them are already on my Facebook page,” he said. “I wish to create my comics on par with those by professional comics artists, and see my comic books in print. Other than that, I want to work on cartoons and animated films of my own,” he added. To newcomers in this field, he said everyone is identified by their work, which reveals their dedication and motivation. “You can’t follow a set of rules and make a name in this field without having anything to show for it,” he added. He said most people try to join this field because of its charm. “Unless you know why you’re joining this line of work, unless you have a game plan, don’t waste your time. Yes, it’s fun what we do, but it’s for those who are ready to dedicate themselves to their work – just like other fields,” Khan added.
‘Your work, dedication and motivation is your identity’
