Rainy day - a pastel painting ( Karla - near Lonavala )

While on our visit to Lonavala recently, we went for a drive to Karla. Being rainy season the lush greenary was enchanting. I took couple of photographs ( with the intention of creating Landscape paintings ) and the pastel painting below is the first one which I have done from my reference photograph.

This one did look so complicated but I wanted to give it a try. As I do more of my landscapes, I come across situations where it makes me think, about the colours, the depth and slowly and steadily I find that things do get sorted out. I am also working on few more pastel works, mainly landscapes.

Rainy day in Karla

Pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Soft pastel painting of landscape at CHITKUL ( Himachal Pradesh )

Once again referring to my photograph taken during Himachal trip, I created a soft pastel painting of

Landscape as seen at CHITKUL. Chitkul is a beautiful small village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh and I have already mentioned about it in one of my earlier posts. 

The rocks, trees and the surrounding mountains, all add up to the beauty of the place and it seems like a perfect destination for nature lovers. I have used my entire collection of soft pastels as I needed all possible colours I could lay my hands on. Apart from using my soft pastels I have also used my PRIMO charcoal pencil at certain places to create the branches of trees.

As for the paper, I continue to use my recently purchased black colour FABRIANO TIZIANO paper. 

In the shadows

Soft pastel painting on Fabriano Tiziano paper

Size 6" X 9" ( Excluding the mountboard )

The Fabriano Tiziano paper is available in FLIPKART. I also use Canson Mi Tentes paper which is available at The Art Lounge at Churchgate.

Pastel painting from a reference photograph

Finally I indulged in a pastel painting after a very long time. Pastel medium is one of my favourite mediums. It is very versatile and gets done much faster as compared to canvas and charcoal work.

The photograph I used as a reference for this particular painting was clicked by my son while we were holidaying in COORG. I particularly liked the perspective of the tree and its exposed roots. A very different composition from my normal previous works.

 It looked pretty simple to begin with but as I progressed I realised that it had too many details and finally I landed up using my MUNGYO, KOH-I-NOOR and GALLERY pastels too. A challenging photograph always helps in learning new lessons. I enjoyed doing this painting and am working on my next pastel painting which too is from my reference photograph taken at Himachal Pradesh.

The Mighty one

Soft Pastel painting on FABRIANO TIZIANO paper

size 6.5" X 9" ( Excluding the mountboard )

For this particular work I have used Fabriano paper but for my other works I shall continue using Canson Mi Tentes paper as well. Both the papers I find are good for creating pastel works.

I have used Winsor and Newton fixative after blocking in the values in the first layer. Normally after the last layer I avoid adding further fixative as it dulls the colours.

Climbing the slope - oil painting on 6" X 6" canvas

Created a hilly landscape using Camel Oil paints. Another of my COORG landscape painting ( From my personal collection of photographs ) is almost getting complete and I will be posting the image soon.

I have also been working lately on mixed media canvas paintings which can be browsed in my other blog www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in

Climbing the slope

Oil Painting on 6" X 6" canvas

Painting a waterfall in oils

Another of my 6" X 6" canvas painting. This is my first waterfall painting done in oils. In charcoals and pastels its all about movement of pencil and chalks and the blending is a different technique altogether. But in painting with acrylics and oils its a whole lot about mixing the colours right, getting the strokes right and a lot of experimenting to get the values right. I enjoyed doing this work. Added three layers of colours ( Camel artists quality oil tubes )

The Fall

Oil painting on canvas

Available for sale

Art Quote

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."

Michelangelo

Courtesy: www.brainyquote.com

The Coniferous trees of Chitkul ( Himachal Pradesh ) - Charcoal Painting

Past few days have gone busy in

• Creating mixed media works for my blog www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in
• Trying to complete my pending charcoal painting of Niagara Falls
• Trying out different landscapes in acrylics and oils

While all the above is going on, I just about managed to take out a little time to Create a small charcoal sketching of Landscape as seen at Chitkul, a small village in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. We were there for our summer vacations last year. The place is nothing short of a paradise. Beautiful white rocks, huge coniferous trees and Baspa river flowing through the village. Perfect place to be close to nature.

I have used my reference photo for the sketching and in particular, loved the light and shadow play

on the foliage in the foreground. It is always a great feeling to be able to create a painting of a place that you have been to and it brings all happy memories attached to it. 

Chitkul Landscape

Charcoal sketching on Canson Ca grain paper ( 180 gsm )

Size 4" X 5.5" ( Excluding the mountboard )

Narkanda - Hatu peak. A painting done from reference photograph

Continuing with my 6" X 6" series of acrylics and oils , I used my reference photograph from Himachal Tour. Hatu Peak stands at 11,000 feet, 5 kms away from a small town in Narkanda. The view around was heavenly. The huge rocks around were piled up and created beautiful compositions. I had to edit my original photograph to get the composition that I was looking for.

Hatu Peak

Acrylic painting on canvas

Size 6" X 6"

I have used Camel artists acrylic tubes in order to create the above painting.

Getting back to my 6" X 6" canvas paintings - Landscape art works

Back to my 6" X 6" canvas paintings. 

However, unlike my initial works which were based on still life subjects, this time I have decided to get into doing landscapes. I am using both acrylic as well oils in creating these small works from reference photographs.

Two Landscape paintings created on 6" X 6" canvas

Acrylic and oil medium on canvas

Art Quotation

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things 

I had no words for." By  Georgia O'Keeffe

Ginger- still life painting in oils

Posted below is the image of a small 6" X 6" oil painting of ginger. In fact I created this painting quite some back when I was doing a series on fruits and vegetables. This particular painting needed a little touch up , which I did recently. 

Of late I have also been involved in doing lot of mixed media works which can be seen on my other blog www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in.

 Ginger

Oil painting on 6" X 6" canvas.

You can find similar still life acrylic and oil works in my earlier posts. The image below is of a few works which are presently put up on my kitchen wall. It adds a lot of colour and life into my home and I love these small works a lot as one can put them in groups of two or three or many together.

Any combination works.

Still life fruit and vegetable paintings.

Drop of water...............in charcoal

Placing a drop of water on a leaf, created a charcoal painting of the same capturing its shadow and the highlight created by sunlight. Painting from a live subject always helps to observe and analyse the details which I find is missing in photographs.

The pencils used for creating this charcoal painting are

• Camel soft charcoal pencil
• Conte A Paris charcoal pencil
• PRIMO charcoal pencil ( General Company )

Also used my usual blending tools at certain places.

Drop of water

Charcoal painting on Canson Ca grain paper.

The Canson Ca grain paper is textured paper and is quite good for charcoal work.

Water colour painting of a tree on handmade paper

Using my personal reference photograph created this water colour painting. ( This tree stands in one of the silent and less crowded lanes near my complex and I carried my camera to photograph a few of them. )

The first layer was created using wet on wet technique, blocking in the values. Once it dried up used wet on dry technique to complete the painting. 

For the first layer I used my usual camel water colour tubes. For the second layer I decided to add Winsor and Newton water colours which are pretty bright and dark colours.

Barks and Boughs

Water colour painting on Indian hand made paper

Creating mixed media works for my ETHNIKHOMEDECOR blog

Past few days,I have been busy creating a few mixed media works on canvas using textures and acrylic paints. My mixed media and other ethnic works can be viewed in blog www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in

6" X 6" mixed media canvas paintings

Representing trees and forests.

These works when put together in groups of two, three or more add lots of colour and life to the room.

Charcoal painting of Rocks, water and reflections ( Langkawi Island )

While on a KILIM Geoforest Tour  ( Langkawi Island ) we were taken to this beautiful isolated beach which had these beautiful huge rocks , some tree growths around and a little ripple in the waves. The water was clear and transparent exposing the submerged rocks.The entire scene was mesmerising. 

Presently I have done this painting using charcoal on Fabriano Academia paper but later I wish to do the same painting using soft pastels as I feel the need to capture the beauty in colours too. Charcoal painting takes me a lot more number of hours as compared to other mediums but I love this medium a lot and do not want to ever give up on it. 

Rocks, water and reflections

Charcoal painting on Fabriano Academia paper.

Available for sale

"One paints as one draws - Ingres"

I came across this quotation in one of the floral painting books which is a part of my ART BOOKS collection. There is an entire chapter devoted on "how drawing and sketching play an important role in day to day painting". Over a period of time and with whatever experience I have had so far I too feel that drawing and sketching play a KEY role in painting process. Hence I devote a lot of time to my sketchings even today. 

If you like mixed media and textured art works then please visit my blog

www.ethnikhomedecor.blogspot.in 

to view my ethnic and mixed media art works. My second blog was inactive for a very long time but I have started adding works there. If you have any inquiry pertaining to sale of my works please write to me at manjupanchal@hotmail.com

or contact me at 0091-22-9820683983

Putting together some of the works done during CHARCOAL WORKSHOP

Images of few charcoal paintings done by participants who attended my recently held Charcoal Workshop. It has been TWO FUN FILLED days. 

Everytime there is a workshop I look forward to meeting new people. The bonding is instant as art has no language. I get to meet people of all age groups and it feels real good to see everyone doing a subject in such a different way. The individual technique evolves slowly. I show my way, but eventually each participant tries out in his/her way and the works then look different and IT SHOULD.

Those who are really passionate about art, stay connected even after the workshop is over and by regularly discussing art and ideas become a source of motivation for one another.

Collection of charcoal paintings done during 

Charcoal workshop

The charcoal workshop basically introduces the participants to the WORLD of charcoal paintings. They learn about the tools and papers used for charcoal sketchings. They get to see the demo works and then later themselves  four different painting on different subjects like rocks, mountains, seascape, still life etc.This way they get the feel of the medium. From here on all that they need to move on further is a lot of practice, patience and dedication.

"One painting a day would just do fine."