Today we’d like to introduce you to Shivangi Das.
Hi Shivangi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thanks for having me! My name is shiv, and I’m a digital artist/graphic designer based in the Los Angeles area! I actually started off as a pre-med student at University of California Riverside and worked as a behavioral therapist before COVID-19 hit, however I had to take a break from working due to a lot of health issues. After I left my job, I was struggling to find new avenues for work, but my friends and family reminded me of my talent and previous passion for art! (my art account on Instagram was hacked in high school and I had given up on art for about five years because of that situation)- and this encouragement from family and friends brought me back to it!!
I restarted my Instagram account and started gaining traction through a giveaway with Golf Wang media (where I gave away some Golf Wang merchandise and one of my Tyler the Creator prints) and through posting weekly original content on my page! As my digital art began to improve, people were starting to actually pay me for my art which was incredible to me because I never put value on my work like that! The journey that I’ve been through this past year has been insane, I’ve given canvas pieces to influencers like Charli Damelio, Lil Huddy, Blackbear, Billie Eilish, Avani, and more! I’m so blessed to be where I’m at today and I hope that I can continue to grow and continue meeting the people who inspire me along the way! Looking forward to sharing my art with the world!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a very very difficult journey- I was super depressed and isolated for months in the beginning of 2020 when covid started. This was mainly because I was apart from my family and friends since I resided in Riverside because of school. After I graduated I continued staying here because of cost of living- I’m currently saving up to move back to the LA area next year to be closer to family and friends again! It was very difficult setting prices for my work as I found that even influencers with money would reach out and only offer me shoutouts for my work instead of actual payment- which was unacceptable to me – everyone told me to persevere and stay firm on my prices and not to undervalue my work or give in to those trying to get free pieces from me.
It was also difficult to get away from the inevitable opinions of people trying to put me down saying I would never make it in LA with art because artists don’t make enough to survive, right? It’s been really rough battling the economy’s downfall because of covid and handling everything else as well- managing life’s challenges, like my mom getting ill, me going through different sicknesses that would leave me bedridden for weeks, my puppy getting parasites a month after I got him; just so many different instances where I had to be incredibly resilient and push through. There were so many instances where I questioned if I should really be just an artist or have an “actual job” like people ask me all the time… it’s been rough for sure but I’ve been pushing through.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am known for my digital artworks and canvas pieces! The magic happens on my iPad Pro with my Apple Pencil on the app Procreate! I started digital drawing this last year at the end of 2019 when I made my first big purchase and bought myself an IPad Pro! A lot of influencers and celebrities have been requesting contact with me for custom canvases and digital pieces .I’m incredibly proud that I’ve made a name for myself as an artist in LA in the last year!
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I think luck has played a factor in terms of the attention I have gotten from influencers and celebrities that have helped boost my status as an artist! it’s really hard to get someone with millions of followers to notice an artist and I’ve had that happen a few times which is cool!
Pricing:
- Digital drawing base price (1 person, simple background) : $250
- Custom Canvas base price ($250- small 18 x 24” -$650- large 30”x 40”)
- Prints of my digital work- ($20+)
Contact Info:
- Email: Shivdrawss@gmail.com
- Website: Shivdraws.myshopify.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/shivdraws
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shivdrawss/
Image Credits
Shivangi Das
