Last sketch of 2014

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Last sketch of the year 2014. Thought of not sketching today until almost the daytime was over when heart took over mind and decided to finish the year with one more sketch. Also took the advantage of testing the brush my wifey has recently sent to me. It's a Pro Arte Prolene 101, size 16 synthetic brush, however very soft to work with, holds good volume of wet pigment and comes to a brilliant point to paint those sharp corners with ease. Very happy the way it has responded. Wish you all a very Happy and Colorful New Year, 2015!

Thanks a lot again wifey for this brilliant gift!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W
Time: 60 min.
Source: from own photo reference.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Bird sketches from Guwahati.

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These birds were sketched on location. I sketched the black kites on the right page in the Guwahati Zoological Park, Assam a few months back. The cranes on left page were sketched only with few graphite lines at the Dighali Pukhuri, Guwahati as they were looking for small fishes and insects a little in front of me while I was doing another sketch. Yesterday, I thought of adding some colors to them and ended up putting them in an imaginary scenario!

Medium: watercolor and graphite on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Source: live, added the colors for the cranes at home.

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 © Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Skyscape sketching

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After last couple of days of gloomy atmosphere, The beautiful sky and the sunny weather of Bangalore today has inspired me to do this quick sketch. The sky was beautiful, clear blue and big clouds hanging around. Added the imaginative landscape to complete the picture!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W
Time: 30 min.
Source: live & imagination

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 © Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Sketching at Venkatappa Gallery and Government Museum

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It's a gloomy and cold day today here in Bangalore. The Sun is hardly showing its face. Went to Venkatappa Gallery and Government Museum to sketch with few others and did this sketch early in the morning. It was great to meet many sketching people there on the last Sunday of this year!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Time: 60 min.
Source: Live

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My second sketch from today at Venkatappa Gallery and Government Museum, Bangalore. It has a nice lotus pond with a bridge across it.

 

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 8" W
Time: 60 min.
Source: Live

 

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Sketching at Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park

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Today's sketching effort at Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park, Bangalore. Doing that quick and small tonal value sketch before starting the colored one was more than valuable.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Time: 90 min.
Source: Live

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The 2nd sketch of the day at Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park, Bangalore. Done very quickly just to capture some tonal values and aerial perspective in the late afternoon sun.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Time: 30 min.
Source: Live

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

 

Plein air sketching at NGMA, Bangalore.

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My plein air sketching effort at National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore this Sunday. It was good to go out, sketch and paint.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Time: 90 min.
Source: live

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Few more sketches from same day that I did at National Gallery of Modern Art, Bangalore. I always find it handy to carry more than one sketchbook while sketching on location. While a wash or layer may be in the process of drying [sometime it may take forever] it's good to utilize the time observing and doing quick sketches of other interesting elements and views around.

Medium: watercolor & graphite on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 13" W, 3 3/4" H x 6" W,
Source: live

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Areca nut and Betel leaves

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Areca nut and Betel leaves are used in northeast region of india in all sort of formal occasions and rituals, apart from chewing for their mild stimulant effect. Known as 'Tamul' [areca nut] and 'Paan' [betel leaf] in Assamese, not long ago, they were used to offer in pairs as a formal wedding invitation to guests [ along with verbally explaining the whole schedule of the event!] and other formal of occasions. The Areca nut tree may grow approx. 30 feet in height and the betel leaf plants are grown on the trunk of these trees. The husk of areca nut is green while it is fresh and the nut inside is soft, as it ripens the husk turns orange and the nut hardens like wood.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W
Source: live

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Sky Studies in Watercolor

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Couple of quick sketches that I did earlier this year which I missed to share. One thing I like about Bangalore is it's beautiful clear sky almost all through the year.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 6 1/2" H x 10" W.
Time: 20 min approx for each.
Source: live.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Importance of Observation Skills for Artists

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For artists improving observation skill is as much important as the painting process itself. Looking for interesting view is also a part of art. They are everywhere, needs to keep our eyes open. Missing any one means missing an opportunity. This was sketched from my recent trip to Guwahati at my brother's place while seating at the balcony.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W
Time: 45 min.
Source: Live

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 © Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Banana Flower or Banana Heart

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Banana flower is a large, red-purplish blossom that is at the end of a stem growing out of the banana tree. When the protective covers are peeled off it, the small bunches of flowers are revealed which grow into bananas. This flower is eaten with meal in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. The slight bitternes of its taste may vary between different varieties. Btw, it's also known as 'banana heart'!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 13" W.
Time: 120 min.
Source: live.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Greater Adjutant Stork

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Sketch of a Greater Adjutant Stork. Saw this big bird at the Guwahati zoo. It has a white collar ruff at the base of its bare neck and a pendent like inflatable air pouch which connects to the air passage. The life span of this bird is 35 years.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W
Time: 60 min.
Source: from own reference picture.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Deers at Guwahati zoo

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Did these deer sketches at the Assam State Zoo, in Guwahati, few days back. In my growing up days, visiting this zoo was one of my favorite activity whenever we used to travel to Guwahati. I think, this time I went there after more than couple of decades.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size 10" H x 13" W
Time: 60 min.
Source: live

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Sketching by Brahamaputra river at Guwahati

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Went again today to the jetty by the river Brahmaputra in Guwahati and glad to do couple of plein air sketches, specially this beautiful view towards west. On farthest distance is the glimpse of the Saraighat bridge which connects both north and south banks of the grand Brahmaputra river. This is the first bridge constructed over river Brahmaputra which was opened in 1962 and has a motor road on top and railroad underneath. The closest hill on left is the Nilachal hill and on top of it is situated the famous Kamakhya Temple, towards the west of Guawahati. As winter is approaching, the water level of the river has gone down revealing the beautiful sand. It's pleasing to sit down by the river, feeling the fresh wind and looking at the busy boats crossing every now and then.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 13" W.
Time: 60 min.
Source: live.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Sketchin at Deeghali Pukhuri, Guwahati

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I don't know what this old structure is but this is a beautifully decayed one situated just off the water level on the north side bank of 'Deeghali Pukhuri' in the heart of Guwahati. In Assamese language 'Deeghali' means long and 'Pukhuri' means pond. This is a naturally developed pond from a discarded portion of the river Brahmaputra, it's very long and hence the name!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook. (Touches of opaque white for the cranes)
Size: 10" H x 13" W
Time: 100 min. Approx.
Source: live

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 © Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Fresh Olives Sketch

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While roaming around yesterday near the jetty in Guwahati, I noticed few street vendors selling fresh olives. Now these brings back my childhood memories when we used to climb the olive trees to pluck them fresh off the branches. We used to shake the branches for the ones not reachable by hand and there would be a shower of riped olives !! Here olive is a popular fruit to pickle in a very traditional age old way. Btw, olive oil in our cooking is only a recent addition!!

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 6" H x 5" W
Time: 40 min. approx.
Source: live

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 © Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Tree Trunk Table

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Guess from what the bottom portion of this table is made of !!?? Let me tell you. This is made of a tea tree turned upside down. Found in many households in the north eastern region of India, the legs of these tables are the branches of the tree with the trunk holding the top. Though this one has only few legs, sometime they can be many depending on the number of branches. Tea trees may have life ranging from 60 to 100 years of plantation. These furniture are made from old trees at the end of their lives. Tea tree may normally grow to 12-15 feet in height , but in tea gardens, the branches are cut around a height of 18"-24", around winter, so that new branches can grow with fresh leaves. Hence these beautiful branches.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook
Size: 10" H x 12" W
Time: 60 min. approx.
Source: live

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Night Jasmines

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Winter is the perfect time for these Night Jasmines and this brings sweet memories of my childhood years growing up in Assam. The name comes because this flower blossoms at evening\night and it has a very sweet but strong fragrance spreading all around. In our childhood, we used to pick these flowers in early mornings of winter days from the dew soaked grasses from underneath the trees. These flowers are also cooked, it has a bitter taste and very healthy.

Medium: watercolor sketch on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6" W.
Time: 60 min. approx.
Source: live.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Flower sketch

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Back to flower sketch again. Did this sketch today from a picture I clicked sometime back at our neighbors who has some beautiful plants and flowers.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" H
Time: 60 min. approx.
Source: from own reference pictures.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved. Should not be copied, modified, reproduced, printed in any format or/and size without the prior written permission from the copyright holder

Delicate

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Title: Delicate

Medium: Color pencil, Conte white, gouache/poster color and waterproof Ink.
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tone paper
Size: 10 1/2" H x 8" W approx.

Status: Available



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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved. Should not be copied, modified, reproduced, printed in any format and size without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Back to watercolor sketching

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I have not worked with watercolor for quite sometime now since I had been focusing on drawing with colored pencils, graphite, conte etc. specially on toned paper. Feeling rusty with watercolor however it's a great pleasure to pick up the brush again and mingle with colors as well as try new mediums.

Medium: Watercolor on Cartridge paper sketchbook
Size: 11" H x 7 1/2" W
Time: 60 min approx.
Source: Live.

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© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved. Should not be copied, modified, printed, reproduced in any format and size without the prior written permission from the copyright holder.