Manjit Thapp: Interview

1. Your work is so beautiful and feels very personal. How would you describe your style?

My work revolves around feelings and wanting to create a particular atmosphere or tone and so texture and use of colour is an important part of my work.

2. What advice would you give to anyone getting started in the creative industries?

Don’t underestimate the importance of personal work, fill your portfolio with work you wished you could get hired to do and set your own briefs.

3. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned working as an illustrator.

So many things but maybe the importance of balance. It’s so easy to end up working constantly and getting burnt out and so I’m learning to organise my time better and have time away. I’m not the best at it yet!

4. What inspired you to create a Wes Anderson zine.

It was a project I wanted to do for a while and I was just waiting for the right time to do it. I enjoy so many aspects of his work, but as an artist I’m especially drawn to the visuals he creates. I feel like I could pause the screen at anytime and be inspired to draw.

5. When you’re not illustrating and making amazing art. What do you get up to?

I like reading or watching some tv show in my down time.

6. You’ve built a really strong audience on social media. How much has this impacted your career.

It’s helped so much in terms of clients finding my work I always recommend anyone to start sharing their work on social media. It’s also been great in terms of being able to sell my work online. 

7. How do you balance creating for yourself and not feeling the pressure of keeping up with the internet.

This is something I struggle with regularly. I try not to get caught up in it because it does lead me to overthinking about the work I’m making. When I’m making personal work I like to make it for myself first rather than something I’m doing just so I can have something to post on instagram. I think creating for myself is so important but sometimes I just don’t have the time if I’m working on commission work so I’m trying to get better at doing quick sketches during these times or even scribbling down ideas for later.

8. What’s your favourite film and why?

I don’t think I have one favourite film! Some of my favourite Wes Anderson movies are The Royal Tenenbaums and The Grand Budapest Hotel. 

9. Do you remember the first film you ever watched? What was it?

I can’t remember the exact first but I have memories of watching Disney movies, I loved 101 Dalmatians and I still love the style of that movie and the colours. The scenery and buildings are so good. I wish they still made some of those movies in that way, I love the flatness of it and how it looks like actual drawings come to life. 

10. You’ve been experimenting with the world of animation. How have you found this process? Do you have any favourite animated films? 

I enjoy animating and seeing my drawings come to life, I can’t do anything too complicated so they are pretty simple! Thinking about movies I watched when I was younger I really liked Iron Giant and the style of that too. I enjoy the Studio Ghibli movies too, I love Howl’s Moving Castle.

11. What’s next for you. Any interesting projects coming up?

This year I’m working on two dream projects this year both of which will be out next year they revolve more around my personal work and it’s been so nice spending most of my time on them. I haven’t had the chance to spend so long on personal projects since graduating.