The Boat People in Cambodia

I have been itching to paint since I came into Phnom Penh a week ago....but just haven't had the time as there has been so much work. So I decided to take a few hours off today...and this is the result!! Actually I finished the drawing on Sunday and just did a basic wash....then just had to finish it today. I have used a photograph for the reference, besides a couple of sketches. I have only just begun to see the value of doing a small sketch, even though there is a photograph...the sketch certainly helps you to remember what you saw, especially with regards to light and shade.
Its a great country for a visit, and many images one can paint....but like India, there is also so much poverty, and so little that people subsist on!

This an old lady in Wan, the first village from where we started our trek... a steep walk where we climbed 4000 feet in 10 kms! Anyway she is the grandmother of the young mule porter who was with us, and asked us to sit in her court yard and catch our breath!
I loved the picture she made so Viveck took the photograph which I have since then painted. I love this picture. Finally I have begun to understand working with water colour a bit, and am beginning to get the tones and shade i think, and also the perspective! I am also begining to understand painting washes and not making my colours thick and muddy! Still a long way to go though!

Its been such a long time since I wrote in my blog. To start with we went on a trek to Roopkund in the Himalayas and that meant I couldn't attend my painting classes for a bit and now they are shut for a month so I have missed doing that! But am firmly back!! This was the last still life I painted before class shut. I enjoyed putting in a dark backgriound....the red was good. Still havent quite got the hang of painting fabrics! But guess practice will help.

I'm supposed to practice drawing so tried to draw Flea using a 4B pencil...Found I loved the drawing bit...and will probably work to develop this while I learn to paint. I can see how capturing tones in pencil, helps focus on tones and hues while using paints. So I am busy drawing everything in sight!!!!
I am beginning to get the hang of showing perspective in my work now, and also capturing light and shadows.
Still feel that the work is too 'heavy'. Need to get the transparency of water colour!

I decided to just paint a 'still life' for practice....but this came out so well and didn't take too much time to do either. Viveck thinks this is one of my better ones!

More Art!

This was a challenge to do...had to try and capture the transparency of the bottles, the reflections...But I was keen as I think the composition is great as the blue bottle just adds that bit of colour!
Painting folds in cloth is a real challenge and I still need a lot of practice.

Habib says to master any form of art one has to practice painting still life. I Must say I am beginning to agree with him. Last week was a disaster, and I think possibly because I am still learning, but also I didn't like what I had to paint. This week has been great. I loved painting my wooden spoons in Ma's old white jug...and the checked jharan. .Today at class we decided on an arrangement of fruit, which proved a challenge, but I loved it.
I find I look forward to my afternoons now, not to sleep, but to paint!!!!