Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Another World _ Landscape in Watercolor

I could have called it "A Figment of My Imagination" also!Its a small landscape, my baby steps- you could say. I started with the sky.Then added the horizon line and a little house with some green dropped in wet in wet. As I worked the horizontal line turned into a nice slope, makes it all more interesting.What do you think?
Watercolor 10"x7"

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Watercolor Answers

Yesterday's visit to local library proved exceptionally fruitful...I was in a hurry and picked two watercolor books randomly'without even looking at the contents. But later that evening when I started flipping pages of  "The Watercolor Answer Book" by seasoned artist Catherine Anderson , I couldn't put it down before I finished reading every chapter.
Usually I am not a big fan of books as learning source, they are just the step-by-step demonstration of how an artist arrived at a particular result...but this book was different.It was like- a real person was answering all your question and clearing your doubts.This was a 1999 addition, I am sure she must have written more by now.I have to look.But I must confess that her book inspired me enough to try my hand at landscapes- I have been petrified of them-not knowing how to approach the subject.Lets hope something good comes out of this.
Working on a commissioned painting.A friend in Basingstoke has asked me to paint her husband with her two twin boys as a birthday gift.Its coming along well ; I believe I can share it with you tomorrow ( she is not a follower of my blog, so there should not be any issues!)
Have a lovely day, all of you!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Dusk and Dawn

"Dusk and Dawn"
Watercolor on 300 gsm watercolor paper
14"x10"
Last evening's work.Horses are such magnificent animals- powerful, yet gentle; a joy to paint.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Deer, Deer....

"Deer,Deer"
14"x10"
Watercolor on cold pressed watercolor paper
More splashing of colors...

Monday, June 18, 2012

Little Lamb

"Little Lamb"
12"x9"
watercolor on paper
A happy little lamb...hope you like him!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Buying Ice Cream

"Buying Ice Cream"
Pencil on Smooth Paper
12"x16"
Last evening I completed this pencil piece.The picture is not that great because of overcast skies here, I hope you can see the details.I will try to take another picture which shows the details later....
Have a great Sunday.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Manu _ Revisited

I have been into 'experiment mode' lately.Usually I like my watercolors to be quick and spontaneous, but I was wondering if I was missing something. May be working more patiently and with layers would produce better results? So I gave it a try.Susan Harrison does realistic watercolors and she suggests a method that involves working in sections and 'priming' the paper every time."Priming' here means giving a double wash of clear water everytime you put a color wash in an area.Then letting the paper dry completely before putting colors in it again..Well the task was daunting to me, being an impatient one, but I wanted to see if the colors are absorbed more in this way, as Susan suggests.
I found out that going the whole way was not possible for me as I lost patience after putting two washes on her face.Than I reverted back to my own style to create details in her face, wet in wet.I painted the hair in my style, in one go, combining wet and dry brush.
Results? The colors do get absorbed more of you prime the paper again and again.It wont be lifted easily.But really I can't wait for the paper to dry after every wash! I think its better to combine both methods and create a new one :)
This is my niece Manu, an old photo of her.I have painted it before; even made a pencil portrait of it.But she is so beautiful,I am never tired of painting her!
Watercolor 14"x10"

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

On My Drawing Board

This is a complex piece which has been sitting on my drawing board since last week.In fact I think I have already put in about 8-10 hours on it and its still 40-45% complete!
It was a picture that I had taken in the local park's ice cream kiosk on one of the Sundays last month.This group of four boys huddled together near the stall, deciding which ice creams to buy- they looked so cute, I immediately knew it would make a great painting....but since the kiosk was under a shade , painting this scene in watercolors did not look promising...so I compromised on a drawing.
I have not been doing much pencil work lately - prime reason being the issue of 'creativity'.Is creating a sketch from a reference photo can be called "art"? I can't decide.When I looks at the works of some really good pencil artists, it does excite! But I do get disheartened when people say 'well ..its good, but its not original art '!
Well I am doing it because I love doing it - is that reason enough? :)
Graphite pencil on smooth paper A3 size

Monday, June 11, 2012

Different Strokes

 A lazy weekend......it was raining outside so we all just lazed around.Both guys being home, not much scope for my painting.But Arjun had a project involving art and he hates to draw - so the drawing part was outsourced to me while he did the coloring , eventually :) We made a Totem Pole for his RE class project.
Here he poses proudly with his Totem....
 I painted this piece on Friday, though. Wanted to paint  a woman with a hat, so here it goes...not much detail, all rounded up within an hour!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Brian

This is a watercolor portrait of Brian.Brian is no more in this world, sadly; having passed away some six years ago at the age of just 22.His mom Kim commissioned his portrait after seeing the kids' portrait I recently did for my dear  friend Sherry,as they both work together.
I have shipped the portrait today and hope that Kim feels at peace to see her beloved son looking down at her whenever she looks at this.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Anita RIP

Yesterday I came to hear the sad news that Anita, the wife of an old colleague and friend, passed away on last Friday due to cancer.She was my age and had two kids.My heart goes out to her family and makes me ponder over the fragility of life.... I met her about 18 years ago when  life was just beginning for us. Her husband was my colleague and we were neighbors too.I had made a pencil portrait of her back then -she loved it and had kept it with her for all these years.
Yesterday her husband wrote to me and requested to make another portrait of her for him.I feel honored to do this portrait of a beautiful woman, a mother and a wife.Goodbye, Anita.