My first Complete-attempt in Oil - Nātyānjali-10: A Tribute to Indian Classical Dance...

Nātyānjali-10: Indian Classical Dance...

Oil Painting has been my dream and is the richest of all painting media. Though I made few attempts in the past, I never came this close to call any of my attempts a complete-attempt.

After gaining some experience with watercolor media lately, I felt like resuming my attempts with Oil Painting. Having done a series of watercolor paintings on few subjects, deciding on what to attempt for my first Oil Painting was a no-brainer for me and I chose my favorite subject - "Nātyānjali - My tribute to Indian Classical Dance". However, I wanted to do a Painting that can only be attempted in Oil and should also be a challenging.

A Painting in dark colors is something that I have in my wish-list for years. This is obviously something that I couldn't do in watercolors. I did one in the past with just "Indian Ink" though. This idea of 'a painting in dark colors' from my wish-list popped up again and put me into a challenging beginning of my journey with Oil Painting. I took it serious this time and worked on it solely for few weeks, awaiting patiently week-after-week for it to dry up little bit after each phase during the lengthy process of Oil Painting.

I am very happy with my first challenging-attempt of this Oil Painting that I can call - a complete-attempt. Now, I can proudly say, the journey of my soul has just begun on Canvas. Also, my impression of 'Oil Painting is easy' has began to fade and I began to believe that each media poses it's own challenges to the Artist.

In many aspects, it is a complete(d)-attempt and I am quite happy with my efforts and the result.

Happy Painting.
Experience all media to increase your visibility of Art and Artist!

Details
Mediums: Oil on Canvas
Title: Nātyānjali - My Tribute to Indian Classical Dance
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: My dream wish-list and random pictures

Size: 22" x 28" (56 cm x 71 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artist's Loft Gallery Wrapped Traditional Canvas
Paints: Rembrandt Artist's quality Oil Paints
Brushes: No 1, 5 and 8 filbert, No. 1 rounded
Other Media: Winsor & Newton Liquin Original

Good Start...

Ganesh - Oil on Canvas - Sketch

As I was waiting for my other Paintings to dry up little bit, I wanted to get myself going with this wonderful journey of Oil Painting. So, I had to start a new one. From my dream-todo-list, next, Lord Ganesh went onto the canvas. It's just a one-hour under painting, but I like it so much as it almost looks like a finished one. I guess, here, my fast-paced Watercolor Painting skills helped me to work fast with three paintings in just few hours.

It's just the beginning. I know, I still have a long way to go. But, it's a good start. Looking forward for crossing many beautiful mile-stones along the way ;)

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Oil on Canvas
Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)

Unless you stretch yourself...

Krishna - Oil on Canvas - Sketch

As I go through Oil Painting bit seriously this time, I learn the fact that I just cannot have one Painting started and get it going until I finish. It takes several weeks and even months before I get to finish one painting. After every stage, I need to wait at least few days for it to dry little bit before I continue to work.  Unlike watercolor, it is a very slow process.

As I am used to the fast pace of watercolor painting lately, I find it hard to slow down and wait patiently. So, I decided to have multiple paintings going on at the same time so that I can go at my desired speed switching from one to another, working on all in parallel. I might be highly ambitious with Oil Painting in the beginning itself, but...hey, unless I stretch myself, I don't know how far I can reach.... ;)

I will keep posting the progress here...

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Oil on Canvas
Size: 24" x 30" (60.9 cm x 76.2 cm)

My Soul On Canvas...

Oil Painting - A Sketch - the very first step

Oil Painting - has been my dream for the longest period in my life. In the era of no(n)-internet, when I was working in Hyderabad, India, I tried all reachable resources: Books, Friends, City Central Library in Chikkadapally, Art stores etc. to get myself little educated with the material and the process of Oil Painting. But my efforts had no luck.

Though I tried Oil Painting almost 15 years ago when I was living in Chicago, I did not get into it seriously. Five years ago, I made another sincere attempt, but kept it aside and got more into  Watercolor Painting. Some of my friends even said I should revisit my blog title "My Soul On Canvas". Now, finally, I revisit it. I revisit my dream, with much more discipline, much more determination, much more sincerity and much more self-motivation-and-inspiration.

I learned the fact, the hard way: unlike Watercolor Painting, Oil Painting requires more time & effort. It is also often said that if one can do Watercolor Painting, Oil Painting should be easy. I am not entirely sure on that, but, I do believe, each one comes with it's own challenges.

After making my initial investments of my time, efforts and money to put my Soul On Canvas; with this Painting, I start putting my baby steps into it. Soon, I am hoping to learn how to walk first before I will try to run.

I sincerely believe in Sincere Efforts. This time, I will try to be more sincere than ever.
Efforts will never go waste...after all, at the end if we don't succeed, we at least learn.

Underpainting:

Stages:

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Oil on Canvas
Size: 22" x 28" (55.8 cm x 71.1 cm)

A Tribute to one of the Greatest Indian Souls of our-times...

Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam - A Great Visionary of our times

In memory of the greatest visionary of our times from India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam who will remain as a true meaning for great words of Achievement, Success and Humanity in life. His great words will continue to inspire people around the world forever.

"Birthday - the only day in your life...your mother smiled when you cried"

"Dream is not what you see in sleep, dream is something that does not let you sleep"

"When our signature changes to autograph, this marks the success"

"The best teacher is your last mistake"

"One best book is equal to hundred good friends, but one good friend is equal to a library"

I always enjoy...

Beautiful Indian Woman Hairstyle

TAKEN: $450

Whether it is a sketch, a drawing or a painting, I always enjoy doing hair in a Portrait. Whenever I do hair, I always recollect my college days of doing fine photograph-like hair in my drawings and paintings. Couple of Professional Artists and few of my college-friends used to compliment my works saying that I get hair done so nicely and so accurately.

Though I never did a Painting of just hair, in this Painting I challenged myself to see how I do it in a Watercolor Painting. I think, I could do it ;)

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Beautiful Indian Woman Hairstyle
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: Random Pictures

Size: 16" x 18" (40 cm x 46 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artistico Fabriano Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press,

Paints: Daniel Smith Extrafine Quinacridone Purple, Red and Sienna, Winsor & Newton Neutral Tint , Opera Rose and Quinacridone Gold, and HWC Lavender

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3, 5 and RAPHEL Pure Squirrel Mop Brush (N0. 8)

My Best Friends...

My Best Friends

My Best Friends- a new set of Oil Paints and few Special Watercolor Paints have just arrived from BLICK.

I am excited to have these Art supplies bought with my first-ever-prize-money of winning an Art Competition conducted by TANA recently. This is a nice addition of Rembrandt Artists' Oil Paints and Daniel Smith Quinacridone Watercolors to my Art supplies.

My Art tools & supplies are my Best Friends. They make me learn, make me feel good, make me get better and better, make me feel proud, give me joy, forgive me if I do a mistake, and stay with me till the last drop of their life. They reciprocate the same care & love to me in the form of creating beautiful paintings. I can't wait for making my "Dreams come True" of doing some serious Oil Painting this summer.

I Love my Art tools & supplies, they will never make me go wrong!
Happy Painting ;)

TOP - Left to Right - Watercolors
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Quinacridone Red 15ml
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Quinacridone Purple 15ml
Daniel Smith Extra Fine Quinacridone Sienna 15ml

BOTTOM - Left to Right - Rembrandt Artists' Oil Paints

Rembrandt Oil Color - Titanium White (linseed) 40ml 

Rembrandt Oil Color - Indantherene Blue 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Cobalt Blue 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Cadmium Yellow Lemon 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Vermillion 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Olive Green 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Permanent Madder Brown 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Yellow Ochre 40ml
Rembrandt Oil Color - Burnt Umber 40ml

My Dad - My Hero...

My Dad - My Hero

It was my dream in my childhood to draw pictures like my Dad and to have a printed handwriting like his. I grew up observing couple of his drawings neatly framed, hanging on the walls of our new house that he designed and built as his dream house in our village. Also, I used to observe his handwriting so closely at times when I was learning how to write with hands. At that age, unknowingly, the dreams I used to have- "I wanted to be like my Dad", are still my dreams of today.

As his Son, he definitely would have had dreams of seeing me in many things that he never got an opportunity to be in his short-life. I was not even of that age to know about what his dreams were, what he wanted me to be and what he wanted to see in me as a grown up. All I know by hearing from other people was- He was a great person with many modern-human-thoughts about the society, a great Teacher helping poor students, a great Artist who didn't have enough life to fulfill his dreams. My Mom still says that he used to say, "A Dad should be like a Teacher to his kids when they are young and a Friend to them when they are grown ups".

The time I spent with my Dad in my dreams is even longer than the time I really spent with him in my life. I was very unfortunate to miss him from my life in my childhood. I only have a couple of years of my early-childhood-memories with him to cherish rest my life. I missed him being my Teacher and Friend in my life.

He was my "First Guru" who planted the "Seed of Art" in me. I feel, growing that seed of Art he planted in my heart with his Arts, is the way of respecting him. I never had any proud moment with him in my life seeing any of my successes in his eyes.

If at all there is another life, I wish my Dad will be my Dad in that life and be my Teacher and Friend for his full-life.

With all great respects, I remember "My Dad" - My Hero, in this Painting from my heart through the  passion he planted in me and the skill he passed on to me, on this "Father's Day".

Happy Father's Day!

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Dad
Category: Portraits
Inspiration: My Dad and his loving memories I cherish in my life

Size: 16" x 20" (40 cm x 50 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artistico Fabriano Watercolor Paper, 140 lb Cold Press,

Paints: All colors form my Palette

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3, 5 and RAPHEL Pure Squirrel Mop Brush (N0. 8)

Lonely Bird...

Lonely Bird - GIFTED

An unplanned and casual Painting of a Lonely Bird.

Practice never goes waste...keep practicing!

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Lonely Bird
Category: Nature- Birds
Inspiration:

Size: 12" x 18" (30 cm x 46 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Arches Watercolor Block, smooth surface, 140 lb Cold Press,

Paints: All colors form my Palette

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3 and 5

Nātyānjali-10: A Tribute to Indian Classical Dance...

Nātyānjali - A Tribute to Indian Classical Dance

Twelve was the magic number I decided and wanted to do twelve Paintings when I started this series of Indian Classical Dance. Continuing the series on this subject, I am getting close to that number. Painting after Painting, I only tried to challenge myself.

Enjoyed so much of doing it!

Happy Painting!

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Natyanjali-10
Category: Random portraits - Admirers
Inspiration: A commercial video of Shobhana

Size: 16" x 24" (41 cm x 51 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Artistico Fabriano Watercolor paper, 140 lb Cold Press

Paints: Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna, Opera Rose, Cadmium Orange, Ultramarine Violet, Cobalt Turquoise Light, Cobalt Blue, Neutral Tint, and HWC Yellow Ochre 

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3 and 5

A Good Sketch often leads to a Good Painting...

Pencil Sketch for a new Painting

Sketching is the basic foundation of Painting, especially when it comes to Portraits. Even landscape paintings need some sort of sketching. A good Sketch always leads to a good Painting. It is easy to mess with proportions or compositions if the Painting is attempted directly unless it is purely an abstract painting.

Sketch leading to Painting

Pencil is often the sketching-tool for Watercolor Painting. The sketch doesn't need to be very detailed. Just an outline suggesting some highlights, basic composition and separation of objects in the painting is good enough for starting a watercolor painting. Much of the details can be added later while painting.

A good Painter, in my opinion, needs to have good Drawing skills. Here is an outline sketch that I did for my new Painting on the subject Indian Classical Dance with a Hindu Temple as the back-drop. Once the sketch is done, Painting is nothing but following the flow of water on the paper, mixed with skill and imagination of colors. It leads to a beautiful Painting.

One needs to master drawing in order to master Painting!

Hard-work and only hard-work makes anything possible ;)

Keep Sketching and Keep Painting! 

Nātyānjali-9: A Tribute to Indian Classical Dance...

Nātyānjali- A tribute to Indian Classical Dance

Gifted

Continuing my series on the subject of "Indian Classical Dance", I tried this painting a bit different than any other previously done on this subject. With a mixture of both cool and warm colors, I tried to get some dramatic effect of light coming through the skies onto everything visible in this painting.

Light is what makes our eyes see objects. It is also the light that makes a Painting look interesting and beautiful. Painting after painting, I am still trying to learn the Art of seeing light and the skill of bringing it out from the paper, which otherwise is spread all over hiding the actual Painting in it.

This painting is based on a commercial of Indian Handloom in which the versatile dancer Shobhana danced to the wonderful tunes. This video, so beautifully done, is the source of inspiration for my painting. Here is the link to the actual video.

Happy colorful and de-lightful Painting!

Details

Mediums: Watercolors
Title: Natyanjali-9
Category: Random portraits - Admirers
Inspiration: A commercial video of Shobhana

Size: 15" x 22" (38 cm x 56 cm)

Toolkit
Surface: Saunders Rough High White Watercolor paper, 140 lb Cold Press

Paints: Winsor & Newton Burnt Sienna, Opera Rose, Ultramarine Violet, Cobalt Turquoise Light, Cobalt Blue, Neutral Tint, and HWC Yellow Ochre 

Brushes: Da Vinci Kolinsky Round Size 1, 3 and 5