Live Sketching and Portraiture for Events
Observational art that captures the silent energy of a crowd or a single, quiet moment. I translate the flow of your event into candid, hand-drawn keepsakes.
A guest at the Six Senses Fort Barwara in Rajasthan reacts to a live portrait I sketched for them on a simple napkin. This is the essence of my event service: creating a unique, personal keepsake that captures a moment in time.
Here I am working on a watercolor painting, capturing the landscape from the Ajanta Caves viewpoint in Maharashtra. My studio is wherever I find inspiration, from bustling city streets to serene historical sites.
A typical workday, sketching on a sidewalk in Mumbai. My process is grounded in direct observation, finding art in the everyday flow of the city and its people.
A pencil sketch capturing the dense energy of a crowded market. My goal is to translate the complex interactions and atmosphere of a public gathering onto the page through rapid, observational drawing.
A quick portrait of a fellow passenger on a Mumbai local train. These candid sketches are exercises in capturing character and expression in a matter of moments, using only a pencil and sketchbook.
This video shows my process of creating a live sketch on a napkin for a guest at a luxury hotel. This service offers a unique form of entertainment and a personalized party favor for attendees at any event.
A completed live sketch from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, displayed on an easel. This piece captures a complex scene of public life, with multiple figures interacting in a shared space, drawn entirely on location.
A finished portrait created with soft pastels on toned paper. While I specialize in quick pencil sketches, I also undertake more detailed, commissioned portraits that require a deeper study of the subject.
About Featured
For my event sessions, I do not rely on templates or caricatures. I use high-quality, 140 GSM acid-free cartridge paper and professional graphite, treating every portrait as a genuine study of character. Whether I am sketching at a table or moving through the crowd, I ensure each piece is sprayed with fixative to prevent smudging, so your guests leave with a finished, archival-quality memento.
My artistic foundation was built at the Sir J.J. School of Art, where I learned that the value of a sketch lies in its honesty. Whether I am drawing in a Mumbai local train or at an event in Rajasthan, the objective remains constant: to document reality.
My live sketching service is designed to be unobtrusive. I provide all necessary equipment, including a portable easel, drawing board, and battery-operated lighting to ensure I can work effectively in any environment. For events where a fixed position is not suitable, I offer a roaming service, capturing candid interactions as they happen.
For intimate sit-down dinners or luxury brand activations, I offer a premium table-side service. In this format, I work on textured paper or cloth napkins, creating tangible memories that guests can immediately take home. This approach focuses on capturing the essence of the individual rather than producing mass-market caricatures. By blending my formal training with a street-style observational approach, I provide an authentic artistic interaction that adds depth and sophistication to your event.
Pratap Badtya
I am Pratap, a graduate of the Sir J.J. School of Art. My practice is built on observing the rhythm of daily life and translating it into lines on paper. I bring this same observational focus to your events, capturing people not as they pose, but as they truly are.
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