Whiz Kid: Young Artist Harkirat Gill

Name: Harkirat Gill

Age and school: 13,

When did you get started creating artwork? It goes as far when I was 2 and a half year old (my parents told me). I did not learn from anybody. I guess it was all natural, right from the beginning, based on my observations. I used to draw with anything on the walls in every room of my house, including my living room, where I drew bugs with permanent black marker.

What medium(s) did you start with? I drew with anything I could get hold of. Pencils, chalks, crayons, markers.....

What materials or colors do you prefer to work with? I like to draw and sketch with regular lead pencil the most. I also like oil/acrylic and water colors. I frequently make oil and watercolor paintings. It all depends on the idea at that moment based on which I decide the medium to express.

Describe some of your favorite subject matter to draw/paint. Why does it inspire you? Animals, I guess because they are so natural, all real. It inspires me to observe animals, nature, and environment because it is all so real, natural, all basic science of life out there for you to admire.

Please list venues where your work has been exhibited: the Gateway Theatre in Chicago, Chicago Children's Museum at Navy Pier, , and a school in Joliet.

I heard you were beginning to learn animation. How is that going? It is going well, though I am not able to spend much time on animation yet. But I like animation because it enables me to put to life the characters I draw or sketch--the way I want. Animation is a great tool. Something that cannot be told in words can be easily conveyed visually. Animation allows us to express everything visually – it can be business, advertisements, movies, instructions – but I am aiming at movies as of now.

You designed the Science Olympiad shirts. How do you approach creating something for others, as opposed to something you’re creating for yourself? As soon as I know I can work on something interesting, I build a virtual layout or an idea about it in my mind almost immediately and then refine it over time.
If I am creating it for myself, I only focus on how I want it. But when I work on something for others, I think about how other people will look at it, what they will like, what I want them to like or dislike or what expression they should get when they look at the final. For this I have always have few people in my mind from my school, my friends, my family or otherwise. I have to work hard on something I create for others than just doing something fun or for myself because it involves so much thinking.

Creativity runs in the family. His mother, Jaspreet, recently at December's Lisle High School holiday craft fair.