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SketchBook XX: Superhero Cleanup & Hampi Dreams

· 2D Illustration

⬅  Check the illustration post before this, Illustration - XIX


Dunk the Junk - a series for MTV where we show super heroes disposing of the trash

 hulk is angry!! and really wants to clean-up the mess.
Comic-style illustration of an angry green Hulk in pink shorts hauling a giant red soda can up out of a crop-circle crater, against an orange sky with a passing airplane — part of the 'Dunk the Junk' superhero anti-litter series

[Note: This part was created before the client knew about it - our little secret at the time!]

The evolution of Spider-Man in this series was particularly interesting. Our friendly neighborhood wall-crawler went through several iterations before finding his perfect perch in Dharavi. The final version shows him doing what he does best - serving the community, this time by tackling waste in one of Mumbai's most vibrant neighborhoods.

 Spider-Man crouched on a rooftop firing a web to lift a crushed yellow snack wrapper out of a Mumbai skyline, pigeons and slum rooftops below, pale yellow sky 

Spider-Man hanging from power lines in a Dharavi alley, hoisting a giant discarded plastic water bottle overhead amid tangled cables and colourful tin-roof houses

'In the Now': Bangalore's Latest Buzz

Speaking of vibrant, there's a new band making waves in Bangalore - 'In the Now'. Though honestly, they hardly need an introduction; their music is doing all the talking. The city's buzzing with their sound, and rightfully so.

Album art titled 'In the Now': a white-suited astronaut in space, a single pink sprinkled donut reflected in the dark curve of the helmet visor, against a starfield

Hampi Whispers

My Hampi phase has been a journey into the heart of ancient stone and timeless stories. Among the most striking encounters was the magnificent Narasimha statue - now reimagined and available as an NFT. There's something about those ancient stones that keeps pulling me back, inspiring new interpretations of age-old tales.

Minimal stylized portrait of a weathered man's upturned face with closed pale eyes and long fair hair under a dark red cap, floating on a dusty rose background

During this phase, the Shaman emerged - a figure caught between worlds, ears tuned to frequencies we've forgotten how to hear. This piece, showing the face emerging from the void, captures that moment of deep listening, of being suspended between the known and the unknown. You can find prints of this piece on Cupick and Paintcollar.

Now available as NFT
Surreal melting cartoon creature with a pink knit beanie, bulging white-and-orange eyes and a green mouth, dripping into a muddy puddle on a deep red background
The original Narasimha statue in Hampi left an indelible mark on my imagination. There's something about the raw power and divine presence in those ancient stones that demanded reinterpretation. The original image serves as both inspiration and testament to the enduring impact of classical Indian sculpture.
Photograph of the massive monolithic Lakshmi Narasimha stone statue at Hampi — a fierce lion-faced deity seated cross-legged under a hooded canopy, palm trees behind

Closing Thoughts: A Woman's Journey

We end this collection with an illustration of a woman finding her way back - because sometimes art mirrors life, and life is about getting back on track. The Moonlight series will return soon, but for now, we pause here, in this moment of transition and renewal.

Psychedelic illustration of a nude turquoise-skinned woman with dark hair drifting among pale blue bubbles on a hot-pink gradient, golden and heart-shaped marks on her body

From superheroes battling pollution to ancient deities carved in stone, each piece tells a story of transformation - whether it's cleaning up our cities or finding our way back to ourselves. Stay tuned for more moonlit tales...

Check out the next illustration Blogpost,  Illustration: XXI  ➡

More illustration work: Illustration XXII : Digital Meditations on Being Human →