My second attempt at Chitrapat handmade paper

"There is no greater harm than that of time wasted." Michelangelo

After my last experience with Chitrapat handmade paper, I was excited to try out another one. So I picked up the subject where in I could paint some mountains in the distance with its reflections in the water. 

For a small sized paper such as 5" X 7", I use just about two brushes. Both are from Himalaya Fine Art store at Fort. They have sable hair and are very smooth to use on the water color paper. They almost glide on the surface without disturbing the fibres on the paper surface. They are very economical as compared to the imported sable hair brushes.

Water colour study on Chitrapat handmade paper

Size 5" X 7"

My art workshop "Charcoal and white pastel drawing on toned paper" is coming up on the 25th of February, 2018 at Art Station, Four Bunglows. So this week I will be busy working with the charcoal medium. 

Thank you all for visiting my blog. 

Travel photography - Thangu, North Sikkim

"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein

Nature inspires me to paint. When I travel, it is not always possible to create study works or quick sketches as we are constantly on the move. Therefore I photograph the scenes which appeal to me, so that I can refer to it later some day and create beautiful memories by painting them in different mediums. I try to get the best composition possible but if not then I edit the photographs just before I begin my artwork. 

Posted below are a few photographs which we clicked while we were at Thangu. Thangu is a small beautiful village which is about two hours drive from Lachen in North Sikkim.It is situated at a n altitude of 13,500 ft above sea level and most tourists halt here for breakfast and to get acclimatized to the change of altitude before proceeding to Gurudongmar Lake.  From here on to Gurudongmar Lake the altitude increases to 17,800 ft in a short span of three hours. The roads are bad but the beauty of the landscape hypnotizes you. I would love to visit North Sikkim yet again.

At Thangu, North Sikkim

The road further leads to Gurudongmar Lake

The landscape at Thangu, North Sikkim

A cloudy sky at Thangu, North Sikkim

Local women basking in the sun

My database of photographs from different places is growing and I am having fun painting these beautiful places and people. I have not had the opportunity to paint a landscape from Thangu. However I am almost done with a portrait of the woman as above with the scarf. I photographed her from different angles, had a small chat with her and learnt about her life in general. Time was short and it was pleasure to interact with her.

Have you been to North Sikkim? If yes I would love to hear from you and do leave in your comments. Thanks for visiting my blog.

Jurien Bay, West Australia - A water colour painting

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream." Vincent Van Gogh

Painting a seashore relaxes me completely. I am so drawn to this subject. Many of my friends who know about my passion for painting keep sending me photographs from all around the world. I am very grateful to all of them. Today's painting is with reference to a beach photograph sent by one of my friends.

Jurien Bay is a coastal town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, 220 kms north of Perth facing the Indian Ocean. The town has a beautiful coastline. What inspired me further was the unique rock formations, the wet sand and the reflections.

At Jurien Bay, West Australia

Water colour painting on Campap paper

Size 8.5" X 11"

I take "Art Workshops" from time to time and to know more about it you can visit my page for further details. My works can also be browsed at in my INSTAGRAM page. I enjoy painting and blogging and my recent venture into Instagram is helping me get connected with many different artists around the world. 

Thank you for visiting my blog and do leave in a comment to let me know what you think about my works. 

Trying out Fabriano Artistico 300 gsm Cold Pressed Paper

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." Pablo Picasso

As I mentioned in my last post that I am in the process of trying out different water colour papers available to me. One of the last papers on my list was Fabriano CP paper. So I finally tried out a painting on Fabriano cold pressed water colour paper. The water colour painting as below is a quick study work of Pangong Lake in Ladakh. 

I have not yet been to this heavenly place but have used reference photograph provided by a close friend. I am grateful to her and all other friends who keep sending me some great photographs of nature in order that I can continue to stay inspired in my art journey.

Since it was meant to be a study work, I did not really pay much attention to the distant mountains and its shadows. I completed it in a short span of forty minutes or so. In my next painting I will have to be more careful about the anatomy of mountains and perspective which is very important in landscape painting and I struggle with it all the time.

Pangong lake
Water colour study work
Size 5" X 7"

Fabriano Artistico 300 gsm paper is a great paper to work with. It has good water retention capacity and is acid free. I purchased a single big sheet and it is water marked "FABRIANO + ARTISTICO" on its shorter side. I will continue to work on it for some time before making my choice between Arches and Fabriano. Both are used internationally by water colour artists and each artist finally makes a personal choice regarding the selection based on different factors.

What I am looking for in a paper is 

• It should have good water retention quality
• It should be acid free
• It should be a professional quality paper
• I should be able to life off the colour easily from the paper
• It should be readily available in nearby stores

So far I have tried out Brustro, Campap, Strathmore, Arches CP, Fabriano studio quality, Fabriano HP and Fabriano CP. After another few paintings I will be able to shortlist either one or two of my favourites which work best for me. In the meantime the exploring and experimenting shall continue.

Thanks for browsing through my blog.

Using Arches 300 gsm cold pressed paper

"Master water first and then paint." Josh Goldberg

Gurudongmar Lake is a stunning lake situated at a height of 17100 ft above sea level in north Sikkim.
The lake can be reached by road from Lachen via Thangu. The approach road from Thangu to Gurudongmar passes through a rugged and enchanting terrain with high alpine pastures covered with many rhododendron trees. It is a difficult journey and most tourists leave Lachen early morning by 4 or 5 am as it takes three to four hours to reach the lake. However once the destination is reached it is an unbelievable sight and the beautiful view all around is mesmerising. To me it was like a dream come true.

Before creating any painting, as a rule I always create a few study works which helps me simplify the shapes, understand the values and colours. Creating a study work also helps me to decide on my technique that I would apply in order to create that particular work. Sometimes it is wet on wet and other times I go with wet on dry technique. I have used my newly purchased Arches cold pressed paper for this painting and if everything works out well I may use it as my preferred choice for water colour medium.

Gurudongmar lake

Water colour painting on Arches cold pressed paper

Size 7" X 9"

In conclusion, I enjoyed working with Arches cold pressed paper. It has a great textured surface which is ideal for landscape painting and being 300 gsm, it can hold water for long and does not buckle much. I am planning to create a seashore painting next on the same paper. After creating a couple of works on this paper I will be able to understand its quality better.

Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks.

New Sketch book - Water colour study work

" Color is my day long obsession, joy and torment." Claude Monet

Recently I started my fifth sketch book sized 4" X 5", made of cartridge sheets. I have posted in detail about this book earlier too. CLICK HERE to know more about it. I have fallen in love with these books because they help me learn and evolve. Each painting that I create in these small sketch books is a small study in itself. Study sketch/Thumbnail sketch plays a very significant role in my painting process. It is a preliminary step which helps me connect with the subject that I am painting.

Once the study sketch gets done, I evaluate the possibilities of it's getting converted into a bigger piece of art OR if there are a few errors then I go ahead and rectify them by creating another study work by making the relevant changes. Moreover I have realised that study sketches that I have been creating the past using soft pastel medium gets difficult to store. Therefore I decided to dedicate my present sketch book only to landscapes created using water colour medium. If the work looks satisfactory then I can recreate it using any medium, be it charcoals or soft pastels.

Fifth Sketch book devoted to water colour

study works of landscapes.

Given below are two water colour paintings created in the sketch book. I also make small notes if necessary with respect to my technique or colours used etc and always write the date for my future reference.

Two study works in water colour medium.

I am a lot involved in soft pastel as well as charcoal medium. However I love the water colour medium too. Hence creating small water colour sketches ( Fifteen to twenty minutes ) helps me to keep in touch with my water colour painting skills. The paints used in the above paintings are by Camlin.

Two of my favourite water colour paintings that I created after referring to the study works that I created in one such sketch book. ( Himachal Pradesh )

Two water colour works done in the past

on hand made water colour paper.

Sometimes when I am looking for inspiration, I sit down browsing through my sketch books.

Looking at some interesting works in the past motivates me a lot. These sketch books are like most artists say "A Visual diary". I keep them safe at a convenient place and during the "Art workshops" that I conduct on a regular basis, students enjoy going through them. 

Maya Bay ( Phi Phi Leh )

Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay that is sheltered by 100 meter cliffs on all three sides. The
whole bay is one big reef. It is part of Phi Phi Leh ( Thailand ). "The Beach" was filmed here in
1999 which has increased its popularity.

I have used charcoal medium to recreate this scene as I saw it while on our recent Phi Phi Leh tour.
The beach was crowded, but I wanted to sketch it with just one boat entering the Bay ( Under the
cliffs on the left ). I have also added a two people on the left of the beach to understand the relative
size of the cliffs in comparison. This sketching is more of a study work or preliminary work and
I have done it to understand the value scale. I will be creating a soft pastel painting of this Bay
very soon referring to a different view.

Maya Bay ( Phi Phi Leh )

Charcoal sketching on Fabriano Academia paper.

Size 6" X 8"

The map below shows the location of Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don. Most tourists stay at Phi Phi Don

and go to Phi Phi Leh by a long tail boat or a speedboat. Phi Phi Leh is uninhabited, beautiful and 

nothing short of a paradise.

I have used a sheet from the Fabriano pad as below. This pad has 50 sheets sized 6" X 8" and 120 gsm. It has a textured surface and charcoal works well on this paper. I have created a post earlier on

the papers I use for charcoal sketching and you can CLICK here to view it.

Fabriano Sketching pad.

Quotation

"The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless."

Jean Jaques Rousseau

The crystal clear waters at Phi Phi Leh

The more I travel, the more I get inspired to paint some beautiful moments spent in
nature. Sharing a small poem that I came across recently,

On Nature 

" There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
   There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
   There is society, where none intrudes,
   By the deep sea, and music in its roar,
   I love not the man less, but Nature more."

   By George Gordon Byron

Nature has so much to offer to us humans. We in return can appreciate and value the
wealth of treasure and take care of it by saving the environment from deterioration.

Continuing with my soft pastels, I completed my third painting in the "Phi Phi Leh" series
and I still have a long list to go. The soft pastel painting below is yet another magnificent
view that we got to see while we were on our tour around Phi Phi Leh island in the Long
tail boat. I have used colours as per my perception and interpretation of the scene.

Harmony

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X  8.5"

Every tourist who comes to Phi Phi islands pays 20 Baht towards waste management.
There are more than one thousand tourists coming to Phi Phi islands every day and we
were glad to see the place ( Phi Phi Don ) clean and well maintained.

I take art workshops from time to time in different mediums. If you are passionate about
art and are interested in learning the basics of Charcoal or Soft Pastel please mail me
at manjupanchal@hotmail.com and I will get back to you.

Thanks for browsing my artwork.

Dhankar Monastery in Spiti Valley

The soft pastel painting as below has been inspired by my visit to Dhankar Monastery which is

in Spiti valley ( Himachal Pradesh ).

From Shimla to Kunzum pass, we had a memorable journey three years back. On the way

we got the opportunity to see some spectacular mountain views especially in Spiti valley.

I have a great number of photographs shortlisted for painting and the one below is one of

them. The white houses against the backdrop of the mountains in shadow made for a

very interesting composition.

Dhankar Monastery is situated at an elevation of 3890 metres, between the towns of Kaza 

and Tabo, in Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. It stands precariously on the fragile

mountains which are slowly weathering. There is a tar road connecting to Kaza, so one 

can visit this place by a four wheel drive. The place is quiet and the view is captivating

all around. 

Dhankar Monastery
Soft Pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper.
Size 6" X 8"

As of now I am taking a break from my forest paintings and am trying to do more of

Mountainscapes. Recently came across a beautiful blog GEOTRIPPER by Garry Hayes,

a teacher of Geology. The blog is very informative and I enjoyed going through it.
Wetcanvas.com is another great site for artists looking for information.

The next painting on my list is another scene from Phi Phi Leh with limestone cliffs
and turquoise blue waters. I also wish to paint a waterfall scene from Iceland ie
Gulfoss. Iceland was visited by my husband some time back and I have some amazing
photographs from there.

Phi Phi Leh island - A paradise on Earth

My second painting in "Phi Phi Leh" series just got completed. This painting is a cropped up
scene from a bigger photograph wherein the entire island could be seen as a big boulder
emerging from the ocean. My mobile photograph is not too clear, hence I am posting an image Courtesy :  travelblog.org ( This site refers to the island as Paradise lost and found and I totally
agree with it )

Approaching Phi Phi Leh

Photo courtesy: Travelblog

We started out tour at around 11 am in the morning from Phi Phi Don in the Long Tail boat.
The next six hours were spent in admiration of the island, the cliffs, the crystal clear waters.
It was a visual treat. What I saw as an artist was a perfect harmony of colours in Nature.

The vertical limestone cliffs at Phi Phi Leh have a wide range of colours. As per my observation
and interpretation I have used the shades of blue, violet, green and brown. The crevices and
fissures have been painted with very dark colours. I have painted the distant cliffs in  much
lighter values to add atmospheric depth. There are sparkles of light on the water surface
which I have painted with a very pale shade of pink.

The Approach to Phi Phi Leh

Soft Pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6"X 8"

These days I try and use more of my KOH-I-NOOR soft pastels as they are soft, and work

well on Canson Mi Teintes paper. I have used fixative only for the first layer. The second layer is

normally the final layer for me and Canson paper cannot take more than two layers of paint.

To know more about these island and to view photographs taken by tourists 

one can visit TRIPADVISOR.

My next soft pastel painting in progress is of my favourite scene from Himachal,

ie Dhankar Monastery in Spiti Valley. This painting has been long due

but for some reason I never got to start it. Now that I am already into

painting mountain scenes, I decided to start off with this too.

On the way to Ladakh - a water colour painting

"Choose only one master - Nature" - Rembrandt

Leh Ladakh is beautiful. The landscape is stunning and the snow capped mountains
offer a breathtaking view. Nature has been one of the most inspiring factors in my paintings.

Ladakh is at the top of my list in "MUST VISIT" places. I have a few photographs which
have been given to me by a close friend Preeti Jhaveri. After having done a few study works
as seen in my last post, I decided to create a 4" X 5" water colour painting on Canson Vidalon paper. 

In fact one of the reasons for selecting this subject is to submit my work in the weekly
challenge of Daily Paint Works. This has been one of my most important "RESOLUTIONS"
of this year and I am glad that I finally am getting into something that I always wanted to.

For most of my study works I only depend on my Camel water colour tubes but for this
particular painting I decided to use my Winsor and Newton Cotman water colour tubes
which have been with me since may be last fifteen years or so. I am trying to use them up as
some of the colours are drying up.

On the way to Ladakh

Water colour painting on Canson Vidalon paper ( 425 gsm )

Size 4"X 5"

Next I am planning to use Arches cold pressed water colour paper which is one of

the most popular choices by many artists of the world.

The snow capped mountains

" I put my heart and soul into my work, and I have lost my mind in the process." 

 Vincent Van Gogh

Created four more study works in water colour medium using my photographs from Himachal.

I have also used a few photographs from Leh Ladakh trip which were provided to me by a close

friend of mine. 

Most of the paintings as below are done with very limited colours. Since a major part of the 

landscape is covered with snow, the other colours that I use are ultramarine blue, crimson, 

burnt sienna, sap green, raw sienna and sometimes Indian red.

I keep creating these small works and then when I want to create a larger work then along with

the photograph I use these water colour sketches. After completing each one of them, I write a

few notes under each of these paintings, as a reminder to myself regarding some new colour 

that I used OR if I have made a mistake and how to rectify it when doing a bigger painting.

Most of the times it helps.

Water colour study sketches

of snow covered mountains

as seen in Himachal

and Leh-Ladakh

On the way to Dhankar Monastery

"Nature is not a place to visit. It is home."  GARY SNYDER

Dhankar is situated at a high altitude ( 12744 feet ) in Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh . Reaching Dhankar and viewing the world around literally makes you feel at the top of the world. Painted below is a Commission work in watercolour, of a beautiful scene at Dhankar. It is situated between Tabo and Kaza, two beautiful small towns surrounded by deserted, barren land and mountains.

The air is pure, the wind chilly, the clouds so clearly visible in the sky. There are homestays for tourists which we were unaware of when we visited about more than two years back. Had we known, we would have stayed there for may be two full days soaking in the breathtaking views.

Dhankar, Himachal Pradesh

water colour painting on Fabriano paper

Size 14" X 18"

Not available for sale

For this particular painting I have used Fabriano water colour paper. I purchased the Fabriano water colour pad of 24 sheets some months back as it was on a discount. This paper is cold pressed, 300 gsm and fairly good for landscape works. But for wet on wet paintings I would prefer the Arches.

Fabriano studio water colour paper pad.

The cold barren mountains of Spiti

”Beauty is truth, truth beauty”
—-that is all Ye know on earth,
and all ye need to know. ~John Keats

After having done couple of study works I decided it was time to create my second large sized painting. I selected a scene from Himachal Pradesh as it would give me the opportunity to paint the sky, distant mountains and the curved pathway with rocks strewn around. 

I started with wet on wet technique in the first layer using the transparent colours in the distance. After the first layer had dried up, I added more colours in the middle and foreground using wet on dry technique. For this particular painting I felt it was the right choice. The paper I have used is a non expensive hand made paper. Arches paper is definitely a very good choice and I plan to make a transition soon.

Mountains and snow

Water colour painting on handmade paper

Size 10.5"X 14"

Water colour medium is challenging. An error done cannot be easily rectified. So I am learning
to be more patient. I am enjoying this medium a lot and plan to continue doing some more.
I have started a seascape and will be posting the image when it gets completed.

Capturing the landscape at Mandalpatti using Canon 7D

While we were in Madikeri in August this year, we heard one of the local guys mention Mandalpatti as a very beautiful place and situated about twenty kms away from our homestay ( COORG ). I had never heard of this place but decided to google it. Looking at the images we made a quick decision to visit this place where only a four wheel drive can take the tourists across on the steep slopes.

The place is a visual treat for artists, photographers and every other person who loves to be part of nature. I could see all possible shades of green in the grassland which covered the hills like a soft blanket.

Apart from the spectacular views from the hills of Mandalpatti, the winding roads from Madikeri to Mandalpatti itself was a pleasure.

The muddy pathway created to take the tourists around

to capture the stunning views all around.

The hills and mountains covered with grassland.

Clouds touching low almost touching the tips

of the mountain peaks.

Another beautiful view of the western ghats

at Mandalpatti

Another beautiful view of the far off hills

Mandalpatti hills allow you to have a 360 degree view of the hills around. Fortunately the place has not been too commercialised and there are no hotels or homestays in the vicinity. The area is clean and well maintained. Mandalpatti is part of Pushpagiri wildlife sanctuary.

If you wish to visit this place ever read some of the reviews in tripadvisor.

A view from Komic village - looking below at Kaza and spiti river

At a height of 4513 mts, Komic village offers breathtaking views of mountains peaks, Spiti river, and KAZA town below. The highest inhabited village of the Himalayas, and its landsscape will leave you in awe. I painted this scene in soft pastels. It is more of a small study work.

Around Komic village

Soft pastel painting on Fabriano paper

Size 6" x 8"

Quotation

" I dream my painting and I paint my dream." - Vincent van Gogh.

On the way to Roghi village from Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh

Roghi village is 8 kms from Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh. The cliff hugging one way road to this beautiful village has spectacular views. I have painted one such view where we stopped the vehicle and spent a few moments looking around. The depth below was alarming. Some parts of the road do not have any kind of barrier at the edge but the locals from Himachal, I guess are adept at driving in these areas.

The painting below has been done on canson paper using soft pastels of miscellaneous brands.

Deep Below

Soft pastel painting on Canson mi tentes paper

Size 6" x 9"

Thumbnail sketches of trees, rocks and mountains

Thumbnail Sketches are Shorthand Notes for Artists:

Thumbnail sketches are drawing quick, abbreviated drawings. Usually, they are done very rapidly and with no corrections - you can use any medium, though pen or pencil is the most common. Thumbnails sketches are usually very small, often only an inch or two high.

Thumbnails can be Colored:

Thumbnail sketches are a great way to plan color schemes. Use textas, colored pencil or watercolor to put in major areas of color in your picture. Small but intense colors can also be noted, as these can attract the eye, but don't get bogged down with detail.

(The detailed explanation as given above about Thumbnail sketch is from www.drawsketch.about.com)

Since I am getting into doing landscapes, it is imperative to understand a lot about all the different elements that play an important role in Landscape Composition. I find , creating thumbnail sketches , is a great way of enhancing one's knowledge. The medium used in these creations is SOFT PASTELS.

Thumbnail sketches of trees

Thumbnail sketches of rocks and mountains

Thumbnail sketches can also be done in charcoals, graphite or water colours. It all depends on individual artists as to what they are comfortable in.