On the threshold

While most kids his age are spending their time watching movies and playing video games,this young artist uses his free time a little differently. Seventeen-year-old Jay Thakur has been painting since he was five,and the beautiful landscapes on the walls of his home are ample evidence of this. After seeing his talent,one finds it hard to believe that he has had no formal training!

“I just picked it up on my own,and slowly branched out into different styles of art,” says Jay,who has recently started painting designs and posters on objects as well,such as T-shirts,helmets and even guitars. His favourite subjects right now are characters from movies and comic books. “Whenever I see a movie or a comic character that interests me,I feel a desire to create my own version of that character and keep it with me. And so,I draw my own interpretation of that character,” he explains.

Jay likes DC and Marvel comics,and he is primarily inspired by Alex Ross,an artist of DC comics. Now awaiting his HSC exam results,Jay plans to pursue a career in product design or animation,something he has wanted to do ever since he was in Std VIII. His mother,Neha Thakur says,“We never pressured Jay into pursuing any particular career. He enjoys drawing and painting and has realised that this is what he wants to do,and we support him wholeheartedly.”

Jay is also an avid sportsman and enjoys playing football,which he does on a regular basis. Although he has not displayed his paintings publicly till date,he plans to organise an exhibition of his work soon.