Drawing and Sketching a tree - Students work

Some tree sketchings done by a student during a ONE DAY WORKSHOP during which the student learnt the use of charcoal pencil and white pastel pencil on grey paper. The works are done on hand made paper and Canson Mi teintes paper. 

Canson Mi Teintes comes in many different colours and pastel or charcoal pencil work good on it. It is a good exercise for " Tonal value study". This is the third workshop attended by the same student who has previously come for soft pastel and charcoal workshop too.

Two tree trunk sketchings

done by a student during a workshop

Art workshops are fun. I get to interact with people who are passionate about art. I teach the simple techniques which I have learnt myself over a period of time by experimenting and exploring and doing my own kind of research. It has been a journey of rediscovering myself. 

Art workshop brings people of all age groups together and the passion speaks for itself. The work of each participant is different and unique because they think differently, apply the strokes in a unique manner and that is really so important for me. An art workshop infuses new energy in all of us and we all get so motivated and inspired. I teach or rather I should say " When I teach, I learn." The language of ART is universal. I see that in all my workshops where people meet and talk a lot about their work, their passion and share their ideas.

Sometimes I revisit my older posts in my blog. I started on tree sketchings last year in order to understand the tree anatomy better as I was planning to get into landscape paintings.

Given below are the links to my two old works.

http://charcoalspastelsandmore.blogspot.in/2014/06/another-tree-sketching-in-charcoal-by.html

http://charcoalspastelsandmore.blogspot.in/2014/12/exposed-roots-of-tree-in-charcoal-and.html

Portrait study work

Small portrait study work created on hand made paper using Conte a Paris white pastel pencil, General white pastel pencil, and Camel soft charcoal pencil. 

I am going to create a series of such portraits as and when I get time to get a better understanding of portrait sketching and drawing.

Portrait study work

Charcoal and white pastel pencil work on grey hand made paper

Size 5" X 7"

When I first did my Portrait study work on a grey paper, it was more of an experiment to see how it will work out and I had no idea that I will get addicted to doing this series. I am already on the next one which I am creating on Canson mi teintes paper which has a great texture on which charcoal and pastel get fixed with great ease. Will post it once it is done. 

Rocks under the water - A charcoal sketching

This is my fourth charcoal sketching of "Rocks under the water". When I did my "First one", it was out of curiosity. Later I did two more as I enjoyed the whole process. The transparent quality of water and to be able to see simple objects like rocks underneath is an amazing experience.

I started this work last week and progressed on it little by little as the rocks underneath in the foreground were placed at different levels and the depth had to be created by adding right amount of values. In all it was a great learning experience.

Nature has always been there around us in its beautiful forms but somewhere down the line we got so busy with our lives and now "Through my art" its like I am rediscovering it.

The rocks below

Charcoal sketching on Strathmore drawing paper.

Size 5" X 7"

Quotation

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order."

By John Burroughs

A forest scene - Charcoal sketching

The charcoal sketching below is the muddy pathway of Matheran hill station. I have also created a soft pastel painting of the same scene earlier and posted it recently. 

Matheran is situated on the western ghats and is an eco-sensitive region. It is Asia's only automobile free hill station. The walk around the area with trees lining the path is an absolute pleasure. It is quiet and peaceful and provides a lot of oppurtunities to both artists and photographers as the views from any point are equally amazing.  

Nature truly inspires me. 

A walk in the shade.

Charcoal sketching on Strathmore drawing paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

I have recently joined Indiblogger and am posting some of my works there. It is one of the largest and most active blogging community. Through Indiblogger I am getting to know about people who blog on all different topics like poetry, nature, enviorment etc. When I am not painting and sketching, I spend time reading other interesting blogs which inspires me further to continue blogging.

Painting landscapes in water colour medium

The more I paint in water colour medium the more I fall in love with it. 

Given below are two different water colour paintings. After having tried out seascapes, I decided to select photographs with snow capped mountains. Both the scenes are from Himachal Pradesh. I have once again used Canson Montwal paper for both the paintings.

Towards the snow

water colour painting on Canson paper

Size 5" X 7"

Beyond the hills

water colour painting on Canson paper

Size 5" X 7"

Soft Pastel Workshop - Matheran Landscape

The soft pastel painting below is a demo work that I did recently in my Two Days Soft Pastel workshop. It is with reference to my photograph from Matheran Hill station which has been a quick getaway for us on many different occasions. 

The muddy pathway

Soft pastel painting on Canson paper

Size 6" X 8"

When I do a demo work like the one above my aim is to simplify the scene by looking at the general shapes of elements and the colours. The foliage is painted as one big mass and then a few leaves are added to give a suggestion of leaves. The basic idea is to get the participants started with a complicated forest painting and to understand the step by step procedure that I follow.

If it were not for the demo I would have spent a minimum of three hours on this work, getting to the fine details in the foreground. I have used the same photograph to create a charcoal painting in one of my Two Days Charcoal Workshop. Will be posting the image soon.

The Entrance - Pencil sketching of a wooden door

Pencil sketching of simple door created on Strathmore drawing paper.

As I wrote in my earlier posts, I have recently come across Strathmore drawing paper and I am using it for my charcoal art works. This time around I decided to use only HB pencil to create a simple door and the textures on the wood and wall. Charcoal works have an overall matt finish when completed whereas if graphite pencil is used with lot of pressure it kind of creates a shine which I dislike a lot. So preferably I would love to work with charcoal rather than graphite.

    

The Entrance

Pencil sketching on Strathmore drawing paper

Size 5" X 6.5"

Choosing a subject for painting or sketching can be a daunting task. However there is no fixed pattern or agenda while doing so. There are subjects like "This closed door" which appealed to me and I wanted to sketch it. 

My works can be browsed on my FACEBOOK page as well.

Mandalpatti hills - painted in water colour medium

Water colour medium is a very challenging medium. Shifting from chalks and pastels to brushes is a different experience altogether. Nevertheless I want to continue with my water colour journey as I know for sure that the more I do the more comfortable I shall get with the brushes and the strokes.

Another very important reason for getting into water colour works is that I love this medium and its transparency. A water colour painting gets done in a short period of time, is not a messy affair and the best part that I love about this medium is that I can easily store these paintings without any tension of its getting smudged. They fit into a small folder or file and is so convenient to handle.

The road to heaven

Water colour painting on Canson Montwal paper

Size 5.5" X 7.5"

The paper I have used for this particular painting is Canson Montwal, which is a student grade paper but nevertheless quite fine for initial works. I am still checking out diffferent papers on which I can create my water colour paintings.

Using Arches 300 gsm rough paper to create a Landscape

The water colour painting of the Landscape as below has been created on a Arches 300 gsm
sample ( Rough ) paper. The paper is just amazing and the wet on wet technique works
great on it. The paper has good water retaining capacity and it remains wet for a
long time allowing for more colours to be added subsequently.

One needs to be quick when doing wet on wet and if the procedure is not planned out earlier in the mind it can lead to disaster. While doing the painting below, I almost lost my patience and technique while doing the mountain slopes and all I could remember at that moment was that the paper had started drying up. Next time I start a water colour painting I will have to paint the painting in my mind before putting it down on the paper.

The Mountain slopes

Water colour painting on Arches paper

Size 6" X 8"

Water colour medium is a great medium to work with. A well planned water colour painting gets done in a very short span of time. It is not the effort but the steps involved which need to be taken care of or else it gets difficult to get the values and details right. 

QUOTE

"PERSEVERANCE IS FAILING NINETEEN TIMES AND SUCCEEDING THE TWENTIETH

BY JULIE ANDREWS."

My aim is to keep painting the subjects I love, to experiment with different mediums and come up with a technique which helps me in creating a piece of art that I have perceived in my mind, to blog about my thoughts and feelings pertaining to art and to share my journey with like minded people.

Trying out Canson Vidalon paper

"Art does not have to be pretty. It has to be meaningful." Duane Hanson

Monsoon seascape created on Canson Vidalon cold pressed paper. I plan to continue experimenting with my water colour techniques on different papers. I selected the painting as below so as to work on a monsoon sky. I have used wet on wet technique for the sky and for the foreground I have added layers and a little glazing technique in the end. 

The water colour paint worked pretty well on this paper and I would definitely want to shortlist this paper for my future works.

The Monsoon sky

Water colour painting on Canson Vidalon paper

Size 5.5" X 7.5"

My artworks can be seen on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK and DEVIANTART

Thanks for browsing through my works.

Charcoal sketching of a Rustic Wooden Door

Charcoal and white pastel pencil sketching of a Rustic Wooden door.

For a change I have deviated from my normal routine of painting subjects pertaining to NATURE. Creating this door was fun. There were so many different textures to take care of and the pencil movements did all the job. This image in particular appealed to me. Some mystery, some untold story.

I used a grey hand made paper for this artwork which I picked up from a handmade paper shop at FORT area.

The Closed door
Charcoal and white pastel pencil work on grey handmade paper
Size 6" X 8"

As an artist I love to try out new subjects and new mediums. Over a period of time my technique too has slowly evolved for the better. Painting everyday has become a passion. I try to find some time everyday to create a little art, be it sketching or painting. Every creation adds to a new experience which in turn motivates me further.

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.

Three seashore paintings in water colour

"The vision must be sharper than the pencil." Bob Brendle

Painting seashore using Camel Artist water colour tubes.

All three paintings as below are sized 4"X 5".They are done on different papers like Canson Montwal, Canson Vidalon, Handmade paper etc. Every paper is different with respect to its texture, thickness etc and I like to experiment with my techniques in order to get a better understanding of the paper.

After having done a series of such small works I may settle down with the papers which suit my style of working. Presently I have small samples which I picked up some time back from ART LOUNGE, the art stationery shop at Churchgate.

The top two water colour paintings are from Goa reference and the lowest one is from Langkawi beach. I am working on some more water colour painitngs of landscapes and seascapes and will be posting the images soon.

My works can be seen on Instagram and Deviantart as well.



Soft pastel demo work on Strathmore paper

A small soft pastel demonstration done on Strathmore pastel paper during one of my recent soft pastel workshops. There is a slight fold/crumple in the paper as can be seen from the image as below. The crumpling of the paper was caused due to the wet brush which I used on the first layer of pastels in order to get an underpainting of basic colours. 

Later I went on to add more colours of similar values and a few details in the foreground. Richard McKinley, a Master Pastel Artist from America uses the underpainting technique in most of his works and I like his style a lot.

Added two small figures on the beach, taking a casual relaxed walk. Painting a seashore is a very relaxing experience and I am always looking out for more subjects based on sea. 

Small demo work in soft pastel medium

Paper used - Strathmore

Size 5" X 7"

An image of the Strathmore pastel paper pad .

It has 24 sheets of assorted colours

Image: coutesy GOOGLE.

Quotation by Einstein

"Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought."