Charcoal again - Trees at Tolly

Viveck practiced golf at the Tolly, while I sat trying to understand all I had read about 'value' and the 'colour wheel' and discussed with Naffy, whose advice is to not try and spend too much time on the theory, but just practice and 'play around' with my water colours!! So since I hadnt brought the watercolours, decided to 'play around' with the charcoal instead! Have picked up a piece of charcoal after a very long time and am pleased with the effect. I think its happened today because I love trees and find charcoal a terrific medium to capture the grandeur, the lights and shadows, the moods.

Starting the New Year

We are into the New Year! Its a time for me to reflect on all thats gone by and make plans for the coming year. Its a funny sort of time too as I seem to get a lot more reflective at the end of the year and feelings are mixed. At one level I am filled with some regret when I look back on all the things I had thought I would do, friends I would connect with, all my little projects I would finish but have not managed to yet, and at another level the excitement and anticipation of a fresh new year to start with new thoughts and new resolutions! However all in all, it has been an exciting year though, Tash and Suj have got married, we have travelled a lot and a prsonal triumph at being able to climb up to Roopkund! VAANI too seems to be getting sorted...so it is with gratitude and thankfulness that I start this New Year
Am going to convert this blog into a more personal one where I can write my thoughts and musings...

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!