Dhalbhum SDO Subodh Kumar sketches at his residential office in Jamshedpur on Sunday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

If dealing with irate encroachers to clear approach roads to the Adityapur toll bridge and the like is Dhalbhum’s sub-divisional officer (SDO) Subodh Kumar’s day job, his leisure hours sketch another picture.

The administrator’s freehand sketches — he’s self-taught — can give professionals a run for their charcoal pencils. Kumar loves making sketches of his family and friends, and an occasional celebrity.

Kumar in fact gifted a charcoal sketch of Mahatma Gandhi to chief minister Arjun Munda last October.

His recent bouquet of sketches is anything but predictable.

It comprises a motley lot — celebrities such as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prince William and Kate (nee Middleton) — as well as portraits of his friends.

“I realised I could draw when I got a consolation prize in Class VI at an inter-school contest. The next year, I won the first prize.But I couldn’t learn painting formally as it wasn’t viable for my lower middle class family,” said a shy Kumar, originally from Hazaribagh, an alumnus of St Columbus College with honours in economics in 1991.

Selected in Bihar Public Service Commission in 1996, Kumar joined as block development officer in Chatra district. As a public servant, his sketches took a backseat. But he kept his passion alive, purchasing his charcoal pencils, sketch pads and other drawing materials from Calcutta.

Last year, when he was posted in Seraikela, he started sketching in a big way. The success of his Mahatma Gandhi sketch probably egged him on.

He started capturing the facial expressions of those around him, honing his shading techniques.

“I do a lot of portraits of my near and dear ones,” he said, adding that faces intrigued him.

But he doesn’t believe in framing his work at home. “I’ve sketched numerous pieces but you won’t find any at home. I draw out of love and gift the pieces to people with love,” said Kumar.

But he does upload his work on Facebook. And feels gratified if people whose portraits he has sketched, choose them as profile pictures on the social networking site.

“Facebook has helped the artist in me a lot,” says the offbeat administrator.

He waxes eloquent about the social networking site. “Not only do I upload my sketches but also the photographs I click. I’m also in touch with artists from whom I learn and get inspired. My sketches leave me rejuvenated. Whenever I get time I sketch. Of course, a professional may point out 10 flaws. But I love sketching,” iterated Kumar.

Ask if he wants to put up an exhibition some day, he laughed: “I already have a career. For me, art is a passion. But then again, if I get an opportunity, why not?”