[Art Attack] Digital artist Welbie makes doodles of real-life photos with a dash of humour

Welbeck ‘Welbie’ Mensah is a Ghanaian digital artist and illustrator. He’s been refining his art ever since he was a youngster, nevertheless, some years ago he began illustrating digitally and has been refining his work since.

Face2Face received the opportunity to pick the brain of Mensah and this is what he imparted:

Thanks for the opportunity to ask you a few questions. Tell me a bit about yourself?

My name is Welbeck Mensah, also known as Welbie. I’m an Accra-based digital artist/illustrator. One of my main art forms involves making doodles to interact with real-life photos I take of everyday objects and places, with a satisfying dash of humour. I strive to illustrate from a unique perspective, establishing a relatable interaction and narrative in all aspects of my artworks. The illustrations vary in form, from minimalist to baroque. I’m also a writer.

How long have you been making your art? What made you decide to become an artist?

I’ve been illustrating digitally for about 2 years now. I’ve always been an artist, however, even if it wasn’t mainstream for me.

Have you won any awards?

I haven’t won any awards yet, as I haven’t entered any competition of sorts.

What’s your inspiration?

I get inspiration from appreciating others’ works of art and also from social media websites such as Pinterest and Instagram. I also get inspired by physically interacting with everyday objects.

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I see myself being at my very peak in the next 5 years, where I hope to add animation, among others, to what I’m currently doing.

This interview has been edited