I enjoy drawing and painting.
No, I think I should modify and also explain that statement. I draw quite often, though not as often or as much as I would really like to. And, I enjoy drawing. I usually sit down to it after dinner. There have been many occasions when I have been totally bushed at the time of starting. But once I start drawing I lose all track of time and sometimes find that I have been at it much longer than I planned to. Invariably I feel very refreshed after such a session.
On the other hand, I would very much like to paint, but I paint infrequently. This is partly because I am still very much a beginner at it. Of course, I realise that I will always stay a beginner unless I paint. But the problem is that painting requires more of a setting up than drawing does. If it is watercolour, one needs paints, brushes, a palette or plate or dishes, a water container and so on. And at the end of the day's painting session these have to be cleaned and put away.
As a result, at least so far, whenever I have mentally tossed a coin to decide whether to paint or draw, the coin has invariably landed in favour of drawing.
When I took up drawing as a serious hobby about ten years ago I started with graphite and charcoal. My wife Nithi enrolled me in a two week portrait drawing course as a gift. The medium was charcoal & graphite. I attended the classes every evening after work, and stayed up late into the night to complete the assigments. At the end of the two weeks I was hooked and I have stayed hooked.
But as I started drawing regularly I found even the degree of setting up that a graphite or charcoal drawing requires to be an inhibiting factor for me. I struggled to get the darks that I wanted with graphite. And, protecting the paper and the finished drawing were also issues. As a result I have switched to pen and ink.
These are a few of my early pen & ink drawings from around 2003 to 2007. They were mainly quick sketches using just one or two pens. During this period graphite was still my main medium, followed by charcoal. I think that it was around 2007 or 2008 that I decided to make pen & ink my main medium.
The sketch that you see of Mont St. Michael is a study copy of a drawing by Peter Caldwell. I found his book on pen & ink drawing very inspiring.
No, I think I should modify and also explain that statement. I draw quite often, though not as often or as much as I would really like to. And, I enjoy drawing. I usually sit down to it after dinner. There have been many occasions when I have been totally bushed at the time of starting. But once I start drawing I lose all track of time and sometimes find that I have been at it much longer than I planned to. Invariably I feel very refreshed after such a session.
On the other hand, I would very much like to paint, but I paint infrequently. This is partly because I am still very much a beginner at it. Of course, I realise that I will always stay a beginner unless I paint. But the problem is that painting requires more of a setting up than drawing does. If it is watercolour, one needs paints, brushes, a palette or plate or dishes, a water container and so on. And at the end of the day's painting session these have to be cleaned and put away.
As a result, at least so far, whenever I have mentally tossed a coin to decide whether to paint or draw, the coin has invariably landed in favour of drawing.
When I took up drawing as a serious hobby about ten years ago I started with graphite and charcoal. My wife Nithi enrolled me in a two week portrait drawing course as a gift. The medium was charcoal & graphite. I attended the classes every evening after work, and stayed up late into the night to complete the assigments. At the end of the two weeks I was hooked and I have stayed hooked.
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| At the portrait drawing course - 1 |
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| At the portrait drawing course - 2 |
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| Three Pears - vine charcoal |
But as I started drawing regularly I found even the degree of setting up that a graphite or charcoal drawing requires to be an inhibiting factor for me. I struggled to get the darks that I wanted with graphite. And, protecting the paper and the finished drawing were also issues. As a result I have switched to pen and ink.
These are a few of my early pen & ink drawings from around 2003 to 2007. They were mainly quick sketches using just one or two pens. During this period graphite was still my main medium, followed by charcoal. I think that it was around 2007 or 2008 that I decided to make pen & ink my main medium.
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The sketch that you see of Mont St. Michael is a study copy of a drawing by Peter Caldwell. I found his book on pen & ink drawing very inspiring.
These are brilliant sketches, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you Vinayak. I am so glad you liked these sketches. I was diffident about posting these, and that too so many of them.
ReplyDeleteWhether pen and ink or graphite, I think your drawings are wonderful, in fact excellent would a true comment. You have certainly found your medium.
ReplyDeleteI can only agree with Anns Art.
ReplyDeleteIf painting, you might want to try adding watercolour to the ink drawings. Buy yourself a small 12 pan portable set to try out. Not so much trouble cleaning and preparing, and it could be a first step towards real painting. I took the same track.
Thank you Rene for the comment and the suggestion. I will certainly give it a try.
DeleteWhat ever means you use all your drawings are outstanding!
ReplyDeleteWow! Your drawings are fantastic. Very prolific. I love the marbles!
ReplyDeleteHappy Drawing.
Ann, Jane, and Nora...Thank you for your very encouraging comments.
ReplyDeleteI have been looking at your work, here, as well as Wetcanvas, you have a very spontaneous, and direct style, capturing great detail, yet present it using simple artifacts.
ReplyDeleteRegarding setting up watercolors, I agree with you completely, and I was in similar situation for years together, until I discovered the Waterbrush. If you haven't used it, it is the most amazing tool, you have the water inside the reservoir like a fountain pen, and this can help create tones with your fountain pen sketches.
And if you want colors, you can use it along with a watercolor pan.
Completely portable, and zero setup :)
Thank you GS, for looking, for commenting on my work, and for the suggestions. I will definitely give it a try.
DeleteAll your sketches are wonderfully detailed; my favorite are the architectural ones though :)
ReplyDeleteYou could try using watercolor pencils, they don't require much setting up. I sometimes use them while travelling.
Seema...Thank you. Yes, I agree. Watercolour pencils are a convenient option while travelling and that is something I will keep in mind and try out. Perhaps w/c pencils and waterbrush will make a very lightweight and effective combination
ReplyDeleteI have always had the tendency to get into details. This works well for drawings related to buildings but unfortunately not that well when the subject has to do with mood.
What a wonderful post with so many outstanding sketches. Really enjoyed seeing this! Would u like to go sometime next week to a certain half finished building and do some water colour trials of real buildings and imaginary foliage :)
ReplyDeleteThanks kb for the comments and the invitation. :)
ReplyDeleteSay when. Would love to do it.
nice study sir
ReplyDeleteThank you Mahesh, for visiting and commenting.
DeleteYour blog has so much variety, and your paintings are wonderful.
Ciao Balaij,
ReplyDeleteBeatiful works! My favourites are the first portrait and the hand with the apple! But all your drawns are beatiful!
Ciao, Floriana
Thank you very much Floriana. Your comment means a lot to me.
DeleteCiao Balaij, I wait for your new work and...to beginn to paint try with children colours or with other things...I know that a painter use the coffee, so... try is beatiful!
ReplyDeleteCiao, ciao, Floriana