For as long as Danica Da Silva Pereira can remember, birthdays and special occasions meant it was time for her to get to work. Holed up in her room, surrounded by paper and pencils, Danica would doodle and sketch until she had created her very own masterpiece. “In the morning, I would surprise my (secretly knowing) family with my own little gift,” smiles this 23 year old artist who aspires to spread happiness and motivation through her art even today.
Danica Da Silva Pereira was always an illustrator. But it wasn't until college (when she joined the Goa College of Art) that she realised that it was her calling. “I was first introduced to the nuances of the subject by my illustration teacher Domnic Cordo. I was in awe of his flawless lines and beautiful compositions and I work according to his directions even today,” she informs.
Featured as one of the 101 top female illustrators in India on Polka Cafe and Cupick, her label 'YetAnother by Danica' has over a thousand followers on Instagram and Facebook. But where does she get her ideas? “Ideas are everywhere,” she says, “even in lyrics, quotes or even two random words put together.” Never without her tiny little sketchbook (it's smaller than the size of her palm), Danica can be found doodling in it from time to time roughly sketching out random ideas as they pop into her head to be worked on at a later date.
Currently fascinated by children's book illustrations, patterns for print and whimsical artworks, Danica is constantly experimenting with various genres, exploring her skill field and testing her versatility. Her approach to her work, though, is pretty simple. “Once I'm happy with my concept, I create a tiny sketch so as to get a rough idea of where I'm heading at. I then sketch out a comprehensive artwork on my sketchbook in pencil before I ink it in. Then I scan the artwork and work on it digitally, filling in colour, and adding details and texture,” states Danica, adding, “Yet, I can never say that I am fully satisfied with my work for more than an hour. However, I leave it at that and get to work on a new piece with the spark I felt was missing in the previous. Only if I feel that a particular piece has the potential to get better, then I re-work a project.”
And while her fine art works are based on personal experiences and don't give away much, viewers are free to interpret those pieces in whatever way they like, connecting to them in their own ways. Her lighter and fun illustrations, however, speak to the audience by themselves and have a clear message. She says, “Illustration is one subject where I am hardly blocked. But when I do, the only solution that works for me is to keep sketching. It doesn't have to relate to what I'm working on, but as the mind keeps working it automatically finds new inspirations.”
