From doodles to final painting - stage by stage approach.

sometimes my original paintings are based on ideas generated from random and quick doodles done in fun way. here's an example how the idea was conceived for the watercolor painting 'Deep in the woods'.

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Another WIp post.

Few stages with added notes of a recent sketch i did live from our kitchen window of the street in front couple of days back.

Kindly click on the image to view a bigger version. I would like to hear your feedback. kindly leave a message!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Doodling fun cars.

It is doodling time with fun colors!! Tried some vehicle sketches again after a long time and I always have fun doing these where I can be free of any real expectations and just see what is evolving in the paper itself by putting line after line.

medium: permanent ink with felt tip sketch pen
size: 4" H x 6" W
time: 10 min approx. each
source: fun!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Let's catch a little Sun

This is the first painting of 2013, done in watercolor. This work is available for purchase.

medium: watercolor
size: 14" H x 9" W

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Effiel tower in Bangalore

Lal bagh [the botanical garden] in the heart of the Bangalore city organizes and showcases this beautiful flower show twice a year, in the month of January and August with exclusive and exotic flowers, plants and floral decorations. During these days it attracts hundreds and thousands of people from all the over the country and abroad also to view this unique event in the glass-house premise. Though it is any sketchers' paradise to do live sketching of these beautiful flowers, its actually impossible to do so because of the pack crowd. even photographers have hardly any place to get a good angle :)! I happened to visit Lal bagh last Thursday and to my surprise this Eiffel Tower made of thousands of of white and red roses with some green leaves still stood there from the exhibition even after it has ended few days earlier. though the flowers have dried up and changed their color, it was still the best thing to sketch there that day with much less crowd. however I was interrupted many times as i was surrounded by group of visiting students in that sketching session, but that's a part of experience for any on location sketching and painting :)!

medium; watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 1 1/2 hrs approx.
source: live
thanks for viewing!!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Vegetable series in watercolor

some recent adventures with watercolors. i thought of working with simple still life setup using vegetables. these whole series was quite fun and colorful!! hopefully i will work more on these...:)!!

medium: watercolor on 300 gms cold press brustro paper
size: 7" x 7"
source: live

kindly click on the images for bigger and better viewing!!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved 

Late afternoon mood

I love observing the sky and how much mood it can create in an artwork, love the various colors its reflects back and specially in the evening when the sun is going to set. in this view, I was interested how portion of the evening sky was similar in color as the structure itself.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min approx
source: live

Thanks for viewing!!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved 

Sketching at Childrens park

almost couple of years back i went to this park which has an attached children playing area, for my very first outdoor sketching with few of my friends on an early morning wintery sunday. i had no clue what to choose and what to sketch as i was too overwhelmed, though i remember i managed to do couple of sketches and i was thrilled! after that i never went to this park again though this is not far away from my home. i went there again yesterday in the evening and it was very nice to see the children playing and accompanied by their parents and grand parents. i had to do this sketch very quickly as the sun was going down behind the trees.

medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 45 min. approx.
source: live

thanks for viewing.

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

The corn sketch

Again I had to restrict myself to sketch something small element as it was already dark in the evening and I could not go out. luckily i had this corn and thought it will be nice to study this in watercolor :)!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 70 min approx.
source: live

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved 

Early morning drive in wintery Delhi

This one is somewhere in between a sketch and a painting :) or rather it went a little beyond a normal sketch, which most probably i will make a much larger version. it is more of a study and experimentation of various aspects.

Thanks a lot Sawan for sharing the beautiful pic u clicked and allowing me to paint :)!! Hope u liked this version too!!

water color on 300gsm cold press fabriano paper
size: 6 1/2" x 9 1/2"
source: from a reference picture.

thank you very much for viewing!

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved 

From the roof

 

this view is on my roof. it got my attention because of how different kind of shapes, lines and angles are created by these two structures and the lovely foreground shadow created by the water tank. and its a pleasure to sit on the roof underneath this shadow in the late afternoon with cool breeze blowing.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 75 Min approx.
source: live  

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

Another two sketches

Oops! I spilled the shadow :)! Almost every time I struggle when I have to sketch something after dark, as I have to be restricted with something small and artificial light somehow doesn't interest me as much as natural sunlight, however its something better than doing nothing. also sketching white element is always fascinating to me as I can explore the colors beyond what it may actually consists :)!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx
source: live

It was very pleasing with cool breeze to sit down on roof on a late afternoon. though I had something else in mind to sketch that day, I saw this little faucet catching a glimpse of the sun creating beautiful tonal values and shapes is not it great to get inspired by interesting shapes rather than fixed subjects!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx.
source: live


thanks for viewing!! 

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

The first watercolor from 2013!

My first water color of 2013. yah, its been almost 2 weeks and I had been busy with some commission paintings and I had to get involved doing sketches to loosen up from those commission works. finally I could begin working on own water color pieces for this year and here it is :)!!

medium: watercolor on 300 gms, cold press fabriano paper
size: 9 1/4" x 13 1/2"
source: from a reference pic provided by smitha.

Kindly click on the image below for a bigger and better version. thanks for viewing :)!

 

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 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved

every kitchen's friend, well almost :)! its been in almost everybody family for past few decades now although it has been replaced by the pipe cooking gas, it still remains the main contender. it comes in various sizes, and shapes however this the most common one u can have a sight on.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx
source: live

the major wip stages of the cylinder watercolor sketch i did couple of weeks back. hope this helps!

a feedback is very much welcome, i would love to hear about it. thank you all :)!


kindly click on the image to view a bigger version.

© dhruba mazumder, 2013

fun with colors! experimenting with new mediums on my left over pages of last year's sketchbook and it seems fun so far. these are camel transparent photo colors and very very intense. first i splashed some colors on a randomly wet page and let it dry. once dried, i sketched this view with pental brush pen from live. than i added few more colors on specific areas, like the foliage and roof to define them more.

medium: pental brush pen and transparent photo color wash
size: 7" x 10"
time: may be 1 1/2hrs for the whole sketch in 3 different installment :)
source: live.

 

in this picture u can see the splashes. in the middle section or page, i have already sketched the structure and the trees on top of the base splash which started the similar way with random splashes as the right side page. unfortunately i lost the 1st stage picture from my comp. in the left picture i added few more colors and enhanced the tonal values to define some element like the roofs, some walls and the foliage.

 

 

something which always fascinates me to sketch from any angle. the three wheeler or auto-rickshaw which is available for hire in every small corner of this country.

medium: ink and watercolor wash on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 45 min approx.
source: live

a detailed study of a floral mural pattern on a house wall. i think i will do this again in monochrome to understand the brilliant forms.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 40 min approx.
source: live

 

a suburban cattle shed somewhere in front of my house, well not exactly, which i can see everyday. a weathered, worn out structure is always artist's fascinations as it holds so much of character and if this has been added with late afternoon sunlight, then i think hardly any artist can resist the temptation to make an expression of it in one's own visual language. so here's my attempt :)!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min approx.
source: live

this was sketched just in front of my house. i wanted to sketch this almost at the end of the day just before the sun goes down as at those moments light is always very nice and glowing and the shadow is really interesting too. so i did the line work initially and observed for few days at what time i should start the sketch and reach that special time of the day when i can capture the shadows. at this hour of the day, sun moves very quickly and shadow fades away in minutes. i am glad finally i could capture this working in couple days with breaks, a nice experience!!

medium: waterproof gel ink on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min approx total
source: live

this is showing the initial line work and the loose watercolor wash on top it. 

the food grain carrier. there's a big storage area of Food Corporation of India just across the street of where i stay and every morning these trucks will line up to go in and come back loaded with the food grain sacks. they will wait for sometime before making there journey's to their destinations. this one caught my attention because of the beautiful sun and shadow it was casting with its loads. to add on this, while sketching this [about 65 %], there was a monkey attack :)!! these two monkey came and entered my house and took out some potatoes, a pack of flour and peanuts and was not moving at all for an hour. they also drank and threw away my water sources of painting! finally when they left, the truck has already gone. so i had to finish the rest of this sketch from my memory. i am glad that i had put enough input in this sketch already before the drama began.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min approx. with breaks
source: live

the great indian presuure cooker :). every household's essential cooking friend. if it is not there in the kitchen it is not complete. i think almost every single coking place in India has this in various sizes from tiny little to the huge ones!! it was a good exercise to study reflective metals, tonal values and subtle changes of hues.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min arpprox.
source: live in the kitchen

one of the many fruit sellers at the neighborhood weekly suburban market. they come in their vehicle loaded with all these colorful fruits and set up the same as a makeshift shop, i think they keep going to different localities 7 days a week! i loved these weekly markets that are held in different parts and corners and mostly i guess outskirts of the city. they are very colorful and full of characteristic. this weekly market is just 5 min walk away from my home and is held on every thursday. i went to this market few times before and always thought of sketching the next time i visit again. today, i took my sketchbook and colors and did couple of sketches. and it was a very nice experience as i was working with two sketches at the same time as either one of the subject will be blocked by crowd or vehicle!! btw, i bought some vegetables also :)!!

medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 45 min approx.
source: live

sugarcane juice seller at the neighborhood local weekly rural market.
 
medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 45 min approx.
source: live

the moment i saw this picture, i felt like sketching it and that also in a very loose way. thanks again Sawan for sharing this picture from your parents place at bangalore.

medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor wash on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min approx
source: from a reference picture

another two great tools for water color artist. a garden or plant sprayer and a common body sprayer recycled into a mist atomizer. they are handy to spray over the paper while working on dry condition to keep the paper moist, hence buying more time to work on watercolor washes keeping them wet. they also are very handy to create texture by spraying water on freshly laid washes. the mist atomizer is also very useful to fill with liquid water colors and directly use as a spray painting tool creating nice forms and textures! u can have few of them filled with different colors and have fun!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
duration: 60 min approx
source: live

a small sketch from a beautiful reference picture shot at Varanashi by Shruti.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx
source: from a reference picture

well, its a simple hair drier. but an important tool for watercolor artists as it can speed up the painting process, specially when the weather is damp and the paper takes long time to dry from those initial washes. it can also be used to control the amount of blending between colors on paper by quickly drying them. this one is a very cheap model bought couple of years back and has two speed. works fine for me. though this may look strange as an artist tool, its a nice companion and so i thought its good to make an sketch of this too :)!

medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx
source: live

yesterday, i almost missed my daily sketch [i am hoping to do at least 1 sketch a day :)] as the day quickly passed by while i painted a watercolor. i somehow dont find much inspiration to sketch at home, specially at night as i love to go out and sketch on location. i still had to find something to do a quick sketch before diner and here it is, the bell peppers! i wished i had the other colored ones too. may be next time i will add the yellow and the red ones too :).

medium: waterproof gel ink on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx.
source: as u can see, live :)!!

yesterday, i replaced the original watercolor cakes in my plein air watercolor box with freshly squeezed colors from tube. the original cakes were too dry. i had to add too much of water to make them moist resulting in weak washes eventually taking more layers to reach the certain level of dark tones. it makes the colors appear dull and not fresh. i added the basic primary colors in both warm and cool temperatures, the earth colors and couple of extra ones like payen's grey, sepia, a green [which i hardly use as i mix green from the primary colors] and kept the white cake intact. hope these colors will be better to use on location maintaining freshness. the two brushes are cheap synthetic round brushes but forms very nice points, size: 10 and 6 and on the right is the Reynolds waterproof gel pen i use.

medium: waterproof gel ink and watercolor wash on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 mins approx.
source: live

the pedal boats for hire at Ulsoor lake. i have again realized few days back, how beautiful it is to sit there on the steps of this lake in the heart of Bangalore and enjoy the reflected afternoon sunlit water, the pedal boats and to view the defense personals' everyday routine practice of their sail boats, rowing and kayaking activities. i was thinking initially to spend an hour there before i had to visit a post office regarding the parcel, however i loved so much being there that i ended up viewing a beautiful sunset! if u have some free time to spare in the afternoon somewhere nearby, pls step in to this beautiful place and enjoy the setting sun with a cup of tea. well i did not have the tea but did couple of sketches. btw, apart from the green wooden boat, all the other ones there went for a paddle and returned while i was sketching this. its a nice part of outdoor sketching :)!

medium: waterproof ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min approx.
source: live

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 25 min approx.
source: live

this is sketched on a late afternoon in front of my home. i am always fascinated by the glowing late afternoon light and the long shadows it casts when the sun is going down at the end of the day. had to work very quickly also as the sun moves so quickly.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 45 min approx
source: live

for the last couple of days, i had a good experience of trying to track and following a parcel  sent to me by cipa from romania and i was going from one postal office to another postal office to find its where about. finally i went to the foreign parcel office at Museum Road, Bangalore. it has a very old building along with its new customer care section building. this structure is very old [no idea yet about the year of construction though] and it is very beautiful with its walls and specially the tiled roofs. i had to wait there during the lunch hour and i did this sketch during that time. i was very happy to utilize the time in a nice and pleasant way sketching peacefully under a tree :)!

medium: pental brush pen on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 40 min approx, added few washes later on
source: live

this was more of an experimentation with colors rather than trying to paint a subject. sometime bak i read a comment by another artist that using or dropping some complimentary colors while still wet creates nice vibrancy [cant remember the exact words] and i think it is true. i dropped blues and purples on orange and yellows and it seems to work nice!

medium: waterproof ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 25 min approx for the sketch. added the texts from web later on
source: live

i had been working on a watercolor commission project for almost 1 1/2 half month since the 4th week of november '12 and on the 7th of jan '13, when the final delivery was over, i really needed a break to do some on location sketches. so i went towards cubon park and did couple of sketches which was very refreshing.

the first sketch i the statue of Sri Chamarajendra Wadiyar Bahadur, Maharaja of Mysore 1881 - 1894 at cubbon park, bangalore. sketched on 7th Jan '13 afternoon. i was thinking of sketching this for quite some time now and i am glad i did it!!
 
 medium: water color on sketchbook
size: 5 3/4" x 8"
time: 60 min
source: live

 
then i moved further and did the 2nd sketch of the day, the state central library @ cubbon park, bangalore. the sun was going down for the day and i am glad i could manage is just in time. the afternoon ended with a satisfied note!!

medium: water color on sketchbook
size: 8" x 5 3/4"
time: 60 min
source: live

i also started the new sketchbook gifted to me by urban sketcher and watercolor artist from Singapore, Madhu Kumar and this sketchbook works fairly well with wet mediums.

the new year 2013 started with a nice skethwalk in the afternoon starting from Brigade road-M.G. Road juncture ending at Government Museum at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Bangalore. Madhu Kumar from Singapore visited the city and wanted to sketch together for a day and it was pleasure to meet such nice person and prolific Urban Sketcher and watercolor artist who currently stays and works in Singapore and a native of Mysore. i had to wait for him for about 40 minutes as i reached a little earlier and thought of sketching the metro station at the mg road. i added the colors later on at home.

medium: waterproof gel ink with water color on Aowen sketchbook
size: 10 1/4" x 8 1/4"
time: 30 approx. min for ink & 45 min approx. for watercolor.

then we walked further towards Cubon park and stopped in front of Bible Society. we both sketched the Oriental building at M.G. Road. which houses an office of Life Insurance Corporation of India. my 2nd sketch of the afternoon sketch walk of 01-01-2013. we were joined by another fellow sketcher from bangalore, Adithya BN.
 
 medium: watercolor in 300 gsm, cold press brustro paper
size: 9" x 6 1/4"
time: 60 mins approx
source: live

then me and madhu moved towards the Government Museum at Kasturba Gandhi Marg, Bangalore. my 3rd sketch of the day on 1st of jan '13 afternoon sketchwalk.

medium: waterproof ink and watercolor wash on 270 gsm matte textured watercolor pad.
size: 9 3/4" x 7"
time: 45 approx. [added the texts back at home later on :)]

source: live

we ended our sketch walk at the government museum as it got dark and it was a nice experience to sketch along with madhu and adithya on a pleasant afternoon of 1st january '13. we also discussed about various art materials and art. madhu gifted me a nice sketchbook and couple of brush pens too! i hope too see and sketch along with him again in future!!