I have learned that a 5″x7″ or 6″x8″ landscape oil painting should not take more than 1-2hours.  If it does, then the artist is unsure and noodling and I have to constantly remind myself of that and to think what I am not sure about and to solve the problem in the head before proceeding.  This 6″x8″, painting was done in 1.5 hours.  

I am enjoying the portability of the Graphite pencil a lot these days.   I am choosing pencils, a lot more these days, over charcoal.  I start a sketch/drawing off at a service station or a restaurant and complete them as time permits in between chores.

I was in Pakistan for the Winter break, attending my niece’s wedding.   I had plenty of time at night, when jet-lag got the best of me and I just could not sleep and that is when I sketched these two.

Ian Mckellen

Sajal Ali

Sajal Ali is a Pakistani actress (for those who don’t know) and is often paired with Ahad Raza Mir and upon a friends suggestion, I sketched him as well, shown below.

Ahad Raza Mir

I just need an excuse to sketch.  Pencil and Paper is all you need to express your craft.  It is the simplest and un-messy way to get your artistic itch out of the way.  Portability is the key.  Start a sketch in the morning and in between chores, meals, and sips of tea you will have a lovely drawing/sketch by evening.

Yul Brynner, what a ruggedly handsome man.  He made baldness look sexy.  I remember watching him in The Ten Commandment, as a child and forever pictured Pharaoh as Yul.  I made this sketch today, so it is hot off the press.

Pharaoh

I don’t watch Pakistani Dramas, but somehow I am following “mere pas tum ho” (I have you by me).  The lead actress “Ayza Khan” has beautiful angular features.  However, the drawing below is a slightly modified version of her,  I took some artistic liberty to adjust some features based on my artistic whim.  Shhhh! don’t tell her.

Beauty

Beauty

I have noticed that by making videos I have instilled more discipline in creating my work.  I create the work more efficiently and the painting/drawing looks better, as it does not have a belabored look.

This one is a copy of one of the masters from the past.  I did not bother to copy the likeness, as I was focusing on the skin-tones more.  Watch the Timelapse Video by <<Clicking Here>>

Here is a pencil sketch that I did sitting on my couch.  You gotta love the portability of pencils!  Watch the timelapse Video by << Clicking Here>>

I love Christmas ornaments and painting them.  I painted this one in gouache and did the fine details in Water-color pencil and Pastel.  I have put up a timelapse video on youtube,< Click Here >

Santa Ornament

I fell in love with this Chinese Health Balls, (for exercising the hand).  The embroidered box and the shiny metal balls just begged to be painted.  The painting, I feel, is much better than the photograph you see. This one is up for purchase/bid at: << Purchase/Bid >>  <= Click link here to read more about the art and sale.  Thanks for visiting.  Enjoy!

Well, I think the title of this post is appropriate, for this Turkish beauty.  However, I am not a big fan of the actual dessert: “Turkish Delight”.  I find it too gummy and the taste sort of sits orthogonal to the expectations of my taste buds.   Of course, some tastes are cultivated and almost all cultures have a one-off that other cultures find obtuse.  To each their own!

You will find the progression of the painting in the link here =>  << CLICK HERE >> 

Here is a Gouache Painting of a Bowl done during lunch at Star-Bucks (Barnes and Noble).  (Photo credit Lena Rivo from her gouache course).

You can watch the progress in the Video by clicking >> here.

Bowl (Gouache)

Gouache is technically an opaque version of watercolor, however it handles more like oil and acrylic.  I often use it for its portability and ease of clean-up.  so it is a great way to get in my practice for oil.

A Tart from La Madeleine, (I ate it afterwards offcourse 🙂 ). You can watch the progress video here

Orange painted during lunch break, at Barnes and Noble book store.