sketch of a sunny afternoon

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Sketched this after a gap of almost three weeks. Felt rustic but still nice. The weather is nice now in this north eastern part of the country. After few days of continuous rain it's sunny and a bit warm now but soon the temperature will go down. Welcome winter.

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

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

Small Scooter sketch

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

These small scooters have filled the roads everywhere. It seems everybody wants one! These 2 wheelers are generally automatic, hence convenient for slow and dense traffic conditions. Some of these also comes in electrical versions. Also great for sketching !

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 6 1/2" H x 5" W approx.
Time: 45 min. approx.
Source: from own reference picture.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
www.dhruvsm.blogspot.com

© 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

Lifeline of Indian kitchens

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

They are the lifeline to most of the Indian kitchens delivering the household cooking gas cylinders door to door every single day on their motorbikes. A very common site where they load up these and rush to and fro.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 6 1/2" H x 5" W approx.
Time: 90 min. approx.
Source: from own reference pictures.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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

Flower sketch

Kindly click on the image for a bigger version

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.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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

Quick sketches from my sketchbook

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

 The weather has been in playful mood in Bangalore nowadays. It's been quite some time now since the Sun and the rain is playing hide and seek almost everyday. It may be sunny at one moment but can be gloomy and raining heavily soon after and back to sunny mood again. You may never know which part of the city you will catch the rain at what time!

Few quick sketches from a page of my sketchbook. Goal was to observe and paint the big shapes first and then break them into different tonal value shapes.

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 6 1/2" H x 10" W
Time: 90 min. approx.
Source: from own reference pictures.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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.

Banana in atercolor II

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

The 2nd edition of the banana peel sketches from couple of days back !

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W.
Time: 60 min approx.
Source: live.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
www.dhruvsm.blogspot.com

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

banana in watercolor I

kindly click on the image for a bigger view

I had been exploring other mediums recently and watercolor took a backseat for quite sometime. Couple of days back I was trying to sketch some bananas in watercolor and I was not able to concentrate or focus fully. Half hearten efforts never lead to satisfactory results, I need to engross in the process of sketching/drawing/painting. Yesterday while sketching this, I tried to focus more !

Medium: watercolor on sketchbook.
Size: 10" H x 6 1/2" W.
Time: 75 min approx.
Source: live.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart
www.dhruvsm.blogspot.com

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.

In His Loving Memory

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

"In his loving memory"

Did this portrait in the memory of a great person who believed in sharing knowledge selflessly. A great motivator, mentor, teacher, critique, friend of many, who brought together many like minded artistic souls from diverse fields of work and from around the globe to share and learn together the universal language of visual art. He made people believed in their ability to create art with great inspirations and passion. An architect by profession, he was a traveler, a great photographer and an amazing sketcher in his own unique way. He has left a legacy of artistic knowledge behind him for others to learn from. In his own words - "All that's not given is lost".

Rest in peace, Jorge Royan. You'll be remembered with love for a long time.

He passed away recently.

His website:
http://royan.com.ar/Royan/Home.html

His sketching blog:
http://sketchesjr.blogspot.com/
-----------------------------------------------------
Medium: Graphite and conte white.
Surface: Fabriano, 160 gsm tone paper.
Size: 11" H x 8 " W approx.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

Delicate

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

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



www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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.

Bowlful

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: Bowlful

Medium: Color pencil with opaque white [gouache/poster color]
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tone paper
Size: 10 1/2" H x 8" W approx.

Status: Available

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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.

Transparent and Opaque

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: Transparent and Opaque

Medium: Watercolor with opaque white [gouache/poster color]
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tone paper
Size: 10 1/2" H x 8" W

Status: available

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

 
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.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© 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.

What's up there!

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: What's up there!

Medium: Graphite and Conte' white.
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tone paper.
Size: 11" H x 8" W.

Status: available.
 
If interested to own this original artwork, kindly leave a comment here or send a message at my facebook art page or mail at:

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail[dot]com

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Afternoon Glow

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: Afternoon Glow

Medium: Colored pencil, Conte' white and graphite
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tinted paper.
Size: 11" H x 8" W.

Status: available.

If interested to own this original artwork, kindly leave a comment here or send a message at my facebook art page or mail at:

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail[dot]com

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Steel Life

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: Steel Life

Medium: Colored pencil, Conte' white and graphite.
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tinted paper.
Size: 11" H x 8" W.

Status: available.

If interested to own this original artwork, kindly leave a comment here or send a message at my facebook art page or mail at:

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail[dot]com

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Fresh Catch

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

Title: Fresh Catch.
 
Medium: Colored pencil, Conte' white and graphite
Surface: Fabriano 160 gsm tinted paper.
Size: 11" H x 8" W.

Status: available.

If interested to own this original artwork, kindly leave a comment here or send a message at my facebook art page or mail at:

dhrubafinearts[at]gmail[dot]com

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Sketching White on White

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

.

What's the most mundane subject you have sketched, drawn or painted!? Well, I tried to sketch a white paper receipt that you get in a super market on a white paper [sketchbook] by keeping it on a white paper! There's nothing exciting about this subject apart from the interesting tonal value shapes and nuances in color variations, warm, cool and neutrals. Still the challenge was to keep everything 'white'. I intentionally kept out the superficial details of the printed text on the receipt in the sketch as the main attempt was to study the tonal values and subtle colors.

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

 

In the above image, you can see my simple setup for the study of this live sketch. The picture is taken from a similar angle of view from where I was sketching.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Floral sketches

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

I did couple of floral sketches yesterday. Floral sketching/drawing/painting is great for practicing 'negative' way [painting around an element] of painting, specially in watercolor. Probably because most of the flower heads are lighter in tonal values than the leaves and stems they are surrounded by and also the layers of the leaves which creates depths within. It's a challenge to paint in negative way as we mostly think in positive shapes but it is fun and worth practicing. These are done from couple of photographs we took when me and my wife visited the flower show held in last January at Lalbagh botanical Garden, Bangalore.

Medium: watercolor on cartridge paper sketchbook.
Size: 11" H x 7 1/2" W [each page].
Time: approx. 40 min each.
Source: from own reference photographs.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Plein Air Painting - Seating stool

Kindly click on the image for a bigger view

This is an old sketch done couple of years back when I had started going outside to sketch more. This is the stool that I carry most of the time whenever and wherever I am going for plein air sketching or painting. This gives me the freedom to choose an angle of view of my choice to paint while seating comfortably unless there's a suitable place to seat down for which I'll have to be really lucky enough. It can be annoying at times to find a perfect viewpoint to sketch but nowhere to seat. Seating on the ground and paint is also not helpful  as the angle of view becomes up giving a weird perspective.

Just to add, this is a good quality camping stool which folds back and can be carried very easily. It's sturdy but light weight with a comfortable seating. It is easily available in sports shops who sells camping gears. There's a comfortable chair also which folds back and made of similar materials.


Medium: Waterproof gel ink pen with watercolor on sketchbook.

Sketching at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore

In the picture above, you can see me sketching at Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore seating comfortably on this stool!

 www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

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

Let's Catch a Little Sun - WIP stages explained.

This post is to share the work-in-progress at various stages how the painting 'Let's Catch a Little Sun' was developed in watercolor.

Fig 01

To begin with, a clear tonal value study was done prior the start of the painting to finalize the composition in terms of distribution of light and dark shapes over the available rectangular space, [Fig 01]. The thumbnail sketch needs not to be a detailed one however it should have enough information to be able to use it as a road map to develop the watercolor painting. It helps to reduce any confusion about tonal value placement in the middle of the painting. Based on the value sketch, a very light outline was marked on the water color paper to place the main element. The paper used here was a 300 gsm [140 lb] Fabriano cold pressed paper which has medium surface texture. The paper is securely taped with masking tape on a drawing board.

 

Fig 02

A very loose and juicy wash was laid from the top left corner of the paper letting it flow downward taking advantage of gravity while keeping the board at an angle, [Fig 02]. Various cool and warm colors were allowed to mix and mingle directly on the paper to keep them vibrant and fresh. While top edge of the geese was painted with a hard edge to define the catching light against dark, the bottom portion was painted over the edge and inside to merge with the background. This helps to maintain the play of soft and hard edges at later stages of a painting,

Fig 03

The wash was continued towards the bottom right side including the underside of the geese all in one go to keep soft blending of various colors, [Fig 03]. At this stage it is important to consider the various underlying color placements as they will show through layers of transparent washes later on and will maintain a harmony as well freshness. It is also important to 'preserve' the white of the paper as the lightest value as per the value sketch right from the beginning. Though small portions of the white paper can be brought back to light by lifting colors while it is still damp or even after it has dried, it is very hard to get back to the pure white paper once color is applied and specially if stained pigments are used. Notice the bold splatters towards the bottom portion of the painting. This Simple approach helps to create textures and interest without dominating the main focus.

Fig 04

Once the first wash has dried completely, the 1st layer of dark green foliage is applied again from the top left corner of the paper, [Fig 04]. This layer was also painted with loose brush strokes. The few areas which missed the brush marks conveys some leaves catching light on the dark background. It also helps adding some interest on that big darker shape.

Fig 05

The challenge of this painting was to maintain that sharp light by painting juicy dark pigments without loosing the overall vibrancy of the painting. Also to capture the beautiful and bright reflected light and the form shadow on the white geese without adding much details. Starting from the orange beak, continuing through the head, neck, chest, the feathers through the bright orange legs towards the casting shadow on the ground was painted as a connected shape, [Fig 05]. Care was taken to maintain tonal values and changes of color temperatures. Notice how the feet are merged together with the ground giving the illusion of one single shape.

Fig 06

Added some definitions on the feathers catching light and creating form shadows, underside of the body, the legs and enhanced the cast shadow to balance with dark shape from the top left side of the painting, [Fig 06]. Extra care needs to be taken at these final stages of the painting to avoid over working and keeping off extra brush marks which may ruin the freshness of the painting after the initial hard work.

Fig 07

The dark was enhanced from top left corner towards bottom to create contrast near the head as this is main focal area of the painting, [Fig 07]. Also splatters were added to the bottom of the dark shape to connect with the ground with similar textures. The tone and intensity of the beak was enhanced to capture the back lite effect as well the bright reflected light. The eye was defined and it was time to sign off the painting.

It was a pleasant experience and I hope you enjoyed the stages as much as I did while painting through them. If you have any suggestions, feel free to leave your comments down below. Thanks for going through the post :)!

Medium: watercolor on paper
Size: 13 ½ “ H x 9” W


Original reference picture courtesy by Smitha Shivaswamy. Thanks Smitha.

www.facebook.com/dhrubamazumderfineart

© Dhruba Mazumder, 2014. All rights reserved.