Portrait drawing on Strathmore Toned paper

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

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

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

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

"A Glance"

Portrait drawing on Strathmore toned paper

Size 6" X 8"

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

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

Portrait drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper

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

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

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

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

"The Smile"

A Charcoal Portrait drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5” X 7”

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

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

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

Portrait study

"Drawing keeps the eye fresh, the mind alive and the intuition nimble." Timothy Nero

In 2017, I did not work a lot on my portraits and one of my resolutions this year was to devote time to create a few of them. When I initially got into portrait drawings, it was mostly charcoal on white paper. It’s only a few years back that I discovered the beauty of working on toned paper. The different toned papers that I have experimented with in the last couple of years are

• Handmade textured paper
• Canson Mi Teintes paper
• Fabriano Elle Erre
• Strathmore toned paper

Apart from the ones mentioned above, every once in a while I try out a portrait study on any ordinary textured paper too like the one below. I created the portrait study below on an ordinary grey textured paper that I came across in a stationery shop. It is definitely not as good as Strathmore or Canson Mi Teintes paper, but for the price that I paid for this paper ( Rs 20/- ) it is value for money.

After creating the portrait and capturing the emotions, I decided to darken the background using charcoal powder. The charcoal powder that I normally use in my charcoal drawings is a local make and pretty good. It is easily available in stationery stores. To know more about the charcoal tools that I use for my drawings CLICK HERE.

In Silence

Portrait study on grey toned paper

Size 6" X 8"

When I was in Sikkim during my last holidays, I stayed in a homestay high up in the mountains at Hee Bermiok in West Sikkim. While I was there I got to interact with the local people and I photographed some of them with their permission. I am now using these photographs as a reference to create a few portrait drawings in the series "FACES OF INDIA". Keep browsing to see some of them soon.

Thank you for visiting my blog. Presently I am busy with my art work and other commitments, but will soon start my "Art Workshops"in different mediums. You can also know about them through my INSTAGRAM account.

Portrait drawing using Cretacolour and Camlin graphite pencil

"Drawing is vision on paper." Andrew Loomis

Graphite is a part of every artist's toolbox. It's affordable and a commonly used medium, yet if used on its own, in the hands of a skillled artist, it can produce breathtaking works of art. The lead in graphite pencils is made from a natural rock that is mined. In fact graphite and diamonds are the only two forms of carbon polymers occurring in nature. ( Courtesy: Craftsy.com )

My today's post is another "Portrait study" that I have created using the graphite medium. Graphite pencils are available in different grades ranging from 9H to 9B. H stands for hardness and B for blackness. I have a big collection of different grade pencils but I prefer to use just a few of them. In the portrait as below I have used 2B and 4B Staedtler graphite pencils for the midtones. For the darker tones I have used 8B Cretacolour and 10B Camlin graphite pencils.

Portrait study 

Graphite/Pencil drawing on Strathmore Gray toned paper

Size 5"X 7"

It is very difficult to obtain true black colour using graphite pencil because when the paper gets saturated by several layers of graphite, it tends to give a glare. Therefore one can use charcoal as a final layer to create further darkness, however I have avoided using charcoal in the above work. For the highlights I have used Conte and Cretacolour white pastel pencil.

Like charcoal, pencil drawings too tend to smudge. Hence I cover it with a sheet of butter paper before storing it neatly in a folder. A question that I am frequently asked regarding my charcoal and pastel works is whether I use a fixative in the final stages of the artwork. I have a "Winsor and Newton" fixative with me but I rarely use it on my artworks. 

CLICK HERE to browse through some of my graphite drawings in my sketchbook.

Thanks a lot for browsing through my artworks.

Graphite Pencil Portrait on toned paper

"How you draw is a reflection of how you feel about the world. You are not capturing it, you are interpreting it." Juliette Aristides

My today's post is a graphite "Portrait study work" on Strathmore toned paper which I started almost a week back. I am working with graphite medium after a long gap of time. It is interesting to get back to a medium that you have used in the past. Every medium has its own advantages. Pencil is a drawing tool that we all have used as kids when we were growing up. 

I have a miscellaneous collection of pencils but for this particular portrait drawing I decided to use the following three,

1. Cretacolour 8B graphite pencil ( Purchased from Amazon.in )
2. Camlin 10B graphite pencil ( Very dark shade )
3. Staedtler 2B and 4B graphite pencils

I enjoyed working with graphite pencil on Strathmore paper. This paper has a very smooth texture as compared to my usual Canson MT toned paper. However for portrait drawing it seems quite a prefect choice.

Portrait study work

using graphite pencil

on Strathmore Gray toned paper

Size 5"X 7"

I am working on yet another portrait drawing on Strathmore paper and I shall post it once completed.

My works can also be seen in a gallery format on INSTAGRAM. On instagram, I am getting to meet many different artists and I would love to write a post about them and their works.

If you are into water colour medium then visit the Instagram page of artists Sadhu Aliur and Bijay Biswaal. The water colour works by both these artists are amazing. 

Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my works.

Portrait drawing on Strathmore toned paper

"The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create the reality of the same intensity."
Alberto Giacometti

Strathmore 400 series Toned Gray paper is working for me. I am enjoying doing portraits on them. It is a 118 gsm, acid free paper, and is excellent for creating white highlights and dark shadows using graphite and charcoal. So far I have been using this paper for my charcoal and white pastel drawings. However I do plan using graphite pencil for creating my next portrait.

Today I am posting a "Portrait drawing" of a young and beautiful girl, with the traditional white bangles on her hand. She is waiting for the celebrations to begin, all dressed up and ready.

Looking pretty

A charcoal and white pastel drawing

Size 5.5" X 7"

I love doing both "Portraits" and "Landscapes". I do not want to give up on any one of them. It gets very difficult at times to keep pace with both these subjects, but my passion for each of them helps me keep the balance. 

Thanks for visiting my blog and if you wish to purchase any of my works, you can mail me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Two Women - Charcoal figurative work

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

Inspired by the Indian tradition and culture, I had started a series on "Portraits and figurative works" in 2004. Back then I was a lot into charcoal medium. I have restarted my portrait works and am also working on some of my past incomplete works.

The Charcoal drawing "Two women" has been inspired by the beautiful women of Rajasthan. The painting is an attempt to portray their unparalleled grace and beauty.

The two women, draped in long veils, who stand together, in silence, dressed in their traditional attire, looking on at the distance. 

Two Women

Charcoal drawing on acid free paper

Size 11" X 15"

There are more charcoal drawings such as these and I am enjoying once again, bringing them back to life. Portrait and figurative works are more challenging than doing landscapes. However I love both these subjects and will continue painting both of them.

My works can be viewed on INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK page too.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

A Figurative Charcoal drawing from the past

"As a child I drew like Raphael but it has taken a lifetime for me to draw like a child." 
Pablo Picasso

I have been organising my paintings lately and while doing so came across some of my old artworks created in charcoal medium. When I first began using this medium, I had limited tools, namely charcoal powder and a charcoal pencil named AMBASSADOR. Using these two mark making tools and a set of beautiful tortillons I went on to create many charcoal artworks.

Today I am posting one of the old works, which needed little touch up. It is a charcoal drawing inspired by the loving relationship between father and son. It is the time spent with the children that creates beautiful memories.

Moment of Joy

Charcoal drawing on paper

Size 8" X 10"

I have titled the above painting as "Moment of Joy" because this image conveys a feeling which probably we have all gone through while we were growing up. It evokes our childhood memories and we try to recollect what it was like to be out with parents and the precious moments that we spent with them. Time moves ahead and we are left with these beautiful memories.

I have been juggling between the charcoal and the soft pastel medium. Both are dry mediums and being self taught, I have experimented and explored both and come up with my own way of handling it. As we continuously work with a medium, we develop a mark making technique that keeps evolving with time. The way I create each stroke be it in charcoal or pastel, now defines my works. 

Portrait and figurative works have always appealed to me and I am glad that I am finally making a serious attempt at restarting it. So my paintings now will be inspired by "People and Places". I will continue my landscape painting as well.

Thanks for browsing through my works.

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.

Charcoal study - Using willow charcoal and charcoal pencil

"The day is an empty canvas, the shapes and colours are yours to choose." Alex Noble

A value study is a great way to prepare for the final painting. It helps me understand the subject better and enables me to pay attention to the focal element. As a routine I almost always prepare a value study using either a graphite or charcoal medium.

When it comes to charcoal medium, I love using the willow charcoal as it helps cover a large area in a short time and with a little touch up with charcoal pencil the drawing gets completed.

Posted below is a recent charcoal study work that I created using one of my holiday photographs from Coorg. It is a muddy pathway going uphill towards one of the private Coffee Plantations. I loved the scene as it had distant trees and a great composition for a landscape painting. I shall some day create a soft pastel painting referring to this value study.

Going uphill

Charcoal drawing on Fabriano Academia 120gsm paper

Size 6" X 8"

On my Table Top Easel,

The initial stages using willow charcoal.

I enjoyed doing this quick study in which I used willow charcoal in the beginning to block in the values and later used my charcoal pencil to get the foliage, rock, soil textures etc. Small study works, I feel are a good way to get the feel of the subject before starting a final coloured painting on the same subject.

To view some more of my charcoal study works CLICK HERE.

If you wish to attend my art workshop or wish to purchase one of my artworks please contact me and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks.

Mother Teresa - A portrait study work on toned paper

Quotes by Mother Teresa

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." 

" I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples."

Mother Teresa ( 1910 - 1997 ) was a Roman Catholic nun, who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. in 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace prize and has become a symbol of charitable selfless work.

Given below is a Portrait study work of "Mother Teresa" which I created using white pastel pencils and a charcoal pencil on a simple gray toned handmade paper ( It has cost just about Rs 30 for a full sheet ). In February I created a portrait study work of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore on black Strathmore paper. Working on coloured paper has its own challenges and I am slowly getting used to it.

 

Mother Teresa

Charcoal and white pastel pencil on gray toned handmade paper

Size 6" X 8"

I recently purchased a "Table top Easel" which is working real good for me. Now I can sketch at eye level which is very convenient and does not strain my neck. I will be posting about it soon.

Thank you all for visiting my blog and do watch my artworks in INSTAGRAM too.

Drop of water - A pencil drawing

Sketching a drop of water using pencil and charcoal medium

I got to create the "Drops of water" as below in my recent two days "Charcoal sketching workshop". I had two participants who went on to do different subjects in the charcoal medium but wanted to see the demo of "Sketching a water drop". It takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes to complete each of these. 

I demonstrated one sketch and later on went ahead to create two more on different papers. 

Pencil drawing on grey ordinary paper.

Pencil drawing on Canson Mi Teintes paper.

White pastel pencil sketching on

Dark blue hand made paper.

My fascination for sketching "Drops of water" started when I was deeply involved into still life paintings. I would pick up fruits and vegetables and place them near my kitchen window where I had good amount of sunlight falling on them at an angle. Then at times I would place drops of water on the subject and observe the light and shadow play on them. 

Posting below one such still life painting that I created in August 2014, where I had placed an orange on a folded cloth with three little water drops on the fruit. I created this artwork using Derwent colour pencils and pastel pencils. I miss doing my still life paintings and one of these days I will try to take out some time to redo one such works is soft pastels or charcoals.

To know about my upcoming Art Workshops you can CLICK HERE.

In order to view my works in other mediums you can visit my INSTAGRAM page.

Step by step - charcoal study sketch of a tree trunk

" Creativity is intelligence having fun." Albert Einstein

Creating a simple value sketch in a short duration of fifteen to twenty minutes helps me to simplify
the painting process. My charcoal sketching workshop is coming up in the next week so I decided to spend some moments with the charcoal medium.

I am posting below two different quick tree trunk sketches that I created using willow charcoal and a normal charcoal pencil. These sketches need to be sprayed with a fixative to avoid the sketching from smudging OR as an alternate solution one can keep it protected under butter paper.

Step 1. Applied willow charcoal and smudged it using finger.

Step 2. Created an outline of the tree trunk.

Step 3. Added the darkest values and the highlights lifted using eraser.

Step 4. Added midvalues using willow charcoal and charcoal pencil. A few

details using eraser and pencil.

Step by step charcoal study sketch

created on Favini paper

Size 4"X 5"

Creating a small sketch helps me understand the steps leading to the final execution of the artwork.

Therefore when I start the sketching on a bigger scale, I don't have to think a lot about the value variations as I have already worked on it earlier itself. Both the tree trunks were captured on my mobile while I was in Lonavala recently.

CLICK HERE to see one of my step by step charcaol sketching that I posted earlier in Jan 2016.

I have lately started using "Willow Charcoal" a lot for my quick sketches as it covers up the paper fast and is easy to blend and control. The only drawback is that it smudges a whole lot. Therefore I avoid using it on my final art work except at places where I need to create foliage etc. I will learn more about it as I continue to use it and explore some other possibilities. The paper I have used for the above sketching is an acid free paper from Italy, Favini.