Thumbnail sketches in the soft pastel medium

Thumbnail sketches or Preliminary works in soft pastel medium.

As mentioned in my last post, I decided to get back to Soft pastel paintings and the best way to warm up is by creating a few "Thumbnail sketches" or the "Preliminary study works". Thumbnail sketches are fun because it is done more freely and spontaneously. It is a vital step in drawing and painting and I have made it a habit to follow this disciplined routine. 

 The soft pastel sketches sized 4" X 5.5" are done with reference to scenes from Coorg and Himachal Pradesh. The time spent in creating each of these sketches was about fifteen to twenty minutes. It's just one layer of pastels without any kind of detail works.

A scene from Coorg

On the banks of Kaveri river ( Karnataka )

On the way to Ladakh

Journey to Ladakh

Spiti Valley

A lot of planning and effort goes in creating a simple thumbnail sketch which then serves as a reference for my future art work. I try as much as possible to create bigger works of using all my study works. 

As a part of Christmas Day Celebrations, I am glad that I recently got the opportunity to hold a "Pencil Sketching Workshop" for twenty five lovely kids at Sneha Sadan, an orphanage at Jogeshwari west. I got about enough time to teach them value shading, design and composition, shading and blending techniques. Later I demonstrated a "Simple Archaic Door" drawing and all the kids followed the step by step procedure to create the same. It was a pleasure to share my knowledge and technique with the kids and I have offered them to be there for other workshops too in future.

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

A beautiful quote and I love it all the more because I truly believe in it. Every painting that I create is of a "SUBJECT" that I love and feel the connection with it. It is my interpretation of the scene. My intention is not to create a photo realistic image but rather a work which speaks for my creativity and thoughts that went into making it happen.

Looking back - Soft pastel paintings of seashore

"Only when he no longer knows what he is doing does the painter do good things." 

Edgar Degas ( Soft pastel artist 1834 - 1917 )

I am a big fan of soft pastel works by Edgar Degas and always take out time to browse through his works. It is very inspiring.

Having an "Art blog" is like maintaining a digital record of all one's works. Sometimes I browse through my own works which I created in the past. I do it so as to observe, analyse and do a little study of the design, composition, colours and techniques that I used to create a particular work.  

I am posting below three of my favorite seascapes that I created using soft pastel medium. The top two were inspired by my visit to Langkawi island in Malaysia and the last one in the series has been inspired by the white sandy beaches of Florida.

Soft pastel paintings of Seascapes 

created in the past

Browsing through old works brings back some pleasant memories and it also motivates me to continue working with my art.   

For most of my soft pastel paintings I use Canson Mi Teintes paper which is acid free and comes in many different shades. I have posted earlier about "The papers I use for my soft pastel paintings" and you can click on the link to read the same.

Thank you for browsing through my works.

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

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

Rocky cliffs and reflections at Phi Phi Leh - A soft pastel painting

A soft pastel painting

Phi Phi Leh is nothing short of a paradise. It is a small island close to Phuket in Thailand. The island consists of a ring of steep limestone cliffs surrounding two shallow bays, Maya bay and Loh Samah.

The view out there is stunning and I have already created a few pastel paintings earlier in an attempt to capture the beauty of this heavenly place on paper. The vertical limestone cliffs, the blue waters of the ocean, the reflections and the glittering light at the tip of the waves, all added to the drama in the painting. The colours in the cliff were a mix of warm and blue shades creating a perfect harmony.

I created a thumbnail sketch for this particular scene in the month of June and was waiting to recreate a larger version of this work. It was an interesting composition and the vibrant colours in the scene helped to cheer up the mood. The pastels that I used for this particular artwork are mainly from Koh-I-Noor brand. They are soft and go well on textured surface.

The cliffs and reflections

Soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Size 5.5" X 7.5"

For my soft pastel paintings I have more or less settled for Canson Mi Teintes and Fabriano Tiziano paper. Both work good for my technique and style. In future I wish to try out some sanded papers which are presently not available at the art stores near my place. 

Sanded papers can take in multiple layers of pastels without the need to add any fixatives on it. For my kind of work I normally finish my work in two layers and do not feel the need to add fixative if the art work is small in size. If the size is anything bigger than 7" X 9" then I normally spray the Winsor and Newton fixative after the first layer.

Ending the post with another of my favourite quotes

" I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else."  Pablo Picasso

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 Golden waterfall from Iceland - A soft pastel painting.

I am posting my third soft pastel painting in "Iceland" series and as I mentioned earlier I am

creating them with reference to photographs taken by my husband while he was there. The 

painting is another view of Gullfoss waterfall depicting the beauty of nature and the force 

with which it flows ahead, a never ending journey.

The photograph was pretty dull as it was shot on a rainy day, so I went through couple of video's 

to get an idea about the colours to be filled in. I created two different thumbnail sketches before starting this one yet I realised that the perspective in this painting was a bit challenging. Looks 

like a three point perspective. Nevertheless I just about managed to complete it and will have to 

do my "STUDY" on three point perspective.

Instead of using my regular black paper I decided to go with the orange Canson Mi Teintes 

paper. The colour of the paper can be seen through at places but it does not bother me any more.

It adds to a little warmth. 

The Golden Waterfall

Soft pastel painting on Canson paper

Size 8.5" X 10" 

To view my previous work on Gullfoss CLICK here. Waterfall is a new subject to me and I

am working on it, one step at a time. I have started a new painting inspired by "Niagara Falls".

I paint what I love and a painting well completed is my biggest reward. Some paintings happen 

in a short span of time and others take long, testing your patience. In haste, I have ruined

many paintings in the past. End of the day it feels good I know I have created something

meaningful on a blank piece of paper. It is like a story unfolding itself. 

My paintings can also be viewed on my FACEBOOK page. If you like my works please share.

Inspired by Gullfoss Waterfall ( Iceland )

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." Pablo Picasso

The soft pastel painting below has been inspired by Gullfoss Waterfall at Iceland. This is 

my second waterfall painting using soft pastel medium. To view my earlier painting 

CLICK HERE.

Gullfoss is a tiered waterfall with a total height of 105ft or 32 mts. It flows with an enormous 

force and as it falls the mist rises to a great height. Painting this scene was a pleasure and I

completed it in two layers of soft pastels. I am not into fixing the final layer as I feel it

darkens and dulls the artwork. 

Through this artwork I have tried to capture the flow of the water, the energy, the rhythm,

the spray and the mist. It was a lot different from working on forests and mountains. 

The Flow

Soft Pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5"

With this painting I decided to  make a few changes in my step by step technique that I follow

because the last time I created the waterfall painting, I landed up using a lot different colours

and was not precise about my colour mixing.

Therefore instead of using my entire miscellaneous collection of soft pastels, I decided to 

create a "Small palette"  of only the required soft pastels. I pretested the pastels on a piece of  

paper to check out if I was getting the desired colour of all the elements in the painting, be it

rocks, mist or flowing water.Then I went ahead and placed them in a small cardboard box, which

in turn became my "MINI PALETTE". As the painting progressed I added a few more

colours but on the whole this worked out good for me. It avoided a lot of confusion and I 

managed to complete my work without overworking on it.

Mini Pastel palette with

desired soft pastels

Over a period of regular use the soft pastels gather dust at its sides. It then requires to be cleaned 

up. I have posted earlier about CLEANING PASTELS. you can browse through it.

My soft pastel collection right now is in a mess and I will be cleaning it up before embarking on 

my next painting. 

The art in me is my biggest inspiration. It drives me on to draw, paint and sketch. 

No matter how busy I am, I make it a point to take out time for myself and my art. Thanks for

spending your precious moments and browsing through my works. It means a lot to me.

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.

Gullfoss waterfall ( Iceland ) - A soft pastel painting

Gullfoss ( Golden waterfall ) is situated in Iceland. This iconic waterfall offers a spectacular 

view of the forces and beauty of untouched nature.

This is my first attempt at painting a waterfall in soft pastel medium. The photograph that

I used as a reference has been taken by my husband while he was there a few years back.

Being a cloudy day, the photograph did not do much justice and it had mostly shades of grey.

I have added colours after doing my own study. 

The subject being a little out of my "Comfort zone", I reminded myself to go ahead step by 

step in a very patient manner.However as the painting progressed, the confusion increased.

I did manage to complete this work but it did not match my "Visualisation" or the image that

I painted in my mind. This work has an abstract feel to it. 

Nevertheless it was a great learning experience and I am ready to paint some more waterfall

paintings. Mistakes happen and they happen for a good reason. It helps you learn better.

Joseph Zbukvic, a world famous water colour artist said in one of his interviews

 "If you succeed everytime, you are not painting properly...."

Gullfoss

Soft pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper

Size 6.5" X 8.5" 

" I don't say everything, but I paint everything." Pablo Piccaso

Dhankar Monastery in Spiti Valley

The soft pastel painting as below has been inspired by my visit to Dhankar Monastery which is

in Spiti valley ( Himachal Pradesh ).

From Shimla to Kunzum pass, we had a memorable journey three years back. On the way

we got the opportunity to see some spectacular mountain views especially in Spiti valley.

I have a great number of photographs shortlisted for painting and the one below is one of

them. The white houses against the backdrop of the mountains in shadow made for a

very interesting composition.

Dhankar Monastery is situated at an elevation of 3890 metres, between the towns of Kaza 

and Tabo, in Spiti Valley of Himachal Pradesh. It stands precariously on the fragile

mountains which are slowly weathering. There is a tar road connecting to Kaza, so one 

can visit this place by a four wheel drive. The place is quiet and the view is captivating

all around. 

Dhankar Monastery
Soft Pastel painting on Canson Mi Teintes paper.
Size 6" X 8"

As of now I am taking a break from my forest paintings and am trying to do more of

Mountainscapes. Recently came across a beautiful blog GEOTRIPPER by Garry Hayes,

a teacher of Geology. The blog is very informative and I enjoyed going through it.
Wetcanvas.com is another great site for artists looking for information.

The next painting on my list is another scene from Phi Phi Leh with limestone cliffs
and turquoise blue waters. I also wish to paint a waterfall scene from Iceland ie
Gulfoss. Iceland was visited by my husband some time back and I have some amazing
photographs from there.

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.

The snow capped mountains - Soft pastel painting on Canson paper

A soft pastel painting inspired by the majestic mountains as seen at Himachal Pradesh.

When I am painting forest scenes I normally go for the dark toned papers like black and dark 

brown. However since this is a winter scene with cool colours, I wanted to add a little warmth 

so I decided to go with a light orange coloured paper. Canson Mi Teintes comes in many

different colours and each artist makes his/her choice regarding selection of the base 

colour of the painting.

The breathtaking views of the mountain range and the play of light and shadows creating 

dramatic effect on the slopes is a beautiful sight. The tip of the tall trees glow as the morning 

sunlight falls on them. 

The snow capped mountains
Soft pastel painting on Canson paper
Size 6" X 8"

I will be submitting this painting in DPW challenge  dated an 16,2016. The challenge
remains open for long so even if I have missed submitting in that week I can always do so later on.

The weekly subject keeps changing and it is fun to paint something different from
your regular subject.

Back to ART and BLOGGING after a long break.

It feels good to be back at art and blogging after a long break. I have been busy travelling and

attending to a lot more personal work.

After a break, I always restart with my artwork with charcoal medium. It is almost like 

getting into basics once again. The tonal value study, and use of just few tools makes it a lot 

easier too. I am doing a tree trunk with exposed roots on toned paper ( Trying out a new

colour this time instead of the regular grey ) which will complete by tomorrow.

In the meantime I am posting a soft pastel work which I completed last month but did not get 

time to post it. It is with reference to a beautiful photograph taken by my friend's niece at 

Florence falls, Melbourne. The photograph reminded me so much of Langkawi, which had 

similar rocks and atmosphere. 

At Florence Falls, Melbourne
Soft pastel painting on Canson paper
Size 6" X 8"

Art Lounge, the art stationery shop at Churchgate is holding its annual sale from 17th of this

month and this will continue till may be the 16th of next month. I visit Art Lounge every year

for my Canson Mi Teintes paper which I use a lot for my soft pastel work. Unfortunately it is

not available at ART STATION which is a shop close to my place.

Like any other artist I have a big collection of art materials at my place be it brushes, pastels,

charcoals or papers. Despite this fact I would still visit the sale for the following

General soft charcoal pencil

General soft white pastel pencil

Canson Mi Teintes paper (  Grey and black shade )

Koh-I-Noor individual soft pastels ( Vandyke brown, few greens and blues )

Water soluble graphite ( I have recently started using this and it is lot of fun )

Canson water colour paper ( Want to try it out )

Canson c a grain paper ( I use this for my charcoal works )

General charcoal powder ( Have read good reviews about it so may buy it this time )

Certain things that I buy is a one time investment. For example the charcoal powder by General

comes in a big bottle so I may not have to buy it for a long long time. This year, Art Lounge is

also selling some premium quality water colour brushes like ESCODA, Winsor and Newton etc

so I may have a look around at them too.

The charcoal powder jar by

General

A little experimenting with textured handmade paper.

I mentioned in my last post about experimenting and exploring the new possibilities of using

the textured hand made paper ( From Sun Papers - Fort ) for my soft pastel paintings.

The soft pastel painting of a seascape is a quick study work on blue coloured hand made

paper with beautiful textures on it. I wanted to try out the underpainting with water 

before adding the second layer of pastels.

After having drawn the rough outline with white pencil, I blocked in the initial colours in 

my usual technique and then instead of blending the colours I ran a wet brush over the sky, 

followed by the other elements. Everytime I painted on a different coloured area, I made 

sure that I washed the brush again in clean water. After having done that, I let the paper 

dry. The paper being thick, fortunately did not buckle.

Once the paper was fully dry, I added the second layer of pastel colours and a few details 

at places where required. In all I enjoyed using this paper. It is very reasonable too. I 

purchased it long time back but I think it should not be more than Rs 60/- a sheet.

Seascape on Blue handmade paper.

Just an experiment.

I love soft pastel medium because of its rich and vibrant colours. Moreover it is a dry

medium and one does not have to wait for it to dry. We do not need many tools around.

Just the pastels, a kneaded eraser and a sheet of paper. 

The pastel colours do not fade or crack in time. I do not have to worry about the painting

catching fungus though I still take precaution to keep Silica Gel around

my art work to absorb the moisture around.

One of my favourite Quotes

"I dream my painting and then I paint my dream." Vincent Van Gogh

The morning glow - Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

"A Picture is a poem without words" - Horace

The image as below is of a painting created from a reference photo that I clicked while we 

were at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary ( Also known as Keoladeo National park ) some years

back. It was early morning and we were in the boat that was quietly moving through the waters

in the marshy wetlands, surrounded by greenery on either sides. The weather was cold, the 

warm sunrays were perforating through the foliage and it was so very quiet. It was a lovely

place to be and is a must visit for all artists and photographers alike.

The national park is a host to more than 366 bird species. It is a major tourist centre and has

been declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. 

Using soft pastels I have tried to capture the morning glow. I have also created yet another soft

pastel painting of a beautiful scene from the same place. Shall be posting it soon.

The Morning Glow

Soft pastel paintiing on Canson ( Black ) paper

Size 6" X 9"

I have submitted this painting in the weekly challenge conducted by DPW.

I have my precious collection of photographs which I have been collecting over a period

of years. Slowly and steadily I am shortlisting them and then as the mood sets in, I paint

them. Some landscapes have been a challenge to paint so they have been

shortlisted long time back but it is now that I am daring to them one by one.

There are a few beautiful forest scenes from Matheran which I plan to do shortly.

One of them in particular has these morning rays hitting only a trunk and part of

foliage in the early morning hours. Rest of the elements in the landscape

are as if in shadow. I took that photograph with the intention of painting 

it one day. I should be painting it soon.

Soft pastel demo work on Strathmore paper

A small soft pastel demonstration done on Strathmore pastel paper during one of my recent soft pastel workshops. There is a slight fold/crumple in the paper as can be seen from the image as below. The crumpling of the paper was caused due to the wet brush which I used on the first layer of pastels in order to get an underpainting of basic colours. 

Later I went on to add more colours of similar values and a few details in the foreground. Richard McKinley, a Master Pastel Artist from America uses the underpainting technique in most of his works and I like his style a lot.

Added two small figures on the beach, taking a casual relaxed walk. Painting a seashore is a very relaxing experience and I am always looking out for more subjects based on sea. 

Small demo work in soft pastel medium

Paper used - Strathmore

Size 5" X 7"

An image of the Strathmore pastel paper pad .

It has 24 sheets of assorted colours

Image: coutesy GOOGLE.

Quotation by Einstein

"Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought."

Confluence of Sutlej and Spiti river - Himachal Pradesh

While on Himachal trip as we proceeded from Kinnaur valley towards Spiti district we came across Khab bridge as seen in the photograph below. After crossing this bridge we followed the road which led us to Nako, our next destination in Spiti district.

This is the place where the two rivers Sutlej and Spiti meet. Spiti river is on the left of the bridge and cannot be seen in the photograph.

The Khab bridge in Himachal

As we cross the bridge and move on the left we come across the view ( as painted below ) entering the Hangrang valley. With the dry barren mountains on both the sides and the road leading forward, it was interesting to paint this scene in soft pastels.The view was intensely captivating and I remember spending quite some time here revering the beauty of nature and photographing at different angles. 

I decided to paint this scene in a very loose manner without getting into too many detailed strokes. Just wanted to get the feel of the place. These small works are a big help in getting to understand mountains, rocks and skies. New subjects are always challenging and I feel it is good to break the rhythm of doing the same subject for long as it stagnates the mind.

Enroute Spiti District

Soft pastel painting

Size 6" x 8"

I have used a grey coloured Canson mi tentes paper for this pastel work and worked with very limited colours from my pastel palette.

If you are passionate about travelling and visiting beautiful places then you can read the travelogues posted in bcmtouring.com which provides a whole lot of information about some of the remote places in India not commonly visited by tourists. It will help you select a good destination for your next holiday trip. I was informed about this site when we were in Chitkul in Himachal by a group of tourists who had arrived there from Delhi.

Edgar Degas - an inspiration

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." Edgar Degas

My first set of soft pastels  MUNGYO ( 24 pastels ) was gifted to me by my husband some years
back who always surprises me by getting some new art stationery that he comes across,
knowing my passion for art. Back then I had no idea what pastels were all about.

It's only when I surfed the net, I realised that soft pastels can be used to create beautiful vibrant paintings and then began my journey of soft pastel art.

As an artist, I am inspired by lot of pastel artists and Edgar Degas is one of them. Hence I decided to dedicate a post to him. It feels good to know that paintings done in soft pastels have survived ages and are as durable as any other medium.

Edgar Degas ( 1834 - 1917 ) was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures,prints and drawings. He also was a master of soft pastels and used a unique process of boiling them ( before application ) that render his works quite distinctive. Degas is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers and many of these are rendered in pastels.The artist went a long way toward establishing pastels as a fine arts form.
Courtesy : http://www.whataboutart.org

Blue dancers by Edgar Degas

Bowing dancer by Edgar Degas

Soft pastels are created using pure pigments and a binder, hence their colours remain brilliant and last long. Moreover unlike oil paintings there is no worry about any kind of cracking or fading. Soft pastel paintings need to be framed under glass and it care has to be taken to keep it away from moisture and sunlight.

A site that I recently came across which has a whole lot of information on Edgar Degas and his works including his drawings and sculptures is Artsy.net and you are a big fan of soft pastels as a medium, you must browse through their collection. It will inspire you just as it has inspired me.

Thank you for browsing through my works.