Sh1,000 launched my art business

Nelson Musiomi, 29, better known as Nelly Mchoraji, is a pencil artist who specialises in portraits.

But what makes him different from the many other talented artists in the market?

“I work predominantly with coloured pencils on ivory board. My type of art is not painting, but coloured-pencil art. Coloured-pencil art is a totally new concept in Kenya,” says Nelly, adding that he has met only two other established coloured-pencil artists in the country.

The full-time artist says he gets most of his clients through online marketing.

“My Facebook page is like my office since this is where I meet my clients daily.”

Incidentally, Nelly didn’t go to college to study art.

“I started taking art seriously in Form Two,” he says.

After completing high school, however, he didn’t go into art full-time like he wanted to. Instead, he worked at construction sites, as an office messenger and in garbage collection to make ends meet.

Turning point

His turning point?

“In 2015, I remember doing a quick sketch of a lady who paid me Sh1,000.”

That’s when Nelly realised he could make money out of the talent he’d discovered years ago. He quit his job, which was then as a cleaner at a printing company, to take up art full time.

“Long story short, here I am ... earning enough and even employing other artists,” he says.

“The type of art I ventured into is new in Kenya. Many people normally don’t know what it is until I show them my work. However, since I started, I have inspired hundreds of young men and women, especially through social media, and I can proudly say many upcoming artists practice this type of drawing.”

How long did it take him to get a steady income from his skill?

“I started doing commercial art in April 2015, and started earning a real income immediately. I do great work, and most people get attracted to my art the moment they see some samples,” says Nelly.

“Now we are in 2017 and I’m not just an artist, I have become a brand, with many followers and fans on social media. That being said, it’s good to point out that art needs patience for you to reach the top. You need to work hard daily.”

Did he ever feel like giving up?

“Yes, a few months after I started doing art full time, sometimes I’d fail to get a customer, and that would frustrate me and make me feel like I should just look for a job.

“What kept me going is that deep down, I believed I was going to be a big name in the art industry, so I couldn’t allow myself to give up and stop.”

His charges?

“I charge Sh3,500 for a portrait of one person, Sh5,000 for two people, Sh6,500 for three people and Sh8,000 for four people in A3 size. These prices are inclusive of mounting, framing and packaging,” Nelly says.

For the larger A2 size, his prices start at Sh9,500, while A1s cost upwards of Sh18,500.