Zebra and the Donkey

Painted this cute donkey form an old picture that I took in a local farm.More use of my new deep scarlet , as you can see! It goes so well with the purple; doesn't it?

Donkey in a Barn 16''x12''

Painted on 17/02/2017

I do try to paint a zebra in black and white but it doesn't work and I always end up using a color.This time it was Deep Shadow Violet by Daniel Smith.I added Payne's Grey for darker areas.No black, after all.

Shadow Violet Zebra

12''x16''

Painted on 24/02/2017

Shades of Gray in Pencil

Carbon Pencil on Canson Bristol Smooth

15"x12"

I love drawing in pencil but I hate the sheen of graphite .This artwork was an experiment, as I tried carbon pencil instead to bring out more contrast and more life.I think carbon worked better than graphite (though less easy to control- they are not as smooth)It would be difficult to do a child's face, for instance; using carbon pencils!Thus,I chose this elephant .The texture of his skin gave me a lot to try different techniques.Another reason was to get a better understanding of its anatomy.Now I know each and every line on this gentle giant's head ....:) It would be a lot easier to paint it in watercolor now.

Took me about 25 hours or so, but in the end I am happy with the results.

As for my smooth skinned subjects, I might have to experiment some more- may be find a new paper!

Monochromatic Portrait Study

Payne's Grey Value Study

12"x9"

This monotone watercolor study was painted in an hour's time.Reference picture was an archive one , a street vendor from India.His rugged features depict the tough life he leads.This was a quick one;I may sketch him again in graphite- at some point.

Grandma

This is a portrait of the granny of my friend Vikram.She has a beautiful face and is quite vivacious for her age!It was drawn from a photo taken by him. Her flowing white hair made this imade a perfect choice for a black and white sketch.I did it more like 'negative sketching'...the hair strands were created by erasing only.
Graphite pencil on A3 paper

White Rose in Pencil

The rose is beautiful in any form, so I though it would look good in pencil drawing,too! Started this drawing about two months ago, than abandoned it halfway (too much work, and my patience was thinning!) But finally decided to push it - and here it is!The background has multiple layers of grapic pencils, so that the flower stands out.Pencil art is a lot of hard work and I am finding it more and more tough to handle since I started watercolors--as watercolors are instantly gratifying .
.....Anyway, pencil drawing has its own charm, and like a mother of two, I can't really say which one is my favourite:) I can't recall how many hours were spent on this piece- may be 20 or more!
16"x12" Graphic pencil on cartrige paper