Sketching for money
With a plain paper and pencil in hand, the next thing that Ronald Nthubula needs is a model. He looks at you ostensibly and the moment he drops his eyes on paper and starts scratching with a pencil, you may think he is crossing out poor work.
But give him some hours; the next thing is a complete sketch of you. His drawings are stunning and compelling to pay for. An A4 sized sketch costs K20 000 while an A3 one fetches K30 000. The costs varies with the size of paper.
The 23 year-old does portraits, landscape images and other products, upon request.
“I’m grateful to God for the skill. I make over K200 000 a month and I don’t dream of being employed,” he said smiling.
Nthubula operates from home and during the visit; we found him busy at work.
“I just look at a person and then start drawing. Some send me their photos and that’s all,” he said.
Around him were files of completed works waiting to be collected, but the drawings of President Peter Mutharika and musician Tay Grin were stunning. Looking at the drawings instill a sense of creativity and art appreciation.
While many artists lament that technology is ruining their work, Nthubula says his work stands out because it is not supported by any sophisticated machinery. He argued that this is the reason his work has a market, despite that many people hardly appreciate the power of the pencil.
His journey into the trade started when he was young. He was inspired by his uncles who are all drawers. Nthubula said he used to help them and that is how he was initiated. After sometime, he says, he started sketching anything that grabbed his interest such as vehicles, houses and animals and practice perfected his work.
He said: “I’m passionate about my art and I get a lot of inspiring remarks from people. This is what drives me and I see a promising future.”
Nthubula said his career does not demand a lot apart from being inquisitive, creative and having a passion and determination.
“I want to be self-reliant and create jobs for others. Government can’t employ everyone and it is our responsibility to stand up and be job creators. I have done my part already,” he said.
True to his words, the Lilongwe-based artist is running a company called Half Shield which has so far created jobs for four youths. The employees do much of the marketing and communication. He said the number is expected to grow soon.
Nthubula observes that there is a big market for pencil sketches since there is low competition.
“There are few pencil drawers around and this means there is future for those aspiring to join the career. Education is not a limitation,” he said.
Nthubula holds a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE). He is versatile and works with many companies, including Abstract Records, Screen Shot Media Restore Project and Pannar Seed Company.
In addition to drawing, he also does digital illustrations for comic books and adverts.
Recently, he displayed his works during the Story Club exhibition at Bingu International Convention Centre (Bicc). n
