Step by step soft pastel painting - Road to Spiti

 “The important thing is to create. Nothing else matters; Creation is all.” Pablo Picasso

The Spiti holidays ( Himachal Pradesh ) happened in 2013. But the memories are so fresh. By painting a landscape scene from my travel journey, I make it all the more memorable. The winding roads, high up in the mountains, carved out by cutting through the mountains, so people like us can enjoy the beauty of the unseen wonders of this part of the world. So grateful to all those who worked so hard and made it happen.

We were so overwhelmed by the landscape around the roads, that we took frequent breaks to soak in the lovely atmosphere and of course to capture few photographs for reference ( For my future artworks). I still haven’t painted them all. Each one being very close to my heart. 

Road to Spiti

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5” X 7”

Step 1. I lightly draw the outline using a white pastel pencil on a medium toned Canson Mi Teintes paper

             ( Used Twilight shade here ). Using  Mungyo and Kohinoor Toison Dor soft pastels, I then use 

            Very light touch to fill in the respective colours keeping in mind the tonal values and perspective.      

Step 2. Once I have covered the entire surface of the paper with the respective colours as per my 

             interpretation ( The photo captures all the colours. Whereas in reality the distant objects are

             dull in colour and do not have any details or sharp outlines ). I lightly blend at places using

             my finger.

Step 3. In the final layer I add more colours to create depth. I also use pencils at this stage to put in 

            details at several places as required. That about completes the painting. I normally do not use any 

            fixative as I personally feel that it dulls the colours. I use a butter paper on top and staple it at

            one end and then keep it in the folder until framed.

My art studio

With my collection of soft pastels

And pastel pencils

Kohinoor Toison Dor 

120 soft pastels ( Foldable box )

Purchased from Art Lounge

Sennelier extra soft

120 half stick 

Paris Collection 

Follow my latest works and techniques on INSTAGRAM and if you love my works and they inspire you, share them with your friends. Thanks for taking out time and browsing through my blog 🙏

Step by Step, soft pastel forest landscape ( Coorg, Karnataka )

 “Perfection is no small thing but is made up of small things.” Michelangelo 

Of late, I have been pretty busy with my water color paintings but I do miss working with soft pastels. So took out some time recently and created this forest landscape referring to my photo taken at Coorg, Karnataka. 

I have used the following brand of soft pastels as:

1. Camlin

2. Mungyo

3. Gallery

4. Kohinoor Toison Dor.

5. Sennelier

Each of these brands have their own qualities and together they work great for me. If I have to recommend one brand to buy as a set for the beginners, I would suggest set of 48 soft pastels by Kohinoor Toison Dor. These cylindrical sticks are absolutely soft on the paper and work wonders. Moreover they are economical too. As far as paper is concerned, I mostly go with Canson Mi Teintes as I find it economical and it has sufficient tooth for taking in two layers of pastels. I normally finish my work in two layers and additionally do a little touch up in the end using the extra soft Sennelier pastels.

“ On the way to Coorg”

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size: 7” X 9”

I have visited Coorg several times in the past and every time I am there it feels absolutely amazing. There is something magical about the nature vibes. It rejuvenates you to the core.

The Steps involved in creating the above artwork

Step 1.  Created a faint basic outline of the major shapes using a light coloured 

soft pastel pencil and later used the Mungyo and Kohinoor 

soft pastels to paint the respective tonal values keeping

in mind the source of light, and the shadows.

Step 2. After the first layer of color application ( using soft touch, as Canson Mi Teintes

cannot take in too many layers of colors ), I blended the colors 

on the paper using my finger tips to cover up the underlying

black shade of the paper. 

Step 3. After the first layer was painted and blending is complete, I carefully began with 

the background sky and slowly worked my way towards the forest 

trees and other elements as I progressed downwards towards 

the foreground. I used Kohinoor soft pastel pencils to create

the fine branches, and other details ( mostly in the

middle ground ) 

The reference photo taken at Madikeri ( Coorg, Karnataka )

Follow my latest works and techniques on INSTAGRAM and if you love my works and they inspire you, share them with your friends. Thanks for taking out time and browsing through my blog 🙏

One Step at a time - A soft pastel painting

“ You can get anywhere if you simply go one step at a time.” Dave Ramsey

Sometime back I tried this soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes light grey toned paper. Every landscape scene has its own challenges. What I loved in this scene was the steps leading into the forest and the misty background. I used muted grey toned colors in the distance to create depth and used light strokes of pastels to create the branches and foliage.

I normally work with a mix of different brands of soft pastels, namely Kohinoor Toison Dor, Mungyo and Sennelier. Out of these if I have to recommend one brand which is great quality apart from being economical is Kohinoor Toison Dor.

Sennelier is extra soft and it easily blends into the paper and I love its quality, however it is far more expensive than other brands. I normally use it as a last layer to apply finishing touches to my painting.

One Step at a time 

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 5” X 7”

I created a post regarding the use of different papers I use for my soft pastel paintings. CLICK HERE to view the same.

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. 

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. 

Rocky Seashore - A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

“The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” Robert Wyland

Canson Mi Teintes  has been with me for a long number of years. It has been my favourite paper surface for most of my “Soft Pastel Paintings”.

When I like a paper a lot and it agrees with my kind of techniques, I make it a point to buy a good number of them for long term use. So during my initial years of pastel days, I went ahead and purchased quite a few of them in different shades. Then as I began my pastel journey, I realised that some dark toned shades went well for “Forest paintings” whereas “Seashore” subject did well on pastel toned papers.

Today after years of my working experience with pastels, I have realised that I love “Twilight” toned Canson MT much more than other colors. However, I am now left with one last sheet in this shade. My stock of other sheets too has diminished. So once the Covid Lockdown is over, I will be placing my order for my requirements. In the meantime I am trying to work small, ie 5” X 7”  or 6” X 8” sized works.

Today’s soft pastel painting is inspired by the beautiful rocky seashore at Bogmolo in Goa. I have used a mix of Mungyo, Sennelier Toison Dor and Sennelier soft pastels for the artwork.

Rocky Seashore

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper 

Size: 6” X 8”

I keep my pastels organised color wise in different trays. Being in touch with each other the pastels get coated with pastel dust ( Multiple shades ), hence it requires to be cleaned up on a regular basis. Therefore every once in a way, I take a break and clean up my pastels and reorganise them so that the original vibrant shade is clearly visible. CLICK HERE to view my post on the same.

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and do visit my INSTAGRAM feed to see my latest artworks. If you happen to like my works, I would appreciate if you share it with others. Thanks.

The Morning Calm - A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

“Nature is the art of God.” Dante Alighieri

Goa has some beautiful beaches and Bogmolo beach is one of them. I happened to be there last December and captured the beach at different hours of the day using my mobile. The soft pastel painting that I am posting today is a morning view of the beach from the higher floor of our beach facing hotel. I loved the white buildings in the distant hills and the morning calm at the beach. At the beach, life is different. It is always a very relaxing experience. I look forward to being at the beach again.

Canson Mi Teintes is a great paper for pastel works and I have used it once again for my present seascape painting. As of pastel brands, I start my first layer using Mungyo pastels and then go on to use the Kohinoor Toison Dor and Sennelier in the subsequent layers. To create the small figures at the beach I have used pastel pencils.

“The Morning Calm”

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper 

Size: 5” X 7”

I plan to create few more paintings on “Bogmolo Beach series” soon using both water colour and pastel medium.

To know about the papers I have been using for my pastel artworks CLICK HERE. ( I have created a detailed post in the past )Thank you for browsing through my artworks and do visit my INSTAGRAM feed to see my latest artworks.

Deeper into the forest - A soft pastel painting

“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than one seeks.” John Muir

Of late, I have restarted working with my “Soft Pastel” medium. I began my journey with Mungyo pastels and then like any other artist, went on to add other brands like Kohinoor Toison Dor, and Sennelier. Now I use a mix of all these brands to complete a painting.

Today’s post is a complicated scene in my “Forest” series and I have used the textured side of Canson Mi Teintes paper for a change. In general I go with the smooth textured side. However I know of many artists who regularly use the textured side and I wanted to give it a try.

Deeper into the forest

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size : 5” X 7”

Selecting a subject for painting is a very personal decision. Some years back I was a lot into “Portrait drawing and sketching”, and then over a period of time as I traveled to different parts of the country, I was fascinated by the stunning beauty of nature. I felt the connection and decided to capture the beauty of nature on paper using pastels and water colour medium. In a way I feel my paintings are an “Ode to Nature”.

To know about the papers I have been using for my pastel artworks CLICK HERE. ( I have created a detailed post in the past )

Thank you for browsing through my artworks and do visit my INSTAGRAM feed to see my latest artworks.

Frothy Sea waves - A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

“Choose only one master - Nature”.  Rembrandt

Today’s soft pastel painting is inspired by the beautiful “Frothy sea waves” which reach the shore after a long journey. When observed closely, the froth creates interesting shadow patterns on the sands below. Soft pastel, I feel, is a great medium to capture the beauty of these waves on paper.

If you have been regularly watching my blog and INSTAGRAM feed, you will know that for most of my pastel paintings, my preferred choice of paper is undoubtedly “Canson Mi Teintes” which is available in many different shades. I settled for this paper for the following reasons:

1. It is an acid free paper, guaranteeing longevity
2. Available easily on many online stores in India
3. It is available in 42 different shades which helps the artists in picking the right one depending on
    the subject.
4. This paper has a dual surface, a rough textured the and smooth textured. Both sides are usable.
5. As compared to many other papers, Canson Mi Teintes is very reasonably priced and for beginners
    it is an excellent choice.

Frothy Sea waves

A soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size: 5” X 7”

These days I am into both the “Water color” as well as the “Soft Pastel” medium. I enjoy working with both of them and am trying to keep a balance between the two. 

Do browse through my INSTAGRAM feed to see some of my latest works and 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.

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.

La Carte Pastel card by Sennelier

"Great works are performed not by strength but perseverance." Samuel Johnson

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

As mentioned in my last post I recently purchased a La Carte Pastel card by Sennelier from Dick Blick, an online art stationery store in States. There are a lot of sanded papers available today, like Ampersand, Uart, Colourfix etc, but I decided to go for La Carte pastel card because I tried small study works on this card last year. The card came as a sample piece along with the Sennelier soft pastel set that I purchased through Amazon.

I pretty much liked its toothy surface and am posting my first landscape painting that I created on it recently. It is a 7.5” X 10.5” painting which I have created referring to my photograph that I took at Coorg, a beautiful hill station in Karnataka. It was a quiet morning and as we walked along the road lined up with trees and bushes, we could hear the sound of nature. John Muir's quote says it all. "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

Solitude

A Soft pastel painting on La Carte Pastel card by Sennelier

Size 7.5" X 10.5"

Initial stage of the painting

La Carte sennelier card pad.

The La Carte pastel pad has come with six different neutral coloured cards. I am more used to the dark coloured papers but will try and select some subjects where in I can use the light neutral shades too. The surface of this pastel card is a lot different from Canson Mi Teintes paper. It is heavyweight, 360 gsm card and has a very toothy surface which can take layers of pastels without the pastel dust falling off. 

Thank you for browsing through my blog and if you have any queries related to any of my artwork or my techniques you can leave a comment below or write to me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Waterfall - A study work in pastel medium

“ The only source of knowledge is experience.” Albert Einstein

Before starting any artwork, I do a small study of the same to understand the subject a little better. The waterfall study ( Naga Waterfall ) as below has been created with reference to a photograph, which I took while we were travelling up north in Sikkim. This is an upper view of the fall and the perspective is a bit complicated. The water is flowing from upper left to lower right.

Creating this 4” X 5” artwork on a small Canson MT was an interesting experience.I have limited myself to using very few pastels and pencils to create this 4” X 5” artwork. ( Koh-I-Noor and Mungyo brand )

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

Soft pastel study work of a waterfall

from North Sikkim.

Size 4” X 5”

I have been using Canson Mi Teintes paper since last few years and it is a great paper for pastel and charcoal artworks. However I always wanted to try out some other brand sanded paper because when I am painting subjects like “Forest pathways” , I feel the need to apply more than two layers of pastels which becomes a little difficult with Canson paper. 

Therefore I ordered a La Carte pastel card Pad with twelve assorted coloured cards in it. I have already created two works on this card and will be posting them soon.

If you wish to purchase any of my paintings, you can browse through them in gallery format on my Instagram page. For any query regarding any of my works you can mail me at manjupanchal5@gmail.com and I shall get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for visiting my blog and supporting me in my art journey.

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.

Stepping into 2018, a new beginning.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."Albert Einstein

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018.

The year 2017 has come to an end and this is my first post of the year. It was an interesting year with respect to my art journey and its time to share some of my favorite works that I managed to create in different mediums.

I am extremely happy that I could devote some of my time for my water colour passion and went on to create several landscapes and seascapes. It has been a struggle, trying to understand all about the different techniques involved in creating a single water colour painting and while doing so I am exploring, experimenting and learning a lot. The learning experience that comes with the process of painting is of utmost significance to me as it helps me grow as an artist.

Water colour paintings created in 2017

Find below few "Portraits" that I tried out on Strathmore and  Canson MT paper. Both these papers have great textures and I plan to work with them for my future works too.

Portrait drawings created in 2017

Some of my personal favorites in soft pastel paintings that I created in the beginning months of last year. 

Soft Pastel paintings created in 2017

In conclusion 2017 was a great year and I am grateful to all those who have been supporting me in my journey of art. My family, friends, my art workshop participants, my blog and Instagram followers, a very big THANK YOU to each and everyone of you for appreciating my art and motivating me to further continue working with same enthusiasm.

Thanks a lot for stopping by and browsing through my works. Looking forward to reading your comments. 

Pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

"Sometimes you got to create what you want to be a part of." Geri Weitzman

The above quote speaks my heart. I stay in a crowded metro city in India and long to be amidst nature. Travelling takes me to places where nature is in its pristine form. Being in nature helps me relate to it better and I feel so connected with the surroundings.

The soft pastel painting as below is a scene that I came across while we were climbing uphill on the mountain slopes at Hee Bermiok in order to get a better view of the snow covered Kanchenjunga mountains. The dense greenery around kept the muddy pathway in shadows. It was a cold and breezy day and the I was attracted to the distant light in the composition. It seemed to add a little warmth in the atmosphere.

Distant light

A soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper.

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

For most of my pastel works I use the Mungyo pastels in the beginning to block in the major shapes and later I use the Koh-I-Noor and Gallery pastels. During my final touch up I make use of my recently purchased Sennelier pastels.  

I have selected a black coloured Fabriano Tiziano paper for my present painting. The colours come out very vibrant on a dark coloured paper, however the disadvantage is that it gets difficult to cover up the black at areas where you want subtle shades. Too much smudging dulls the colours. Therefore for my next work I have decided to go with the mid tone paper. CLICK HERE , if you wish to know about the papers I use for my soft pastel paintings.

Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my artworks. My blog has crossed 75,000 page views and I am grateful to all the people who have been constantly supporting me in my art journey. It encourages and motivates me to continue painting and to share my ideas, thoughts and techniques with everyone.

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.

A Cloudy sky

"You don't make art. You find it." Pablo Picasso

On my recent visit to Malshej Ghats, I came across some dramatic skies. Being monsoon season the weather was a bit dull and there was not enough light to capture the scene well in the camera. At such times I have to observe and store the information in my memory so that I can retrieve the information at a later time when I actually get down to painting the scene.

The soft pastel painting below is one such scene from Malshej Ghats that made an impact on me and I wanted to create a study work of the same. I call it "Study work" as I have not painted many "Cloudy Landscapes" in the past and am yet to get a full understanding of the shapes, perspective and the colours in the clouds. When handling a new subject, it is more of experimenting and exploring which in turn slowly leads to a great learning experience.

Apart from the dense scattered clouds,what I also loved about this scene in particular is the diffused light that filtered through the clouds and illuminated the water covered fields below.

The Cloudy sky ( A study work )

A soft pastel painting on Canson MT paper

Size 5"X 7"

Painting clouds is new to me and I find it very challenging. I remember as kids when we drew a landscape, there always used to be a few common elements in it namely mountains in the distance, a small house, a river and fields. The sky was almost similarly drawn by everyone in a beautiful uniform blue and few fluffy white clouds floating around. Those drawing days were fun. 

Now when I look at the clouds closely I realise that there are so many different colours in each cloud other than gray and blue. I am planning to do a little more deep study of this interesting element. In fact it is more like doing "Cloud Anatomy".

Thanks for visiting my blog and browsing through my works.