Patong beach, Phuket

"The flow of water and paint can be uncontrollable and crazy, but it is also freedom, an escape, a therapy, joy, and, oh yes, very sensuous!" Angela Lynch

The above quote says it all. Water colour medium is challenging and the outcome so unpredictable. Yet you cannot help but fall in love with it.

Today's water colour painting is a scene from Patong beach, Phuket. This beach was right across our hotel and at around ten in the morning, the water level had receded a bit, which made the distant rocks and trees clearly visible. I have used a mix of Camlin and Winsor and Newton paints to create this artwork.

At Patong beach, Phuket

A water colour painting on Fabriano paper

Size 7" X 9"

Painting a beach scene such as above gives me the opportunity to try out many different elements such as the water, the sky, the rocks, the foliage and reflections. 

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

Step by step drawing and painting - A seashore

"When you start a painting, it is somewhat outside you. At the conclusion, you seem to move inside the painting." Fernando Botero

Painting to me is a vision, a thought process, an idea that develops in the mind and then takes shape on a piece of paper. I paint a scene from nature, inspired by its beauty.

The scene below is from Bamboo island, five kiloimetres off the northern tip of Koh Phi Phi Don, in the Krabi province of Thailand. The island has stunning beaches with beautiful rocks, white sand and limestone cliffs behind. In the painting below the beach is covered by the shadows cast by the tall cliffs behind. The source of light ie the sun is behind the cliffs and the beach is on the west side of the island.

I decided on this scene as it gave me the opportunity to work on perspective, rocks and waves hitting the shore. Moreover this scene has a very interesting design and composition.

Reaching the destination

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 6" X 8"

I titled the painting as "Reaching the destination" with reference to the beautiful waves which travel a long distance and finally reach the shore. It is a beautiful feeling to be at a place like this and to hear the sound of the waves splashing against the rocks, and then gently kissing the white sand and merging with the land.

The soft pastel painting on twilight Canson MT progressed in stages and the step by step images can be seen below. Its a small sized painting so I did not use my Easel. My table is my workplace.

Step 1. Creating the basic outline

using Camlin charcoal pencil.

Step 2. Blocking in the major shapes with respective colours

 keeping in mind the values. Using the soft pastels

from mixed brands.

Step 3. Adding details and final touch up.

At this stage I use pastel pencils at several places.

Of late I have started uploading my works on INSTAGRAM and I find it very convenient to do so as most of the paintings are photographed and edited on ipad itself. I am beginning to like Instagram as it helps one to browse through all my works in a Gallery format. 

My Blog has completed a little more than three years and it has recently crossed  50,000 page views. It makes me happy, although having more page views was never the "Goal" when I started blogging. Blogging happened, because I wanted to keep myself focused in my artwork and grow as an artist. It also provided me with a virtual workplace where I could upload and maintain a record of my artworks. It has been a beautiful journey and I shall write a detailed post on my "Art Blogging" soon. 

Thanks to everyone who has been part of this journey and I truly appreciate the support provided by all of you. 

Kata beach Phuket - A soft pastel painting

"I am interested in art as a means of living a life; not as a means of making a living." 

Robert Henri

I am sharing a poem that I came across recently and it speaks for all those who love, appreciate and value nature. ( Courtesy : POEMHUNTER )

In thy nature is beauty

In thy nature is Earth

In thy nature I find my worth

In thy nature is peace

In thy nature I find myself

In thy nature ever lasting greens

In thy nature there is more to be seen

In thy nature a beauty untold

In thy nature everything is worth more than gold

By Stephanie McGrath 

The soft pastel painting below is of a scene at Kata beach, Phuket. ( A rain forested, mountainous island in Thaland ).  Most of the beaches on the island are just amazing. This particular beach had these beautiful rocks on one side with a few trees in the background. The distant hills were a hazy mix of blues and greens. It was fun painting this scene. The sunlight that touched the surface of sea waves created lovely sparkles.

The Kata beach ( Phuket )

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 7" X 9"

When sunlight falls on simple objects of nature it helps reveal its form, shape and the colours. With the changing light changes the shadows and colours. This light and shadow play in nature fascinates me and continues to be a source of inspiration to paint more.

I am painting since very long but started blogging in 2014. It has been a great experience and more than creating the art itself I am loving this journey which is helping me to get in touch with a lot many art enthusiasts. I have also recently started uploading my works on INSTAGRAM so if you like my works please follow and share. 

Thanks for browsing through my works and please leave your comments to let me know what you feel about them.

Reaching the shore - A soft pastel painting of a seascape.

I just completed another of my seashore paintings from Bamboo island, Thailand, using the soft pastel medium. Every painting that I create speaks to me of the moments spent there. Each painting is in fact like bringing to life some beautiful memories of the past. Posting below a few beautiful lines that I came across recently on the net but cannot remember the source.

"The sand may brush off

The salt may wash clean

The tans may fade

But the memories will last forever." 

I titled this painting "Reaching the shore" with reference to the waves that travel a long distance and then finally reach the destination gently washing ashore after a long long journey.

Reaching the shore

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5.25" X 7.25" 

I recently came across some beautiful photographs taken by nature and wildlife photographer, Sudhir Shivaram. It is interesting to read the articles written by him and it is a pleasure to browse through the beautiful photographs. Presently he is Ranthambore and Bandhavgarh Tiger reserve and you can follow his works on his facebook page. 

As mentioned in one of my previous posts I have also started following another great photographer namely Rathika Ramasamy   who has been posting some stunning photographs of birds with their local and scientific names. It helps to know more about the bird and animal species around you and as an artist it helps to connect with nature.

A Quote

"I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart." Vincent Van Gogh

A Rocky Seashore at Bamboo island - A soft pastel painting

I love painting seascapes. Having spent my childhood close to the sea, it brings back memories.
I have a big collection of photographs and sketches yet to be painted and I don't think I will ever get tired of painting this subject. In fact the more I paint the more I fall in love with it.

The seashore as below has been created using very soft pastels ( Mungyo and Koh-I-noor ). I rarely use the hard pastels. In fact I have just one set with me and I never felt the need to purchase more. The scene below is from Bamboo island, part of Phi Phi Leh ( Thailand ).

In this particular painting I got to create a few textured rocks, the froth on the sea waves and their shadows. While adding the waves in the shallow waters I had to pay attention to the perspective in the scene. In all painting this scene was a new learning experience. I am looking forward to creating a few more seascapes soon.

A Rocky Seashore

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 7.5" X 9.5"

I am blogging after a long "Diwali festival" break. As an artist I would love to paint and blog everyday but I have this priority list in which my art is sometimes not at the top. There are other very important personal things to be taken care of. However as and when I get free time to myself I devote it passionately to my art. 

The next painting that I may begin is of a forest pathway from Coorg in soft pastels. It has been a long pending assignment which has already painted visually in my mind and I just have to put it down on the paper. 

Last week while browsing through the net for nature and wildlife photographers in India and I came across some amazingly beautiful photographs taken by Rathika Ramasamy. I am truly inspired and have become a big fan of her works. If you are into photography or nature study you must visit her site.

Ending with a quote  - "Art does not reproduce what you see. It makes us see." Paul Klee

The cliffs, the water and reflection - A soft pastel painting ( Phi Phi Leh )

"If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere." Vincent Van Gogh

Nature inspires me to paint. The soft pastel painting as below has been inspired by the stunning colours of the water around the limestone cliffs of Phi Phi Leh ( Thailand ). Creating a painting like this refreshes my memory and I relive the happy moments spent in the laps of nature.

Before I start any painting, as a routine I always create a thumbnail sketch of the scene. I created one for this painting too. Click here to view the same.

Around Phi Phi Leh

A soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Size 7" X 10"

I love soft pastel medium for its vibrant hues. The more I paint in this medium the more I fall in love with it. Since it is a dry medium my workplace often gets a little messy and dusty but at the end of it, it is all forgotten. All that I remember is a beautiful journey. From start to finish. The pleasure of having completed the painting is a reward in itself.

Thanks for browsing through my works. I do not have a website as of now. Hence I have started uploading some of my works on DEVIANTART. You can browse through my works there. 

Looking up at the cliffs - A soft pastel painting of a scene from Bamboo island ( Thailand )

The soft pastel painting as below has been inspired by the limestone cliffs at Bamboo island in Thailand. It was almost 11 am and the sun was behind the cliffs. The cliffs facing us were almost in shadow. When I looked up at the cliffs against the bright morning sky, the sight was absolutely amazing. I captured this scene in my camera as well as in my mind. Back then I had taken this decision to paint this scene some day.

I created a thumbnail sketch for this painting in the month of June and referring to it I started this painting last week. This scene was a little challenging because of the perspective involved. However it was a great learning experience. I plan to do some more landscape subjects such as these in near future.

Looking up at the cliffs

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6" X 8"

A beautiful Quote

"The mission of art is to represent nature, not imitate her." William Morris Hunt

Sketching a tree trunk on toned paper.

Drawing and sketching on Coloured paper

My Charcoal and white pastel pencil sketching workshop is coming up this weekend and therefore I decided to draw and sketch one of my favourite subjects "Tree Trunk". This particular tree trunk was photographed by me while we were in Phi Phi Don and it has been in my "To Do List" since long. 

Phi Phi Don is a small spectacular island from Krabi Province ( Thailand ) with most hotels situated within the vicinity of four to five kilometers from the pier. There are no vehicles on this island and most tourists walk around to reach their destinations. There are paved pathways and the island has some amazing ancient trees with hanging roots. It is fun to sketch and shade this kind of a subject where I use only two different pencils to create a three dimensional realistic art on paper.

Catching the light

Charcoal and white pastel pencil sketch on grey hand made paper

Size 6" X 8"

I started blogging in January 2014 and since then I have created several paintings on the subject 

"Tree Trunk". You can CLICK HERE to view one of my similar old works. The fascination grew with time and now when ever I travel my eyes are hunting for some beautiful trees around and I try to capture them in my mind's eye and begin my visual study then and there itself.

A beautiful quote.

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

Trying out Daler Rowney willow charcoal

The charcoal sketching as below is a small "Study work" that I created recently to check out a
new "Paper" and a new set of willow charcoal set from "Daler Rowney". I purchased the set
with medium sized willow charcoal sticks. My present brand which is from China is fairly good
but it smudges a lot and is too smooth on the paper.

Since I was going to try out a new charcoal tool I also remembered having purchased a set of
Brustro Drawing and Sketching papers during "SALE" which was lying unused in my
cupboard. Therefore I used this new paper, Daler Rowney charcoal accompanied by charcoal
powder and my regular Charcoal pencil to create this simple beach scene from Bamboo island,
Thailand.

In conclusion, I enjoyed using this new brand of willow charcoal. It is coarse, does not smudge
heavily, creates bold strokes and is definitely helpful to create initial study works to understand
the value gradation in a scene.

Charcoal sketching on Brustro drawing and sketching paper

Size 4.5" X 5.5"

Daler Rowney Medium sized willow charcoal sticks

The willow charcoal can be used to create many different types of strokes as can be seen from the

image below. I personally like the charcoal medium a lot and therefore adding on new products in

my list of tools is always a welcome change.

A small piece of Daler Rowney willow charcoal and 

some strokes that can be created by using it.

Brustro Drawing and Sketching pad

The Brustro Sketching and drawing paper is from Italy. It is a 200 gsm acid free paper and I have 

loved the overall effect of charcoal on this paper. I am definitely going to try out a few more

sketches on this paper. It is available on Amazon.

Beautiful quote.

"Talent is cheap: dedication is expensive. It will cost you your life." Irving Stone

The Limestone cliffs of Phi Phi Leh

The plan was to complete my soft pastel painting of "Niagara Falls" which I started a few days

back. However I changed my decision as I felt I needed a little more "Analyzing and Planning"

in order to handle certain elements in the painting.

Therefore I went ahead and completed another of my "Phi Phi Leh" series art work. I 

encountered this scene while touring the island in the Long Tail Boat. At one particular turn,

this scene was so amazingly beautiful that I immediately captured it on my mobile. 

The image quality on the mobile did not have much clarity but since I was there and had seen and 

observed it all, I applied my own interpretation and creativity to recreate this scene on Canson Mi 

Teintes paper. The sparkling aquamarine waters and the tall limestone cliffs added so much

beauty to the atmosphere.

The Limestone Cliffs

Soft Pastel painting on Canson paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

Before I started the above painting I created a small "Thumbnail sketch" Canson paper.

A thumbnail sketch works like a guideline to help me follow a particular colour pattern, 

the composition, form and shape etc. I do make changes as and when necessary. Creating a 

"Study work" before proceeding with the actual artwork has now become a habit with me and

it helps a lot as I rarely have to discard a painting midway.

Thumbnail sketch

Size 3.5" X 4.5"

Ending with some beautiful words on nature, 

"I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery - air, mountain, trees, people. I thought,
"This is what is to be happy."  Sylvia Plath. The Bell Jar       Courtesy buzzfeed.com

I get inspired by beautifully written quotes and thoughts so I share them on the blog. Some days
we are all self motivated and on other days we look for inspiration.

I am conducting a two days workshop in charcoal as well as soft pastel medium in the last week
of this month ie June 2016. To read more about it CLICK HERE.

The shadow at the beach - A soft pastel painting

"An artist must have his measuring tools not in the hand, but in the eye." Michelangelo

Simple quote that speaks a volume. All the painting starts in the mind itself. The eyes
see it all. The observation gets sharper and better with time.

I recently created a beach scene from Bamboo island ( Thailand ), using the charcoal medium.
The place was so full of colours that I could not resist myself from creating a soft pastel
painting of the same.

Therefore using my cleaned up Soft pastel palette I went ahead to recreate this memorable
scene using vibrant shades of blues and greens. The water of the ocean, changed colours from
green to shades of blue, as it receded towards the horizon.

I titled this painting "The light and the shadow" as the source of light played a predominant
role in the painting. Another appealing factor to me in this particular scene was the rocks that
were so clearly visible under the crystal clear waters.

The light and the shadow

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X 8"

I spent my childhood years close to the sea. Hence the affinity is pretty strong. It brings back

sweet memories. The love for the sea and seashore continues to exist but now I am into admiring 

the beauty of nature. Using my creativity and imagination, I am busy trying to capture it live on a blank piece of paper so that I can hear the sea waves splashing at the shore. The sound of the

waves in a continuous rhythm is so relaxing to the mind.

Having completed this painting my latest resolution is to add a few more "Seashore paintings" to 

my " To do" list. 

Willow charcoal sketching of a beach at Bamboo island ( Near Phi Phi Leh )

In December 2014, I used willow charcoal to create a few study works on cartridge paper. 

It worked pretty well in combination with charcoal pencils and the plan was to use it on 

professional acid free paper some day to create more permanent artworks. However in the 

course of time it never happened and this project went into the " Waitlist" category ie to be 

done on some other day at some other time. In the meanwhile I kept myself busy with other

mediums and subjects.

Willow charcoal

Two study works using

willow charcoal and other charcoal pencils.

Created on cartridge paper

( Old works )

This week was the perfect opportunity to use my willow charcoal once again as I had just 

completed my charcoal workshop and all my charcoal sketching tools were on my workplace. 

Hence I decided to create a charcoal sketch of a simple beach scene inspired by a view at the Bamboo Island which was part of our Phi Phi Leh Tour. ( Thailand ). Bamboo island is

one of the most beautiful National Park island in Phuket.

This serene beach had the very basic elements like sky, water and trees/foliage. What I loved 

about the composition was the shadows on the beach and the scattered rocks.

In the shadows

Charcoal sketching on Fabriano Academia paper

Size 6.5" X  7.5"

Beautiful Quotation

"One must always draw, draw with the eyes, when one cannot draw with a pencil."

By Balthus  ( 1908 - 2001 ) Polish French modern artist.

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.

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.

Limestone cliffs at Phi Phi Leh ( Thailand )

I painted the scene as below with reference to my photograph taken at Phi Phi Leh. Phi Phi Leh
is an uninhabited island that lies 1.5 km off the southmost tip of Phi Phi Don. The stunning
vertical cliffs capped with foliage give way to small sandy beaches and tropical coral seas.

We took a six hour Long tail boat tour which took us all around Phi Phi Leh. The view all
around was amazing. The water all around was so crystal clear that we could see the
submerged rocks and other thriving marine life underneath. As an artist when I look at the
marvel of nature I immediately begin to interpret the colours, the source of light, the shadows
and this acute observation combined with the reference photo helps me recreate the
magical atmosphere on paper.

Getting the colours in the rock right sometimes can be a struggle such as this one. But I have
been doing so many forest scenes of late that a change of subject is like a new beginning in
itself. after having done this one, I am doing another of "Phi Phi Leh" series. The next one will
probably require a little less effort.

 The Vertical Cliffs
Soft Pastel on Canson Mi Teintes paper
Size 6" X 8"

What I enjoyed doing the most was the rocks that can be seen under the blue green waters.
Thailand is blessed with beautiful beaches. This place also reminded me of
my visit to Langkawi in Malaysia where we had similar tall cliffs.

Phi Phi Leh ( Thailand ) 

Image courtesy: Google.com

The next soft pastel painting that I am doing is from a photograph which I clicked while

we were approaching Phi Phi Leh by the Long Tail boat.