Fun Day

This is a small painting, A4 size-- an attempt at figurative painting...But now I think i should have painted on  a bigger surface.Painting the face was tough as I had to squint to see what I was doing!Or was it my eyesight?!!
It was a photo of my son, on a sunny day in the park with his football. 

watercolour woman

A watercolour portrait after a long time! I did it from a TV grab.This lady might be a TV actress , I dont know...just liked her face hidden half in shadows as she stands in her kitchen.I did it in two sittings, using layers, unlike my previous portraits which I finish in one go.Striving to get more control.
Watercolour, A4 size cold pressed paper.

Charcoal Portrait on a whim

A Portrait of my son in charcoal...I did this to experiment some more with charcoal.It has been a dull and rainy day outside...so something to cheer myself up!
Usually I use grid  for my pencil portrait but this one was done freehand,without any measurement.
I guess I will be doing more like these, try different paper and see what emerges!
A3 size, willow charcoal on paper

More sketching...Pastel Pencils

Yesterday when I went to the library, I ran into a small but wonderful group of women who love watercolors, and were there to paint together.I joined them and had a great time...they also told me about an art shop which was very close but which I didn't know about!Later I went there to explore and found all the art material I was looking for- from paper to pencils, all under one roof! I bought some pastel paper and Derwent pastel pencils which I had been wanting to do for quite some time.This drawing is the result of that material combined with the book that I got from the library on human anatomy.I have used a light coloured paper and orange, sienna, dark brown and blue pastel pencils along with white conte stick for highlights.
This is more like the work of Derek Jones ...he is very good at these figure drawings.You can see him in my blog roll.I like his style.
Pastel pencil on tinted paper, A4 size

Sketching

Two drawings from my little sketchbook that I carry around.Top one was of a gentleman who was busy reading his papers at the library this morning-as I sat behind him with my own books...(A clothed figure- for a change; as I missed my Monday drawing session this week :))
Second one is a bit older...I did it sitting at a picnic table in our neighbourhood park while the sun was still shining.An elderly couple, enjoying the sun and having their snacks at the bench nearby.Later I used ink pen and brush on the drawing.

Pencil Sketch_A little Girl

This is the first time I have attempted to draw a dark skinned person in pencil.Its sure tough to create dark skin tones and not go overboard! For her hair I have used willow charcoal sticks, which were quite soft and smooth...Cross hatching in the background was later added to emphasis the light falling on her head.Though I must confess I am unsure about the background,Does it look good?What do you think?
Pencil and charcoal on paper
16"x12"

Figure Drawing Session

At yesterday's figure drawing session, my attempt at black paper and chalk failed miserably.Lack of contrast being one reason-- the only light that we had was reflected greyish daylight coming from the big windows coupled with two or three overhead fluorescent lights. Not really dramatic!....I switched to a more versatile medium, my colour pencils.And last two sketches were done in these- about 30 minutes each.

You are right about this being a tough job for these guys who pose for us.This guy is probably new to the job; not really used to it.He has a cute face;looks like' Hagrid' of Harry Potter because of his size and wavy long hair.He does seem a bit shy, keeps shifting, can't hold a pose comfortably for more than 15 minutes.The skinny guy in my last pose was a pro.He gave poses without prompting, sat through them in a very relax manner and even came to each of us, checking our progress - time to time...It takes guts! :)

Figure Drawing at Art Club

Some of the sketches I have been doing in my Figure Drawing sessions.As you can see, model P (plump) was more fun to draw than model S ( skinny).I have been doing these in pencil so far, but in today's session I am taking black craft paper and some colored chalk.I hope the results would be good enough for sharing here.So watch out for this space tomorrow for something new!
Have a good day

Sold _Portrait of Sherry

I am so excited to announce my first sale through this blog!This is a portrait of my blogger friend Sherry  Massey -I did it some months ago- Sherry liked it very much and today she has bought this from me.
Thank you Sherry!

'Contemplative'- pencil portrait

I have been working on pencil more and more lately, preparing for coming new years' calendar, for my sister and her husband's firm.This portrait was initially planned for the calendar, but later they changed their minds about the theme...now it has no takers- still it feels good to share it with you all.
This sketch was based on my friend Vikram's photo.Thanks, Vikram.
16"x12", pencil on acid free cartridge, 200gsm

Vivacious

A pencil portrait of my friend Harmeet, who has wanted one for a long time! She is a beautiful and self confident woman with a vivacious personality; a teacher by profession.I hope these traits reflect in this portrait.
The photo was provided by Vikram who happens to be my friend, and her husband :)
Pencil on paper, 16"x12"1

Watercolors Again

Back to colors...A practice sketch in watercolor.Still struggling with darker tones,though.
12"x9" watercolor on paper

Dreams_Pencil Portrait

The exhibit is still going on, I thank you all for your whole hearted support.To see some pics, CLICK HERE.
I haven't been sitting idle,though .I have drawn two more portraits, again the reference were provided by my photographer friend Vikram. Sharing first one here,You may find it a bit different than my previous works; the reason being a new,smoother paper resulting in smoother skin tones, and use of charcoal for darker areas.
I do hop,that you like the 'new look'!
Have a nice day.
Pencil and charcoal, A3 sized 200 gsm acid free cartridge paper.

The Exhibition

My exhibition starts from Monday, September 19th and runs for three weeks. Mostly, pencil portraits are on display and a few watercolors,too.I am hoping the that the local people like the artwork.Basingstoke is a small town and its great to be recognized here.Wish me luck, and do pop in if you are nearby.
Venue: Fairfields Art Centre, Council Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire UK.
To see some pics, click here.

Exhibition Time!

I have not mentioned it so far, but I am going to have a little exhibition of my pencil portraits in September, in Fairfields Art Centre, Basingstoke.The director of the centre is an FB friend ( whom I found when I moved here) and he invited me to have this exhibition. Isn't that great!........
There will be about a dozen portraits -this is another one which will be added to the show.
The woman in this portrait is the mom of a friend.She also taught him and my husband in high school where they went together. She is a strong willed and self assured woman- the traits which I have tried to capture in this portrait.She is also a warm and lovely person to be with.
P.S. I have been really busy in last few weeks.. have been ignoring my blogger friends, I know! Please bear with me for some time :)
Pencil on paper 16"x12"

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

Sun Kissed

                                           A new pencil portrait of a friend.
This one was a tough call - I was all tangled up in her hair and those sunglasses were a first,too...never sketched reflections in pencil before. Keeping away the thoughts of abandoning it  midway I kept going after it -- and completed it in after about 10 hours of work!I am proud of it !
Have a great Sunday :)
16"x12" 4B and 0.5 mechanical pencil on paper

Youth

Watercolor portrait of my niece.It was a bit overcast and I could not get the desired light on her face; yet her expression makes it all worthwhile.
Watercolor on paper, 12"x9"

Love

Pencil Portrait of my favorite subjects- my son with his little cousin.I would call this one a "hasty job" as I finished it in two days' span, instead of my usual 7-8 days..I hadn't worked in pencil for  long time and I worked on it -like there s no tomorrow! Could have done better with a little patience, I know :)
16"x12" mechanical pencil 0.3 and 0.7

Pristine_Portrait of a Little Girl

A leisurely Sunday, I had some time to spend with my paper and colors,finally!This cute little girl is painted from a photo of Vikram, my photographer friend.I have tried to paint in two sittings, this one- instead of my usual 'at one go' style..
watercolor on paper, 12" x9"