Drawing his feet off!!

KOCHI: Seventeen-year-old Muhammad Anas is perhaps the only artist to have featured twice on actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s official Instagram account which boasts of 2.7 million followers. Surely, that automatically implies that Anas is no ordinary artist. Miles apart from the rest, Anas sketches his subjects either blindfolded or while lying on his upper back, with his feet in the air, all four limbs delicately but precisely drawing details. 

While Anas initially drew a portrait of the actor blindfolded and in an inverted manner which was reposted by Prithviraj, he chose to go on all fours to draw the entire family – late actors Sukumaran and actress Mallika Sukumaran, actor Indrajith Sukumaran and Prithviraj. Lying on a pillow with his feet up the wall, each hand drew the sons, while his feet with a pencil each portrayed the parents intricately, in full resemblance. 

“An ikka (brother) in Kozhikode used to sketch while blindfolded. I was intrigued by the technique and learnt under his tutelage. Later, I wanted to create a distinct manner of sketching by myself, hence I chose to employ my feet and hands for the same,” says Anas, a computer-science student in Class XII. 

The Thrissur native picked up the pencil when he was in Class I and never looked back. While cartoon characters were his frenzy back then, he moved on to drawing celebrities in Class V. And finally, in Class X, he began applying different techniques to sketch portraits.

“Both the skills took ages to practice. While I’ve been drawing blindfolded since Class X, sketching with my hands and feet too took around four months to perfect. I started trying with my feet first and then created a synchronisation. There have been failures, but I never gave up. Also, I get up occasionally from the latter technique lest I hurt my back,” he says. 

Now that his artwork is going viral, Anas is considering taking up the medium professionally. “Earlier, I wasn’t quite sure of what I genuinely wanted to do. I always loved art but never saw it more than a hobby. Now, with appreciation pouring in, I’m beginning to realise my potential and take it up later. My family has been extremely supportive – I’ve not been chided to study when I draw. Moreover, this lockdown has given me ample time to experiment,” he adds.

Both the skills took ages to practice. While I’ve been drawing blindfolded since Class X, sketching with my hands and feet too took around 4 months to perfect —Muhammad Anas, artist