LD Sherpa: Cartoonist, VFX Professional & a Mentor!
Lakpa Dorjee Sherpa is the Academic Head of MAAC’s Jayanagar franchise. His exposure to various genres of digital media has made him a mentor with insights into the Animation & VFX industry.
Mr. Sherpa started off his career as a cartoonist while pursuing BSc. His cartoons on current affairs have been featured on various news tabloids and dailies such as Sikkim Weekend Review, NOW, and Sunchari News Paper. With an interest in cartooning, he moved to Calcutta to study Animation. After the course, he went on to work at DQ Studios handling projects such as ‘Mickey Mouse Club,’ ‘Tak & the Power of JuJu,’ and ‘Pinky & Porky,’ in addition to game projects such as NFS and Gladiator. He later moved to Chennai as the creative head for Film Magic Studio for a year. After his creative stint in Chennai, he moved to Bangalore and headed the technical department for Ants Animation.
He is currently the Academic Head of MAAC Jayanagar. Apart from strategizing classes and curriculums, he teaches advanced software modules. Students say that his classes are beyond the walls as he gives them insights into how the industry works. He also advises them on a personal level by motivating them and fueling them to become go-getters.
Inspired by his profile, I had a conversation with him to know how he made this transition across these many professions. Here’s what he had to say.
What is art for you?
Art is beauty! The beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder, in this case, the artist. The observation on how you look at things brings out the art and the artist in you.
Who inspired you to get into the field of art?
R.K.Laxman. I was inspired by him while working as a cartoon illustrator for the press. I also had a love for comic books. As a kid, I would go to bed reading and admiring them. Disney cartoons on DD channel also brought inspiration in a way. All these small things, collectively, led me into what I do today.
You started off as a cartoonist at such a young age, how did that happen?
I was good at cartooning while at school. A teacher of mine encouraged me to work for a news publication over the weekends. And that is how it all began.
Your career has varied from being a 2D artist to VFX professional to a teacher. How did you go about this transition?
The basic fundamentals of all animation and VFX are derived from 2D and hand-drawn animation. When the times changed, the technology did too with the evolution of the 3D and VFX industry. I happened to adapt to the change following the fundamentals of art.
Who is your favourite teacher and why?
Harkhang Subba. Beyond just teaching the subject or lessons, he was also concerned about the way students lived. He would give some nice guidelines to live life and also motivated them to follow their passion. Whenever my cartoons would get published, he would take pride and encourage me to do more.
What is your philosophy in life?
Life is very simple, but somehow we complicate it. So stay focused to have a successful life.
How has being a cartoonist, a VFX artist, and a mentor influenced you individually?
As a cartoonist, I learnt how to develop a knack for humour. It also taught me a sense of composing a cartoon scenario. As a VFX artist, I learnt the industry standards of a production pipeline and, more importantly, how to work under pressure within deadlines. And now, as a teacher, I have an opportunity to share all my experiences and knowledge to a younger generation of aspiring student artists. This is what I love to do.
Is there any other profession that interest you and that you could pursue at some point in time?
I have not decided yet. I will shift into the stream of film-making. When the time is right, it will surely happen.
What would be your advice to young art aspirants?
Do not waste your valuable time bothering about your future and career. Just concentrate on what must be done today. That is what you are going to get tomorrow. Just get started.
