A Thumbnail sketch of a tree using soft pastel medium

" Learn character from trees, values from roots and change from leaves." Tasneem Hameed

Thumbnail sketch is a reduced version of the final painting which I plan to create in future. It is called a thumbnail sketch because it is meant to be small, for ex 3” X 4” OR 4” X 5”. I generally prefer to go by the size 4” X 5” size.

In the past I was not aware about creating these small study works and would directly get into painting the final size. As a result, many a times after completing the work I would realize that

-Composition was flawed

-Supporting elements were not supporting

-Depth was lacking

-Tonal values inappropriate etc

It gets pretty difficult to make changes in a painting once it is complete. Hence these days I have made it a habit to follow my ritual of creating a "Thumbnail sketch" before starting the actual final painting.

To Summarize, I feel the advantages of creating “Thumbnail Sketches” are many such as,

• It helps visualize the final painting
• Helps to explore the effects of adding and subtracting elements from the painting 
• It’s a mental warm up
• Helps save a lot of time and effort
• A great planning tool
• Helps simplify a complicated scene

Today's post is a small study of a beautiful ancient tree in one of the coastal roads leading to Majorda beach in Goa. I knew it then and there that I would paint this tree some day. As of now I have only created a small study to simplify the tree trunk, the branches and the background. Some day later, I can refer to this creation in order to create a bigger version of the same painting.

The reference photo above along with the thumbnail sketch.

A soft pastel thumbnail sketch of "A Tree"

On Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 3” X 4.5”

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and to view my latest works and techniques visit my INSTAGRAM feed.

I take Art workshop in different mediums from time to time and if you are interested in joining any, please DM on instagram page OR mail me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com

Pastel landscape on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper

" Choose only one master - Nature " Rembrandt

Today’s post is one of my recent landscape paintings on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper ( Purchased from Art Lounge ). We were traveling on the coastal road of South Goa, when we suddenly came across this road turn which had some dense growth of ancient trees around. The scene also had the perfect light and contrast, and I also fell in love with the hanging tree roots.

I decided to capture this scene using soft pastel medium. I primarily use Mungyo and Kohinoor Toison Dor in the initial layers and give the final touches of Sennelier pastels. ( Purchased from Amazon.in ). Apart from using pastel chalks, I also use Derwent and Kohinoor soft pencils in the end to create thin branches, roots, grasses etc.

"On the coastal road in Goa"

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes Touch paper

Size 5" X 7"

To know more about the papers I have been using for my pastel artworks CLICK HERE. ( I have created a detailed post in the past )

Follow my latest works and techniques on INSTAGRAM and if you love my works and they inspire you, share them with your friends.

Sailed out - A water color painting on Chitrapat handmade paper

"Watercolor with all its subtle color and value gradations and its many welcome surprises, is the perfect medium for capturing mood.” Ray Hendershot

 The watercolor painting that I am posting today has been inspired by a photograph taken by my husband while he was at "The Bund", in Shanghai. There were a few more shipping vessels in the vicinity but I decided to keep just one in order to get a better composition.

It’s a morning scene, with a little warmth in the sky and a few clouds scattered across. A small cargo vessel is headed towards its next destination. This painting to me is the story of this shipping vessel and it’s journey ahead. 

“Sailed Out”

A water colour painting on Chitrapat handmade paper 

Size 7” X 10”

For the above artwork I have used Chitrapat paper and Camlin Artists watercolor tubes. 

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and if you wish to see my latest works and techniques you can follow me on my INSTAGRAM page.

Portrait drawing on Strathmore Toned paper

"You never outgrow drawing. It's so fundamental to everything." Debra Groessner

I haven’t done a portrait since long.  If you have been following my INSTAGRAM feed, you will know that am into landscape painting these days, both in watercolor as well as pastel medium.

Today's post is a portrait drawing of a beautiful Rajasthani woman on "Strathmore Gray Toned  paper". This paper has a very soft textured surface which works perfectly for my portrait drawing skills. I have used a mix of graphite, charcoal and white pastel pencils to create the tonal variations in the portrait.

Strathmore gray toned paper pad can be purchased online from Amazon.in . I have both gray as well as the toned tan paper pad which I purchased from Blick Art Materials, USA.

"A Glance"

Portrait drawing on Strathmore toned paper

Size 6" X 8"

To know more about the pencils used for the above portrait you can CLICK HERE , ie  my earlier post where I have discussed in detail regarding the same.

 To browse through my latest artworks and techniques you can visit my INSTAGRAM feed and share my works if they inspire you. Thanks.

Portrait drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper

"Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation." Henri Cartier

While having a holiday in Sikkim, we happened to stay in a homestay in Hee Bermiok, which being high up in the mountains was an adventure in itself. Today’s portrait is of beautiful woman, Deomaya Chettri, the mother of the homestay owner.

 I watched her morning till night, as she got busy in different day today activities. One morning she was busy drying the freshly dug out onions in the sun. With her permission I photographed her so that I could do her portrait. It was such a memorable experience, meeting people in these pristine valleys and being a part of their life for a few moments.

I have used a mix of graphite and charcoal pencils along with white pastel pencil to complete this portrait. The charcoal pencil by "General" is of great help to achieve the darkest tonal values in the drawing.

"The Smile"

A Charcoal Portrait drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5” X 7”

Canson Mi Teintes paper works great for portrait drawing. This paper has a rough textured surface on one side and a smooth one on the other. I personally prefer to use the smooth surface for both my “Portrait” and “Landscape” works. 

I have been posting my regular day today works on INSTAGRAM and you can browse through my feed to know what I am doing these days. My blogging has taken a backseat but I wish to revive it soon by posting regularly and sharing my thoughts and techniques on art.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and supporting me in my art journey.

About Fabriano Aquarello water color paper

“Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art.” Leonardo Da Vinci

I have not posted anything in my blog for a long time now. However I have been painting and uploading my works regularly on my INSTAGRAM page, which takes a little less time and is fairly simple. Moreover it also helps me keep a record of my paintings, papers and paints I use etc.

Today’s post is a Still life painting of “A slice of Apple” on Fabriano Aquarello 200 gsm paper. I placed this cut apple near my kitchen window in the direction of sunlight, to get the desired composition.

I have been using Fabriano Aquarello 200 gsm paper for a quite some time now. I find this paper very good for the following reasons:

• It is acid free
• The colors stay bright on the surface
• It is made of 25% cotton, is a student grade paper but a high quality paper to begin with.
• Very economical compared to many other similar papers.

 This is my personal evaluation and from artist to artist the opinion always differs. I purchased my Fabriano Aquarello pad from Amazon.in , however there are many different online art stationery stores which sell this paper today and it can be 

A Slice of Apple

A water colour painting on Fabriano Aquarello 200gsm paper

Size 5” X 7”

The paints used for the above still life painting are Winsor And Newton Cotman tubes and find them really good for the price that I have paid for it. I purchased individual tubes of those colors which I use predominantly in most of my paintings. 

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and do go through my INSTAGRAM feed to view some of my latest works and techniques.

Watercolor Still Life painting of "A Slice of Apple"

"The only time I feel alive is when I am painting." Vincent Van Gogh

The above quote is so very motivating. Anyone who is passionate about painting will connect with it immediately. I try to paint a little every day and it drives up my spirit instantly. I always look forward to painting a new subject everyday, be it still life or landscape.

Today's post is a still life painting of "A Slice of Apple", which when placed near my kitchen window in the direction of the sunlight, cast beautiful long shadow across the table. I wanted to capture this moment using watercolor medium. I created this artwork on Arches cold pressed paper,

which is a great acid free, high quality paper and I plan to use it a lot in the future.

The Light and Shadow
Water color painting on Arches Cold Pressed paper 300 gsm
Size 4" X 5.5"

I love working with still life objects as it gives me the freedom to experiment and explore. It provides me with unparalleled learning opportunities be it design and composition, mixing colors or understanding more about depth and perception. When I get saturated with my "Landscape" and other works, I take a break to do a still life painting and it immediately refreshes me.

Thanks for browsing through my artworks. To see all my artworks, visit my INSTAGRAM profile.

Dramatic sky at the beach - A water color painting

"Smell the sea and feel the sky, let your soul and spirits fly.” Van Morrison

There are days when you get to witness the dramatic sky at the seashore. The diffused sunlight through the clouds, reflecting on the waters below made for a good composition. Inspired by this scene ( Photo reference: minera13/Pixabay ) I created this watercolor painting on Fabriano Acquarello watercolor paper.

I got more involved with watercolor quite recently and before getting into this medium, I went on to purchase many different brands of watercolor papers. Fabriano Acquarello happens to be one of them. So in the past few months I have tried all the papers at hand, and got to know so much about each one of them. ( Check My INSTAGRAM account  ). Now that I have resumed my blogging I will try and post a little about each one of them.

Fabriano Aquarello ( 200 gsm ) is a student grade watercolor paper, however in this category I find it pretty good to use. It is a professional grade, acid free paper and economical too.

Dramatic sky at the beach
A watercolor painting on Fabriano Aquarello paper
Size 5” X 7”

In the above painting, I used both Camlin and Winsor and Newton cotman tubes. My palette consisted of very few colors and I like it that way. It helps in simplifying my painting procedure. I enjoyed working on the sky. 

As I already mentioned, I am presently totally involved in watercolor medium but soon plan to get back to my charcoals and pastels.

Thank you for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks.

A watercolor painting on Chitrapat handmade paper

“Our deep respect for the land and it’s harvest is the legacy of generation of farmers who put food on our tables, preserved our landscape and inspired us with a powerful work ethic.” James H Douglas Jr

Today’s post is a water colour painting of a morning scene at Charkhi Dadri, a small town 120 kms away from Delhi. These farms belong to our family friend and I am grateful to him for sending this reference photograph, which inspired me to create the painting as seen below.

This painting is a gratitude to all the farmers in the world who are involved in this noble profession. We get food on our tables, because someone, somewhere is working in the fields to produce it. I have once again used Chitrapat handmade paper for this painting.

Field of Crops
A water colour painting on Chitrapat handmade paper
Size 6” X 8.5”

The sky in this painting has a mix of warm and cool colours and I used wet on wet wash technique to complete the sky. I have used Camlin Artists watercolor tubes

Thank you for browsing through my artworks. To view my works in other mediums as well you can visit my INSTAGRAM profile.

Banana - A still life water colour painting

“Art is making something out of nothing.” Frank Zappa

Today’s post is a still life water color painting of "A Banana " that I created some time back on Chitrapat handmade paper. I get plenty of sunlight at my place in the mornings and keeping the object in its direction helps me in getting the desired composition before beginning the artwork.

As I have been writing in my earlier posts too, over a period of time and after repeatedly using this paper I have taken a liking to it. It somehow seems to work for me. I can also say the same for Arches cold pressed paper, however Chitrapat paper is far more cheaper than Arches and is a great paper for both beginners and professional artists. Hence depending on what the budget is, one can go for either of the papers.

A Banana
Water color painting on Chitrapat handmade paper
Size 5” X 7”

I have not been doing serious artworks in charcoal and pastel medium for a long time now. There is no plan as of now. All I know is that presently I am enjoying the water colour medium and will continue to do so for some more time.

Thank you for all your support in my art journey and do browse through my INSTAGRAM feed to see all my works in gallery format. If you wish to purchase any of my paintings you can mail me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Step by step - A watercolor painting of a beach scene

“The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.” Neil Garman

I recently completed one of my watercolor paintings on Canson Moulin du Roy paper and fortunately remembered to photograph the stages. It was an early morning scene, when we were at Colva beach and it was not crowded. The stretch of sand far across, and the misty look in the distance motivated me a lot and I decided then and there that I shall paint this scene one day. The actual painting starts in the mind, the moment you set your eyes on the place that you love.

The choice of paper is often decided by the technique that I plan to use for that particular painting. For the painting as below, I needed the misty look in the distance and hence was going to use the graded wash technique on wet paper, for which I think Canson Moulin du Roy works good for me. I used a mix of both Camlin and Winsor and Newton Cotman colours.

A Misty Morning at Colva beach

A watercolor painting on Canson Moulin du Roy paper

Size 5.5” X 8”

Step 1. Created the sky using a mix of warm and cool colours, and added the distant foliage on the left. Used wet on wet technique as I did not want to have hard edges in the distance.

Step 2. Created the bushes on the left ( Camlin Artists water color tubes ), the sandy seashore and the ocean. At this stage I have not added details anywhere.

Step 3. Added layers of colours to the bushes on the left to create the form and shadow, and flat wash of colour on the sandy seashore. Added details to the figures on the beach.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks. To browse through my artworks in all the different mediums that I have been working with since long, visit my INSTAGRAM page.

Fishermen returning home - A watercolour painting on Arches cold pressed paper

“Dance with the waves, move with the sea, let the rhythm of the water, set your soul free”. C A Martine

Today's post is a water color painting of a scene that I came across while I was at a seashore in Goa. Through this painting I wanted to capture the monsoon atmosphere, a cloudy evening sky and its lovely reflections at the beach. The fishermen are returning home after their day out at sea. The painting is also intended to tell their story. For painting the small figures in the distance, I made use of my rigger brush.

I have used Arches Cold pressed water color paper for this painting which is made of 100% cotton fiber content, acid free, pH neutral and air dried. I am loving this paper as it stays wet for long and helps me to add more colors slowly to increase the tonal values. I have used very few colours in this painting and it is almost a limited palette painting.

Returning home

A water colour painting on Arches CP paper

Size 5” X 7”

I take workshops in different mediums from time to time and if you are interested in learning my techniques drop me a mail at manjupanchal5@gmail.com or DM me at INSTAGRAM account.

Thank you for stopping by and for browsing through my works.

A slice of watermelon - A still life water colour painting

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.” Albert Einstein 

Sometimes simple objects at home are a great source of inspiration to artist. A few days back I kept a slice of watermelon in the direction of sunlight in my kitchen, and I moved it at different angles to get the right composition that I was looking for. The light and shadow play in the composition helps to get the variation in tonal values. 

Once I was sure of the placement of the object in focus, I decided to go ahead and use my Camlin and Winsor and Newton paints to create this still life painting on Fabriano Aquarello paper. 

For a student grade paper, Fabriano Aquarello paper is pretty good. ( I have used the 200 gsm Cold pressed paper for the present artwork ). 

A slice of watermelon 

Water colour painting on Fabriano Aquarello CP paper.

Size 4.5” X 5.5”

In the last few years I have tried all different subjects, be it still life, landscape or a portrait. It is very difficult to say what I like painting most. For me, every subject is a whole in itself and I enjoy doing each and every work of mine. In fact I started my original works with still life paintings, picking on each and every object that I could lay my hand on in my home. In all it has been a very great learning experience and I plan to keep on painting for ever.

My paintings in the gallery format can be viewed on my INSTAGRAM feed where I have been posting regularly since last two years. 

Thank you for browsing through my artworks. It motivates me to continue my painting journey.

Two Lemons - A water color painting on Chitrapat handmade paper

“Because watercolor actually moves on the paper, it is the most active of all mediums, almost a performance art.” Nita Engle 

The quote is worded so well and it describes the medium perfectly. I am a big fan of Nita Engle’s artworks. To check out some of her works CLICK HERE

I created today’s water colour painting “Two Lemons” on Chitrapat handmade paper ( Rough ) while I was at my friends place, who herself is a passionate artist. When we meet, which happens once in two months or so, we spend hours together discussing and painting art. The last “Meet up” was to spend time with watercolor medium which has been my latest fascination after charcoal and pastels.

For this particular painting I needed to create a hazy background for which wet on wet technique seemed to be a very appropriate choice, hence I decided to go with “Chitrapat” paper. This paper is 270 gsm and stays wet for quite some time which helps in dropping more paint slowly at the desired areas. I am quite happy with this paper and would definitely recommend it to other artists as well.

Two Lemons 

A water colour painting on Chitrapat handmade paper 

Size 5” X 7”

I have used the Camlin Artists water colour tubes to complete the above artwork. Apart from Camlin, I have also started using my Winsor and Newton Cotman tubes which are in my possession since a very long time and I am worried that if they are not put to use, they will eventually dry up. I have also added some new tubes of the same brand in my collection and I shall write more about it soon. 

In you wish to see my latest water colour paintings you can visit my INSTAGRAM feed and if you happen to like my works, please share. Thank you for all your support in my art journey.