Marvelous Personalized Paper Art Portraits

Chandresh of Parmar Art Creations in Lincoln, England is a talented paper artist who works magic with colored card and a scalpel the way an illustrator uses paints and canvas. The highly detailed paper cuttings he creates are a unique way of celebrating the special people in your life or capturing a moment in time.

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I was lucky enough to come across Chandresh's fine work after he commented on an Instagram photo. (See? You never know where online interaction might lead!), and wrote to ask if I might feature him in this Artist Spotlight. Enjoy getting to know Chandresh as he tells what led to this new paper-centric career, as well as his process and hopes for the future.

"I launched Parmar Art Creations just over a year ago and in that time it has grown into a business that brings in a second income and is incredibly rewarding too.

 

Art has always been a part of my life, I have doodled and drawn caricatures since my school days. I am a father of three, and when my children were young, I encouraged them to express themselves through art. We always used to hand craft birthday cards together for friends and family, rather than giving the shop bought kind. It felt more meaningful and special."

 

 

"During the lockdown last year, like many of us, I had more time on my hands. I began to explore different techniques with paper art, purely as a hobby initially. One of my first pieces was actually a thank you card for some friends. 

 

I created paper art caricatures from a photo of both of them. They were so happy with it, that they asked me if I would commission a framed portrait for their niece. This was to be the beginning of Parmar Art Creations."

 

 

"Soon after, I launched my Etsy Shop and social media pages. My first few customers were mainly friends and family, but before I knew it, orders via recommendations and my Etsy shop began to come in. In the lead up to Christmas, just three months after my launch, I had a large waitlist. My portraits were proving popular and it felt so encouraging for such a new business."

 

"I think the uniqueness of my pieces appeals to people. Every portrait is entirely handcrafted, using tiny pieces of card. The multi layering of materials gives an intricate 3D effect which really brings the portraits to life. 

People have said they are shocked at the likeness to the original photos, despite them being made out of card! I always take time to focus in on the tiniest details, I think this makes all the difference to the end piece."

 

"I have had requests to do all kinds of portraits. Pets are very popular, and I also did a piece where a lady was standing next to her beloved VW camper van. I used lots of metallic card for the number plate and wing mirrors which really made the piece pop. 

 

The portrait was well received and is one I really enjoyed creating. I like the challenge of working out how to create something I haven’t done before, so am always open to new requests and ideas from my customers."

 

"My crafting toolkit is quite humble really. It consists of a craft knife, some tweezers and different types of card. I find the quality of the card makes all the difference, so I make sure to get really good quality card in lots of different colours and textures.

 

Good lighting is incredibly important. I have a magnifying glass light which is key for creating the tiny details. My iPad also proves extremely helpful. I use it to really zoom in on the photos I am creating the portrait from, which helps me capture the tiny details in a precise way."

 

"My hope is that Parmar Art Creations will continue to grow in the coming months and years. It’s always an honour to receive a new order and create something that I know will mean a lot on a personal level to each customer who receives my work."

 

I admire the variety of card stock textures Chandresh incorporates into each design as they add so much to the realism, and also the way he personalizes a mat with embossed lettering and other special touches. He offers framing and gift wrapping too. 

 

Chandresh's Etsy shop is Parmar Art Creations. You'll also find him on Instagram and Facebook.