Afloat - A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they are still beautiful.” Alice Walker

A log of wood, floating in the still waters at the banks of Kaveri river near Dubare Forest in Coorg. The moment my eyes captured this sight, I knew I had to paint it some day. I decided to go with the soft pastel medium for this work as I wanted a dark background which can be achieved so well using my newly purchased Sennelier pastels from Creative hands online store. The log of wood was half immersed in the water and the light and shadow play gave a new definition to the entire set up.

I scraped an old white pastel to create the sparkles on the water. Apart from using my usual Mungyo and Kohinoor Toison Dor soft pastels, I also use pastel pencils from Derwent as it helps to create some sharp details like grasses and twigs.

Afloat

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 4.5” X 6.5”

Sennelier extra dark soft pastels

If you wish to know about the papers I use for my soft pastel paintings CLICK HERE. I have created a post regarding the same in 2016. 

If you wish to see all my artworks in Gallery format, visit my INSTAGRAM site where I post my works on a regular basis. Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks. 

Why I love working with Chitrapat handmade paper

“Painting is silent poetry.” Plutarch

“Sky” is a major part of any landscape and painting a cloudy sky can be a challenge. The subject for my today’s painting is an “Evening Sky” and I have used Chitrapat handmade paper for this water colour painting. 

I love this paper and enjoy working on it mainly for the following reasons:

• It is great for wet on wet technique 
• It is available in 270 gsm as well as 440 gsm and hence does not buckle much. 
• It is very economical as compared to imported papers like Arches and Fabriano 
• It is easily available on online stores 
• It is acid free paper

If you have been following me on my INSTAGRAM account, you can browse through a lot of my recent paintings created on Chitrapat handmade paper. I am more regular at posting in my Instagram feed. However for blogging I write a lot more in detail and it takes time so no matter how hard I try to be a little more disciplined, it eventually gets a bit delayed.

Dusk
A water colour painting on Chitrapat handmade paper
Size 5” X 7”

Chitrapat rough textured pad

Info printed on the pad

Close up of the rough textured Chitrapat handmade paper paper

For most of my watercolor paintings, I use a mix of Winsor and Newton and Camlin Artist watercolor tubes. They are both good in their own ways.

Painting in watercolor medium is a beautiful experience. All I need is a palette, a few brushes and a paper. It’s very convenient to carry it along when travelling. I plan to pursue my water colour passion for a long time ahead. 

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

A water color painting on Chitrapat paper

"Nature always wears the colors of the spirit. R. W. Emerson"

I purchased Van Gogh watercolor set from Amazon.in some time back and decided to use it on Chitrapat handmade paper. The subject I chose is a simple seascape with "Boats in the distance" and a bright sky. I normally use the wet on wet technique to create the sky but for this painting I decided to use the simple wet on dry wash technique. The colors I used for the sky are Azo yellow medium, permanent red light and Ultramarine blue deep.

In conclusion, I personally feel that Van Gogh watercolor set is small, easily portable, has all the essential colors required for a basic watercolor painting and is very economical too. It also comes with a great brush and has a removable six well palette too.  The painting as created below has come out looking more brighter as compared to the ones in which I use Camlin Artists watercolor tubes. I would definitely recommend this set to all watercolor enthusiasts.

Boats in the distance
Water color painting on Chitrapat handmade paper
Size 5" X 7"

This is my first post of 2020. I do have plans to be more regular, so that I can share in details about the materials I use and the techniques I use in my painting, however a lot of my time goes in painting and other related activities which leaves me with little time to be on the computer. But I am taking out time to post a lot of my works on my Instagram page. Do browse through them and if my works inspire you, please share with others.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

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.

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.

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.

Nikola Tesla - Charcoal portrait on toned paper

"Be alone, that is the secret of invention; be alone, that is when ideas are born." Nikola Tesla

Today's charcoal portrait drawing is a tribute to Nikola Tesla, who was a Serbian American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current electricity supply system.

Albert Einstein was once asked how it felt to be the smartest man alive. Einstein's reply was " I don't know, you'll have to ask Nikola Tesla."

I have used Strathmore toned tan paper and a miscellaneous collection of pencils to create this portrait study. Drawing and sketching is always a welcome change. I have busy with my water color studies for last few months as can be seen from my INSTAGRAM page.

Nikola Tesla

Charcoal and white pastel drawing on Strathmore toned paper

Size 6" X 8"

Strathmore toned paper is a great paper to create portrait drawings using just two different pencils, a charcoal and a white pastel pencil. Few other tools that I commonly use are blending tool, eraser, charcoal powder etc.

I have not blogged much for the last many months and it feels good to be back at it again. My plan is to be a little more consistent from now on. I am also planning a few workshops in the next coming months and I shall be writing more about it in my "ART WORKSHOP" page.

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

Mobor beach, Goa - A water color painting

“You don’t make art. You find it,” Pablo Picasso

The sky takes on beautiful shades of orange during sunset and it is a pleasure to watch the miracle unfold where nature paints the sky right before your eyes.

Today's post is a water color painting that I have created using one of my photographs taken at Mobor beach, Goa. Mobor beach is a white sand beach located at Cavelossim in South Goa. It is not too populated and is an excellent location if you are looking for some quiet moments.

After creating the sky and the sea, I added one fishing vessel in the distance, though there were many seen in the ocean near the horizon. Sometimes to keep the composition simple, I do away with some elements which I feel can distract the eye from the focal point.

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

The Evening Glow

A water colour painting on Arches CP paper

Size 5” X 7”

Presently I am working on "Portrait drawing on toned paper" which is pretty time consuming. Moreover I have started posting on Instagram regularly, so I am always running short of time. But I love blogging and will continue to do so as and when possible.

After months of experimenting with different water color papers, I have more or less decided to go with Chitrapat handmade paper and Arches cold pressed paper. But when I start with water color portraits, which I intend to do soon, then I will buy Arches hot pressed paper. As of now I am still trying to loosen up my brush strokes in water color medium. Taking one day at a time.

Thanks everyone for being a part of my art journey.

An Evening at Uttorda beach, Goa

"Even when you paint, you never stop drawing." Igor Babailov

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

During our last stay in Goa, we happened to visit our friends who occasionally come to stay at their second home in Uttorda. In the evening we went for a stroll at the beach and I got to witness the dramatic shift of light in the evening sky. I decided to recreate this scene using the water colour medium on Arches cold pressed paper. 

Uttorda beach is not a tourist attraction and that makes it perfect for a serene experience. There were few people in the distance and I used my rigger brush to create few gestural strokes representing them.

Uttorda beach

A water colour painting on Arches cold pressed paper

Size 5” X 7”

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

Working with Strathmore 400 series water color paper

"Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art." Leonardo da Vinci

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

I have a lot many different kinds of water color papers in my collection and for the past many months I have been exploring all of them in an attempt to zero in on the one that works best for my technique. Today I am posting a small water colour study on Strathmore water color paper. 

This painting has been inspired by a beautiful view that we came across while we were at Langkawi island in Malaysia. The distant mountains, an anchored sail boat and foliage drooping from the upper left was an appealing composition. I have worked exclusively with Winsor and Newton Cotman colors for this work. 

Paradise

Water colour painting on Strathmore water color painting

Size 5"X 7"

Strathmore 400 series water color paper is acid free, 300 gsm and hence a great paper to work with but when compared with Chitrapat handmade paper and Arches, I found it a little difficult to work with wet on wet technique as the paper has the tendency to dry up fast. So I had difficulty in doing the sky and the ocean. However what I loved about this paper is that lifting and scraping color was quite easy. So in future probably for my still life kind of work I may use but for landscapes I have decided to go with Chitrapat and Arches CP paper.

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

Thank you for browsing through my artworks.

A soft pastel study on Canson Mi Teintes paper

"Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." Albert Einstein

Taking a break from my water color medium, I created a small 5" X 7" study of "Waterfall" using my soft pastel collection. This scene had water flowing in different directions and to capture the movement and rhythm with the pastel strokes was challenging. 

Using an orange colored Canson Mi Teintes paper for the waterfall added warmth to the painting and I feel it works well for subjects like seascapes and waterfalls. For my forest and other landscapes I prefer using either dark brown or the twilight paper.

In October 2016, I created a post in order to explain regarding how I go about choosing the right colored paper for my pastel paintings depending on the subject and the atmosphere. CLICK HERE to read more about it.

Soft pastel study of waterfall
on Canson Mi Teintes paper

At the beginning of the year I had taken a decision to continue doing my portrait works on a regular basis and I suddenly realized that I have not really done much since January. Therefore my next plan is to complete a small portrait of "Albert Einstein" which I started last year on Strathmore Artagain 400 series paper using white pastel pencil. It is about eighty percent complete and I need to spend a few more hours on it to add the finishing touches. 

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

Thank you for visiting my blog and your continuous support in helping me grow as an artist.

A limited palette water colour painting

“Water colour condenses time and consolidates experience.” Frank Marcello

Murud Janjira is a picturesque little fishing village on the lush western coast of Maharashtra, 150 km south of Mumbai. We visited this place during monsoon on one morning we came across this scene which inspired me to create the water color painting as shown below.

The hazy sky, the mist in the air and the distant fort made for a good composition. For this artwork I decided to go with a limited palette. The four colours I used are ( Camlin Artists water colour tubes )

• Ultramarine Blue
• Raw Sienna
• Crimson
• Burnt Sienna

A Misty Morning

Water Colour painting on handmade paper

Size 7” X 10”

Hand made paper works out good for certain subjects where I need the paper to have a good water holding capacity and so it stays wet for a long time. I enjoyed working on this subject.

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

On the way to Uttarey, West Sikkim - A soft pastel painting

"Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and spiritual satisfaction." 
E. O. Wilson

Bordered by Bhutan, Tibet, West Bengal and Nepal, Uttarey is a small village located on the Northern slope of Singalila Range in North Sikkim. We paid a visit to this beautiful place while we were on a holiday to Sikkim last year in May. The road to Uttarey from Hee Bermiok had some stunning views on the way. The abundant greenery, the mountains, the waterfalls mesmerize you.

The soft pastel painting as below is inspired by one such scene that we came across while we were on our way to Uttarey. It feels good to be doing a pastel landscape after a long long time.

On the way to Uttarey, North Sikkim

A soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 7" X 10"

A few images of the steps leading to the creation of the painting as shown above. I started off by picking up a few pastels and placing them on a small white tray so as to avoid a lot of confusion as the painting progresses. I keep the pastel pencils by the side as I use them to create the small branches and other details where ever necessary.

Initial stage of the soft pastel painting.

I wanted to limit myself to a few pastels but as the painting progresses I have practically all my pastels out at my workplace. As seen in the photograph below, I have my Kohinoor and Derwent pastel pencils, Mungyo, Camlin and Sennelier soft pastels all around me as I add more colours to my landscape painting. 

My pastel collection

at my workplace.

Thank you for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks. If you wish to see my other works visit my INSTAGRAM page, where I upload my paintings on a regular basis.

Creating soft pastel thumbnail sketches

"The only source of knowledge is experience."Albert Einstein

Before starting off with the pastel painting, I always do a few thumbnail sketches or study works on small cut outs of Canson Mi Teintes paper. 

It is my way of doing a preliminary study of a complicated subject. By creating these small works using limited palette of pastels, I am able to simplify the scene by understanding the value masses, the composition, the additions and subtractions. If I am happy with the small sketch and if it looks good to me, then I go ahead and follow the same steps when I am recreating the work in a bigger format. Many a times I create more than one thumbnail sketch of the same subject in order to try out different compositions.

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

Thnumbnail sketch, 3.5" X 5"

Sikkim

Thnumbnail sketch, 4" X 5" 

Dubare Forest, Coorg

Thumbnail sketch, 3" X 4.5"

Sikkim

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and if you are interested in joining me in my upcoming workshops do drop in a mail to me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com.

Trying a cloudy sky using water colour medium.

"Avoid illustrating. Express the intangible, the atmosphere, the smell....the sound, the feeling of the place."Alvaro Castagnet 

It is important to know and understand water colour as a medium and reading quotes by master water colorists every once in a while helps. I enjoy reading quotes by Joseph Zbukvik, Alvaro Castagnet and others. I also take out time to watch them doing their paintings. It enlightens me and encourages me to never give up.

Today's post is a painting of a beautiful sun kissed sea and I am sharing a poem which I came across recently while I was browsing through PINTEREST.

The Sun kissed sea

A beauty rare, beyond compare,

is sun kissed sea,

No scene so calm, no scene so fair,

As this to me.

When floods of light dispel the night,

The morning kiss on waves

which sparkle with delight,

Is loveliness.

When ends my day, I trust and pray,

My voyage be

O'er the waters, where some golden ray,

May kiss the sea.

The Sun kissed sea
Water colour painting on hand made paper
Size 7"X 10"

With my soft pastel palette, all organised and cleaned up, I am ready to begin with my pastel art. To begin with I shall be doing a few thumbnail sketches or study sketches, which will help me warm up. Small study works are great in order to understand the composition, value masses, colour etc. It helps you visualize the final outcome. If it looks fine in its initial stages then it encourages me to go ahead to create a bigger sized artwork on the same subject.

Are you into doing study sketches too? If yes, do write to me and share your experience. It will be fun to know more about it.

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

Thank you for visiting my blog.

PIXABAY - Free reference images for painting.

"It is in the silence of nature where one will find true bliss." j.j.c  ( Courtesy: Pinterest )

In December, I created a charcoal drawing of the scene as below to understand its basic tonal value structure.It is a beautiful landscape depicting "Fog and mist". I have referred to a photograph taken by Thomas B, Deutschland.( Courtesy: PIXABAY ) I am grateful to Mr Thomas for uploading this photograph and making it free for commercial use.

This photograph reminded me of my own visits to Mahableshwar and other hill stations during monsoon period when we would encounter such marvels of nature and hence inspired by the foggy lake scene, I created this water colour landscape using very limited colours from Camlin. The dark foliage and the drooping branches on the left pushed the other elements in the distance, creating depth. With this painting, I inaugurated my newly purchased rigger brush and Raphael mop brush. One of these days I shall create a post about the different brushes that I use to create my water colour paintings.

Fog and mist at the distance

A water colour painting on hand made paper

Size 7"X 10"

I am working on a few more water colour paintings before I make a switch to soft pastel medium, so keep browsing. Pastels are fun and I am very excited with the thought of getting back to them. 

To know about my upcoming workshops in different mediums CLICK HERE

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog and INSTAGRAM page.