Sketching at Venkatappa Gallery and Government Museum

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

 

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
 

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Sketching at Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view.

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

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
 

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

 

Plein air sketching at NGMA, Bangalore.

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
 
© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved

Areca nut and Betel leaves

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Tree Trunk Table

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

State Museum Cafetaria

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

This is a sketch of the cafeteria area behind the State Museum in Bangalore at Kasturba Gandhi Marg [Road]. I did the Ink sketch while waiting for a couple friend who were leaving the city for good. I added the colors later on at home. This place is very calm, good to seat down for a tea or coffee and very near to Cubbon Park, The Science Museum, The Aquarium and UB City Mall.


To start off on location, I marked some guidelines with a graphite pencil for the main structure, the position of the umbrella, the foreground elements, the tiled layout to get the perspective lines and spacing correct still keeping it loose. Then I sketched over with a Pigma Micron 005 [.20 mm with waterproof ink] pigment liner pen and erased the graphite underlines. I further enhanced some areas with a waterproof Gel ink pen [.50 mm thickness] to give importance. Later on at home, I added the watercolor washes based from my memory.

Medium: Pigma Micron 005 Pigment Liner, Waterproof Gel pen and watercolor.
Size: 5" H x 6 1/2" W.
Time: 90 min. approx.
Source: Sketched live with Ink, colors added later on.

Visit my fb art page:
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Charcoal sketches [soft charcoal]

Kindly click on the image for a larger view

After almost a gap of 2 years, I did these few sketches in soft charcoal and it is absolutely fun. Though I used simple photocopy papers, this fluid medium works amazingly even on these cheaper papers which hardly has any teeth to absorb the charcoals. I loved how easy and versatile this medium is to play with soft and hard edges just by smudging with hands or paper tissues or by adding stokes. Also lifting lighter areas including highlights and adding dark patches is quite easy. It's called a medium between drawing and painting as it is very fluid like paint but the application is like drawing. I am going to give it some serious try on proper surface. Till then, enjoy these small sketches.

Kindly click on the image for a larger view

Just to add, since it has been raining a little bit here in Bangalore these last few days after a long and dry spell for months, the sky has suddenly become beautiful with fluffy clouds of different shapes, sizes and values making it one of the pleasing elements to observe now. And I think charcoal is one of the most convenient medium to explore and study and capture this element!

Kindly click on the image for a larger view

The 3rd one from the exploration with soft charcoal. I was trying to capture mood and atmosphere with light and this dry but fluid medium is excellent to play around as it can be smudged, edges can be softened or defined and tonal values can be lifted or added at will!


mediums: Soft charcoal on bond paper.
size: A4
Source: Imaginations

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Sunshine

Kindly click on the image for a larger view

Title: Sunshine

Medium: Watercolor on handmade paper
Size: 8 1/2" H x 12" W

Status: Available
Price: Kindly send leave a comment here or mail at

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail.[dot]com

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Watercolor Workshop Demo at Chennai, 26th-27th April, 2014

My demo on Techniques of Watercolor at the recent 2 days Watercolor Workshop in Chennai on 26th - 27th April, 2014. 

We practiced from simple washes to building tonal values with transparent watercolor layers, differences of using various pigments, usages of warm and cool colors within a composition, some brushstrokes and fun tricks too. 

Thank you everyone for your participation and I am pleased to see your passion for this beautiful medium! Looking forward to meet you all again!!!

Medium: watercolor on 300 gsm Fabriano paper [cold pressed]
Size: 10 1/4" H x 14" W

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Quick and Small sketches

Quick and Small sketches in watercolor on handmade paper.

Just to let you know, I'll be teaching in a workshop on watercolor techniques on 26th-27th April, 2014 in Chennai. Come and join me to learn these techniques of painting in watercolor and lift your artworks to a higher level with confidence. Only few seats available!

For more details visit the blog post here:
HERE

You can also leave a comment below or write to me at:

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail[dot]com

visit my art-page for regular updates:

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Complimentary colors in nature.

It's that time of the year when all around of Bangalore is blooming with colorful flower trees. The two most noticeable ones are Jacaranda mimosifolia, also know as Jacaranda, Blue Jacaranda [the purple colored one] and Golden bells or the silver trumpet also know as Tabebuia Caraiba [the yellow one]. The best view is when they are seen blossoming together, the power of complimentary colors in nature! did a quick graphite sketch at Government museum and put the colors back at home .
medium: watercolor on sketchbook

size: 5" H x 6 1/2" W
time: 40 min approx.
source: live + memory

visit my page at: 
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

 © dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved

Color temperature experimantaion

playing around with different color temperatures and color combinations, hence experimenting different moods with the same composition. so, which one do you prefer??!! let me know on the comment below! just cover one of them at a time and try to experience your feeling about it!

medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
size: 5" H x 6 1/2" W
time: approx 30 min each.
source: from own reference picture.

© dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Sketching around City Central Library, Cubbon Park, Bangalore

Did this sketch of City Central Library situated at Cubbon Park, Bangalore, yesterday morning. It was a warm day but still feels good to go out and sketch on location..

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5 " H x 6 1/2" W
time: 45 min. approx.
source: live

 A picture from yesterday's on location sketch at City Central Library situated at Cubbon Park, Balgalore.

________________________________________________________________________________

 Here is the 2nd sketch from yesterday at Cubbon park, Bangalore. it was a very warm day and people were gathering for a cool drink at this vendor.

medium: waterproof ink and watercolor on sketchbook
size: 5" H x 6 1/2" W
time: 40 min approx.
source: live

And above is the on location picture from yesterday's 2nd sketch at Cubbon Park, Bangalore. a cool refreshment for all in a warm sunny day!

© dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved.
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Featured at www.neralu.in

a small feature of me at www.neralu.in  blog

 http://neralu.in/dhruba-mazumder/

the statue of Edward VII

In conjunction to the Bangalore Tree Festival happening on 8th and 9th february, 2014 in this city, Neralu Blog has posted a small writeup about me and my love for sketching/drawing trees from around this city and why they feature prominently in my paintings. You can read more about it in the link below.

thanks a lot Radha Rangarajan for the effort !

http://neralu.in/dhruba-mazumder/

© dhruba mazumder, 2014.
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Color swatehces - a study

Fellow watercolor artist Nirupam Konwar has recently posted this beautiful, moody and atmospheric image clicked early in the morning hours from his native in Assam and it immedietly caught my attention. It has limited but nice color range. I did a small exercise of picking up the existing colors into swatches, both warm and cool hues and also analyzed their postion in tonal value scale from light to dark. These kind of exersize can help to simplify and narrow down the color range to a limited palette creating harmonious color combinations. Also the grey values help to build the solid underlying structure bringing out the more saturated hues inside the picture. Hopefully I will post a quick sketch based on these studies soon.

Original picture courtesy Nirupam Konwar.

© dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Comparision of sketches done over a period of time.

Do you keep your old, older and oldest sketches for comparison with your recent ones to see how much improvement you are doing over a period of time?! Do you ever take them out?!! Here are three sketches of mine done of the same subject over 3 years and their analysis.

#1 was sketched in early January '11 when for the first time I started going for plein air studies. It was very hard to handle overload of details. Tendency was to look at 'subjects' rather than interesting shapes. Focus went on everything including the distance vegetation. Struggled on the reflection and on the main foliage of the tree itself. Was not happy but I was hopeful to overcome these obstacles.

#2 was sketched on a sunny afternoon of December '12. Improvement on the foliage of the main tree, bolder approach to render them as masses of shapes and not individual leaves. Reflection was better though not confident strokes and I still went on to add unwanted details on the faraway vegetation. and that red roof on the right attracted too much attention. more lessons learned, more improvement required.

# 3 was sketched recently on January '14 from a reference picture by Shyam Deshpande. Tried to simplify as much as possible and visualize everything in shapes of different value masses. Background vegetation was kept to a minimum hint. foliage from the main tree were just a group of different colors all mixed together and the reflection was done in minimum strokes. also tried a different format for dramatic effect. better applications of brush marks. still need improvement.

Its a good idea to take out our old study sketches and do some analysis to understand where we have improved so far, where we still need to improve and where we may be actually going wrong. After all, sketches are or can be for studies, right?! well sometime they themselves are pieces of finished artworks too!

So, dig out your old sketches and start doing that honest comparison! You don't have to share however it will be nice to see the self analysis. I am sure, analysis of the #4 will be interesting too when it will be done in coming time. Still way to go, more to learn. it's a lifelong learning process.

© dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Ulsoor lake sketch

sketched this view of Ulsoor lake situated at the heart of bangalore city from a picture clicked by Shyam Deshpande. this lake has these small islands in the middle with their specific names and some trees on them which give them beautiful contrast to their backgrounds. it's also a nice place to visit early in the morning or to view the sunset.

medium: watercolor on sketchbook
size: 9" H x 7" W
time: 60 min approx.
source: from a reference picture.

Reference picture courtesy Shyam Deshpande. Used with permission.

© dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

On location viewing UB city, Bangalore

found an old on location picture from last year after the completed sketch along with the subject.

watercolor on sketchbook
size: 9" H x 7" W

this beautiful picture is courtesy Priya Sebastian. thanks priya!! you can check her illustrations at Priya Sebastian's Illustrations!!

visit my page at: 
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

 © dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved

As the colors flow

a quick water color study today. wanted to pain as loose as possible with more suggestive brush marks than defined elements.

medium: watercolor on canson paper
size: 9" H x 7" W
time: 30 min approx.

visit my page at: 
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

 © dhruba mazumder, 2014. all rights reserved

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'.

kindly click on the image to view a bigger version. thanks!!

visit my page at: 
www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

 © dhruba mazumder, 2013. all rights reserved