At Dalhousie - Charcoal landscape on toned paper

"To walk in nature is to witness a thousand miracles." Mary Davis

Today's charcoal and white pastel drawing on Canson MT paper is inspired by a scene from Dalhousie, a beautiful hill station in Himachal Pradesh. This road was leading us to our hotel and the entire pathway was lined up by tall coniferous trees and variety of other miscellaneous dense growth on either sides. 

Being a resident of a crowded city like Mumbai, I never get to witness such a sight and hence enjoy every moment of it while I am out there. Nature has so much to offer us and the least we can do is to take care of the environment so as to preserve it for posterity. Drawing and painting places that I have visited in the past gives me immense pleasure. It is my way of sharing the beauty and magic of nature with the rest of the people who have either been there or yet to visit.    

Pathway in the woods

Charcoal and white pastel pencil drawing on Canson MT paper

Size 5" X 7"

This is first of my landscape forest paintings on toned paper. I am quite happy with the outcome and may go on to create some more in this series. Today I removed my soft pastel collection and sat cleaning and organizing them so that I can restart some colored works soon. I love charcoal medium too but working with the same medium for too long can lead to saturation and then a little change refreshes the mind. So keep looking for some new works which I shall be posting soon.

Thank you all for the support that you have provided me. My blog has now crossed 78,000 pageviews and it would not have been possible without the support of the viewers. Thank you all for the same. If you like my works and techniques do visit my INSTAGRAM page to view all my works together in Gallery format.

At Matheran - A Charcoal drawing

“The environment is everything that is not me.” Albert Einstein

When we are out in the wild in the proximity of nature, we come across scenes which capture our attention instantly. The painting actually begins in the mind, the moment we set our eyes on a beautiful scenic landscape.The forest pathway as below was a little away from our Homestay in Matheran and being early morning the sun rays found its way through the dense foliage to create a beautiful contrast of light and shadow on the forest floor.

It is interesting to create a dense forest scene using any medium. With charcoal medium it is mostly about getting the values right. I used kneaded eraser and Staedtler eraser to create the highlights on the pathway and at other places where ever required. Creating thin branches come easy using using any sharp charcoal pencil.

At Matheran

A Charcoal drawing on Favini paper

Size 6"X 7"

I have been working with charcoal medium for very long and I am a little saturated. It is not that I do not love this medium but at times we all need a change. So I am shifting to water colour medium to start with. Will be doing some seascapes and landscapes. No matter what medium, I personally feel that every medium gives me same amount of joy. It is this journey of art which defines me and I am loving every moment of it.

The year 2017 has almost come to an end and I shall be posting soon about some "New year  resolutions" that I have in mind for 2018.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks. 

Painting a forest scene in soft pastel medium

"The artist is always beginning. Any work of art which is not a beginning, an invention, a discovery is of little worth." Ezra Pound ( Courtesy: skinnyartist.com )

The paper that I use most often for my soft pastel works is "Canson Mi Teintes" which fortunately comes in assorted colours. This works as an advantage because choosing the right colour for the subject makes a lot of difference. To know more about the different shades and its specific names you can visit the site DICKBLICK. I normally use Twilight, Tobacco, Sand and Moonstone but I am open to experimenting and exploring with the other colours as well.

For my today's soft pastel painting I decided to go with black Canson MT paper as I wanted the foreground and part of the middle ground to be dark and in shadows. This is a beautiful scene from Karnala Bird Sanctuary and I love this place as I get to walk through different muddy pathways. It is densely populated with trees and in the morning hours I get the perfect light and shadow scenes. 

I have titled this painting "A walk through the shadows" as it reminds me of those beautiful moments in the tranquil nature. 

A walk through the shadows

A soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 5"X 7"

The soft pastel painting as above progressed in stages and the images can be seen as below. The broken pastels that can be seen around are from Mungyo, Gallery, Camlin and Koh-I-Noor. I also have a set of 24 dark Sennelier pastels which I use towards the end as they are very very soft.

Step 1. Creating the basic outline of the main elements

using white soft pastel pencil and blocking in the colours

of the winding pathway and the distant foliage.

Step 2. Blocking in the major shapes with respective colours

keeping in mind the source of light and atmospheric perspective.

In the final stages, I redo the layering of colours, making changes where ever required. All the detailing happens in the end.

Before I begin any painting, I create small "Thumbnail sketches" or "Tonal value studies" which help me understand the subject well and these little ten minute works enable me to decide on the best composition. Two of the small quick art studies can be seen below. The black and white study has been done using a single Staedtler 8B pencil. I have started using this pencil quite recently and am enjoying it. Both are sized 2" X 3".

Tonal value sketch & Thumbnail sketch

of a landscape.

Thank you all for visiting my blog. If you are into soft pastel medium I would love to know about the papers you use. Do leave in a comment. Browse through my other artworks on my INSTAGRAM page.

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Artistico hot pressed paper

"One must keep right on drawing; draw with your eyes if you cannot draw with a pencil."
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

A very thought provoking and inspiring quote. No matter how much I paint but time and again I come back to my drawing, be it in charcoal or graphite medium.

Recently I purchased a sheet of Fabriano Artistico hot pressed water colour paper with an intention of experimenting with charcoal medium on its smooth textured surface. I finally inaugurated this paper by creating a landscape drawing from a scene that I came across while I was taking a morning walk at Coorg. This pathway is leading to one of the Coffee Plantations belonging to some Native of Coorg.

The place is beautiful, weather is very pleasant, the land is very fertile and the greenery is awesome. I have been to Coorg on five different occasions, hence you will find many of my artworks which have been inspired by the beauty of Coorg, also known as Madikeri.

A pathway to Coffee Plantations

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Artistico paper

Size 6" X 8"

The initial stage of the charcoal drawing

where in I have used charcoal powder

and charcoal pencil

I have used Fabriano Artistico paper for the first time to create a charcoal drawing. It is a water colour paper and I may try it out for water colour painting too. Talking about my experience and review of this paper with respect to charcoal medium, I feel it is absolutely great. It has very fine smooth grainy texture and the charcoal gets fixed on it pretty well.I will definitely be using it again for my future drawings too. 

I created a post some time back where in I wrote in detail about the "Papers" and "Tools" that I use for charcoal drawing and sketching. Times change and over a period of time I have added new tools, new papers in my art stationery collection. I love to experiment and explore in an attempt to find something different and better. It is an ongoing process of learning and experiencing the unknown. 

Thanks a lot for browsing through my works and I am grateful to all the viewers who have been constantly supporting my art and my techniques.

The woods - A soft pastel painting

"Design is like gravity - the force that holds it all together." E A Whitney

Some time back I posted a few plein air studies that I recently did while I was at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Referring to the sketch and the photograph, I created the soft pastel painting as below.

The pathway lined with rocks and tall trees on either sides provides ample shade to everyone who walks here. The mystery and silence of the woods is captivating. Time stands still. When I am there, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, I feel like I am in another world and I just want to be there soaking in the beauty of the surroundings. Painting a scene like these is like capturing these beautiful moments on paper.

The woods

Soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 6.25 X 8.25"

An intricate forest scene always appeals to me as a subject for painting. The shades of green are intimidating and every time I do a scene like this one, I make a few mistakes and these mistakes make me learn a little more about colours, colour mixing etc.

I am enjoying my pastel journey and am looking forward to creating many more such interesting landscapes which take me back in time, and remind me of all the beautiful moments that I spent in nature in solace.

The quotation that I mentioned in the post today is a very interesting one. It speaks for what I believe in. Design and composition is the key to a good painting. It is like a strong force that binds all the elements together and keeps them in harmony. I spend a great deal of time in selecting a good composition for my painting, and then I work on the values and colours.

Thanks for browsing through my works.

The light and shadow in a landscape - Soft pastel drawing

"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all."

Michelangelo

The quotation as above says it all. Hard work and passion play a very significant role in achieving what one has in mind.

The early morning rays totally transform the landscape. One moment it is enveloped in darkness and then miraculously when the morning rays gently fall all around, the scene comes alive. The light and shadow play and its effects on the landscape continue to fascinate me and I constantly look out for such "Subjects" so that I can paint them and create a memory.

Posted below is one such beautiful scene that I came across while I was at Karnala Bird Sanctuary in the early morning hours. I have yet again used my "Soft Pastel"medium to create this original art. 

The Morning Shadows

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

For this painting I have used the "Twilight" shade of Canson MT and I am pretty happy with it. Next I am working on a beautiful seashore painting referring to my study sketch and photograph from Phuket island. 

Thanks for all your support and keep browsing.

The Shaded Pathway- A Soft pastel painting of a landscape from Coorg

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau

I finally completed the soft pastel painting of a scene from Coorg, ( Madikeri ) which I started in November 2016. After doing the initial layer of blocking in the colours, I had taken a break. I normally intend doing a painting at one go as it is so much more convenient. After an interval when I get back to an older work, it is a lot more struggle to restart it all over again. It is like the momentum is gone and I have to recollect everything about the scene and visualize the steps all over again.

However this is one of my favorite scenes that I came across during one of my morning walks in Madikeri and I did not want to give up on this one. It took me longer than expected to complete, but I was happy that I finally completed it.

The shaded pathway

Soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Size 7.5" X 10"

For my soft pastels I am mainly working with Canson Mi Teintes and Fabriano Tiziano paper. To read more about the papers that I use CLICK HERE.

Of late I have been spending a lot of my time with my small sketch book. I just created a new one exclusively for my AQUARELLE GRAPHITE works. To create a small work sized 4" X 5.5" all I need is a sketch book, a Cretacolour 8B aquarelle graphite pencil, a brush and water. I am enjoying this new found activity because many a times I just have about an hour to myself which is not sufficient to start with some serious work. At such times I get down to doing my study works of different subjects. It is more of experimenting and exploring and is lot of fun.

If you are passionate about art and want to get started with a particular medium then you can attend one of my TWO DAYS ART WORKSHOP which I conduct on a regular basis. My upcoming workshops are listed in advance, so you can register for the same.

Thanks for all your support and keep browsing.

Sketching a landscape in charcoal medium

Charcoal sketching of a landscape

This charcoal sketching is inspired by the early morning scene at one of the trekking pathways at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. I loved the composition of the scene and selected this landscape as it helped me in understanding the tonal values of the complicated scene which had distant hills, sunlit pathway, bushes, trees, rocks, scattered leaves etc. 

The winding pathway

Charcoal sketching on Favini paper

Size 6" X 8"

Over a period of years I have collected a whole lot of art stationery which includes paints, brushes, pencils, papers and a miscellaneous collection of "Unused things". Among the not so used up paper is a "Favini" paper which I picked up from a Stationery shop at Thailand. ( I still have a whole lot of them with me ). Therefore for my present charcoal sketching I decided to put this paper to use. ( I have used it on earlier occasions for portrait sketching ).

In conclusion this paper is fine but I would prefer to use "Scholar" which I have started using pretty recently for my charcoal landscape works. Presently my stock of this paper is over and I am waiting to buy some soon. Unfortunately it is not available at ART STATION, the stationery store near my residence.

To view my soft pastel painting of yet another scene from Karnala Bird Sanctuary, CLICK HERE

I plan to use soft pastels to recreate the above scene on Canson paper.

"There is no retirement for an artist, it's your way of living so there is no end to it." 
Henry Moore

I believe every word of the quote as mentioned above. Art is a way of life. It happens everyday. I am always looking out for new subjects, new plans to add to the day today excitement of creating and learning at the same time. Art is fun.

Canson Mi Teintes - which colour paper to use?

"To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong". Joseph Chilton Pearce

Canson Mi Teintes paper is available in many different shades. I love this paper for its textured surface and use it a lot for my charcoal as well as soft pastel works. How do I go about choosing the colour of the paper? .

Being self taught, during my initial stages of pastel studies I went about following what other artists did ( With respect to selecting the colour of the paper ). However with experience I realised that what works for someone else may not always work for me as each one of us follows a different technique and style.

For my landscape works I tried the lighter pastel shades of the paper but was somehow not happy with the results. I had a difficult time getting the dark colours in the forest. Therefore over a period of time I settled for dark brown and black paper. For seascapes I experimented with orange and red colour Canson paper and the effect was pretty satisfactory.

I plan to do a lot many forest scenes in future in soft pastel medium, hence have decided to do a couple of thumbnail sketches to start with. A detailed study after careful observation of colours, values, perspective etc helps in getting the thumbnail sketch right which in turn acts as a reference when the real painting begins.

Given below are the thumbnail sketches of a beautiful scene from Coorg,  created on two different coloured papers. The painting at the top is done on black paper and the lower one is created on Canson twilight paper

A scene from Coorg

created on black paper 

and twilight paper.

Size 3.5" X 4.5"

Canson Mi Teintes twilight colour

The colour of the paper used for the soft pastel painting affects the final outcome. I will analyse, evaluate and some time later take a decision regarding which coloured paper to use for my bigger work. 

When I create a thumbnail sketch or the study sketch it is more about my interpretation of the scene and I try not to create a photocopy of the scene. Making creative changes with respect to the position of a few elements so as to get a better composition is the first step that I take even before beginning with the small sketch.

I shall be creating an enlarged version of these paintings soon but in the meantime will continue creating more of thumbnail sketches as a preliminary preparation for my future works.

For all those who are in Mumbai and wish to attend the India Art Festival 2016, can go to Nehru Science Centre, Worli on 7th, 8th and 9th of October when it is open to visitors from 11 am to 6 pm.

Forest sketching on toned paper

Working on a toned paper gives me an opportunity to explore, experiment and get a better
understanding of the values in a particular scene.

In the sketching as below, the beige colour of the paper became my mid value background
for this forest scene. For the dark values in the trees and foliage area I have used different
charcoal pencils. The lighter values are created using white pastel pencils. I have also used
white soft pastel chalk in the sky towards the end.

This is my first landscape forest sketching on toned paper. The choice of paper is a very
important decision for me as it affects the outcome of my painting. I have used Canson Mi
Teintes paper ( It comes in many different colours )

Since it is my first such work on toned paper, I just did the basics and did not get into too
many details. For my next similar work I will try and select a simple composition but I do want
to try again as this has been a lot of fun.

The pathway in the forest

charcoal and white pastel pencil sketching on Canson paper

Size 6" X 7.5"

"Painting is very easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do." Edgar Degas

My next painting in progress is in charcoal medium and the subject is " Maya Bay" from 

Phi Phi Leh. It is an exceptionally beautiful bay surrounded by 100 metre high cliffs on three

sides. 

Step by step - Charcoal sketching of a forest.

I recently conducted my Two days charcoal workshop. During the workshop I
demonstrated the steps involved or rather the technique that I use to create a forest
scene using the charcoal medium.

The reference for the Charcoal sketching came from a beautiful scene from Mahableshwar,
a hill station close to Mumbai city. I used Fabriano Academia paper to create this charcoal
work. I use different pencils, blending tools, erasers etc and will post about all of them
soon. Over a period of time ( I am using charcoal medium for more than fifteen years now )
I have experimented with many different papers and pencils. Presently I have my set way
of doing using certain brands but I am still open to trying out something new.

Forest path

Charcoal sketching on Fabriano Academia paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

While I was sketching this work, I remembered to take breaks in between and photograph

my work so I could write about my technique that I follow when I create a forest scene such

as this.

Steps involved in creating a forest

scene in charcoal medium

The steps I followed to create the Charcoal sketching can be seen as in the above 3 images.

The top image : I outlined the forest lightly using HB pencil and filled in the tonal values, 

                           also adding a few tree trunks, branches and the pathway.

The middle image : In the second image, I completed the background hills and rocks, keeping

                                 the values light as it is at a distance. Then I worked on the middle ground

                                 adding details, shadows, foliage, tree trunk etc. 

The last image :  In the final image , I added the details in middle ground and foreground. Using

                            eraser I created some individual leaves and branches, and highlights where ever

                            required.

Charcoal medium continues to be one of my favorite mediums. I have been working with

charcoal for a long time now and every time I use it I get inspired. Art workshops therefore

are events that I look forward to because I get to meet passionate artists who feel the same

about this medium as me. Moreover I get a little break from my routine work that I am doing.

Presently my soft pastel painting on "Gulfoss waterfall" is in progress. This is my second

painting on the waterfall and I am going ahead in a pretty organised manner in order to

get better results as compared to the last one.                            

A walk in the woods - Coorg ( Madikeri )

In the past few days I have created several thumbnail sketches of Landscapes and seascapes 

using the soft pastel medium. The plan was to create final pieces of art referring to some of 

them. Along with the study sketch, I will also be using the original photograph taken by me.

The first soft pastel painting that I have finally selected is inspired by my visit to Coorg, ( Madikeri ). Coorg is a very quiet and peaceful hill station in Karnataka. Its green all round 

the year and a paradise for photographers and artists. Any road you take leads to some great 

views. The trees, the bushes, the red soil, the distant hilly mountains, you can spend hours and 

hours soaking in the beauty of the surroundings.

The image below is of a soft pastel painting created referring to one such sights that I came 

across during my routine morning walks. The early morning sunrays, the fence running across 

on the left, the green foliage around, some wild flowers, each element adding to the beauty of 

the landscape.

No matter how many landscapes I do, everytime I am doing a forest scene, the greens intimidate

me the most. Getting the right green becomes a challenge. Therefore I use soft pastel palette

which is a combination of Mungyo, Gallery and Kohinoor soft pastels. Each brand comes

with a different collections of "Green shades" , therefore combining all of them I get fairly

different shades from bright to dull. The Camlin brand too comes with some beautiful greens.

A walk in the woods

Soft Pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper.

Size 6" X 9"

Soft Pastel Palette

A Mix of different brands.

Another of my soft pastel painting is in progress referring to my Phuket and

Phi Phi islands visit recently. From forest, I am moving to cliffs and mountains and some

breathtaking views of white sanded beaches.

To view my paintings you can also visit my FACEBOOK page. If you like my works

please share with friends. Thanks for browsing.

My recent Two days Charcoal workshop

Last few months have been busy with water colour medium. But when I got a call from a group of three who wanted to learn the Basics of Charcoal medium, I could not resist. Charcoal medium is one of my favorites till today and I can sit with my work for hours without getting saturated.

Of course it breaks the rhythm that gets set in with a particular medium, but nevertheless it provides an opportunity for me to meet new people who stay around my area and I know that in future too I will have people with whom I can interact for my art related work. Workshops bring like minded people together. We share the same passion and can discuss art endlessly, our past experience, our goals in future and a lot more. Every art workshop is a surprise package. I teach the techniques but while I teach, I learn too.

The first day of the workshop normally goes in discussing the papers, tools, and techniques used to create the different elements of nature be it rocks, grass, tree or bushes. This is then followed by demonstration of a seascape and a mountainscape. The participants on the first day just about get the hang of using the pencil, creating strokes, blending and scumbling. Then they create two small works on two different papers to know for themselves how charcoal works on each of them. By second day they get pretty used to the medium so I ask them what would they like to create.

This time the unanimous choice was my Coorg forest scene with a pathway. I demonstrated the step by step technique that I follow to create the scene in charcoal. My demonstration work was partly incomplete which I completed later and it can be seen as below.

The pathway

Charcoal painting on Canson C a grain paper

Size 6" X 8"

The works by the three participants is as given below. I encourage them to create the strokes as comfortable to them. Be it creating the leaves using a kneaded eraser or creating long grass using pencil strokes. By the end of the workshop I make them realise that each work turns out a little different as it is done by a different person and every individual finally has his/her way of doing things. This individual way of creating things will finally make them do their work in their own style. So it is important to learn the basic techniques but with time and practise each person's work should start looking different in the way that it has been created. 

I was happy with all three works and it gives me more pleasure to know that the participants who have never handled charcoal before create a forest scene on the second day and are so charged up to create more works as guided by me. I normally tell everyone in ANY workshop that they attend TO TRY AND CREATE ONE SMALL SKETCHING OR PAINTING EVERYDAY.  It works. It has worked for me and many other artists that I know who have been painting everyday.

Charcoal sketchings created by participants

during a Two days charcoal workshop

All are sized 6" X 8"

So in all each participant does about three sketchings. Two small ( 5"X 7") 

on the first day and one  ( 6"X 8" ) on the second day. The group is always a small 

number as I am able to then give individual attention to each of them.

Apart from paintings and sketching I also use my creative ideas to create some ethnic home products which can be viewed on my other blog www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in

If you like my works, do share them with friends.