Autumn- The sketch of mom

This is my mom..the reference photo taken by myself last year.This was started about two weeks ago , then I left for vacation.Completed it last night .
Pencil on paper 30cm X 40 cm

Shades of Youth

My niece, Diya. At fourteen, she is the oldest of all the kids in our family. Her face is always a delight to sketch, thanks to her delicate features and beautiful smile.The reference image was taken by Manik , my husband sometime last year. I chose it beacuse it had her standing against the light, her face in shadows; which made the image appear somewhat mystical.
14"x 10" graphic pencil on paper

Faith- Lady in a Temple

My 'faith' series continues...I had photographed this woman in Rishikesh sometime ago. What I added to this composition was the ghanta or the bell that hangs on the entrance of all Hindu Temples.

The size of the sketch is about 20"x28" I am experimenting with paper again, but with little luck! This paper was thick, but the texture was very rough and I could not put much details on her face.It could have been a diffrerent sketch if done on a different paper :)

Faith- The Old man Praying

Another of my 'Faith' series; its the same old man offering his prayers to Sun God at the banks of River Ganga,in Rishikesh.A big one, this time!

Pencil on paper, 30"x22"

Sadhu_the Holy Man of India

In Hinduism, "sadhu" is a common term for a mystic,an ascetic, a Yogi,or wandering monks.The Sanskrit term sādhu ("good man") refers to renounce rs who have chosen to live a life apart from or on the edges of society in order to focus on their own spiritual practice.Usually they live by themselves, on the fringes of society, and spend their days in devotion to their chosen deity.
Some perform magical rituals to make contact with the gods, others practise intense forms of yoga and meditation to increase their spiritual powers and acquire mystical knowledge.Certainly, not all sadhus are enlightened. But believers regard them all as holy anyway, if only because of their radical commitment.

This sketch is based on a wonderful photo of such sadhu taken by my husband on the banks of the Ganga river, Rishikesh.I liked the intense expression on this sadhu's face.His eyes were intelligent, the half smile intriguing,the hair matted-- woven into 'dreadlocks'or "jata",as we call them in Hindi.
I have done nothing more than express it in my own way, what was already there.
You can have a look at the original man here, at my husband's photoblog
16"X12" , graphic pencil on paper

Praying_finished

This is the completed version of 'Praying Old Man'...
12"x16"

Prayers_WIP

This is a work-in-progress on an old man's portrait. He was praying to the Sun , standing ankle deep in the waters of the Ganga river in my hometown Rishikesh , with hand joined in the gesture of 'namaskar'. I started this portrait some days ago and now I am hopeful of finishing it in this week

pencil on paper, 12"x16"

The White Rose

I started working on this rose way back in february,but couldn't complete it because it required a lot of time and longer sittings.I did the background in many layers till I got the right shades.It took a lot of self motivation and many  more hours to post it here today!

graphic pencils on cartrige paper 16"x12"

Praying

Prayers_WIP

A sketch in progress...an old lady praying at the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh,India.

In Black and White

I started this sketch because I wanted to draw someone beautiful...but soon realized my mistake of not choosing the 'right' subject! ( She is Alicia Silverstone, but I did not work on the likeness factor very much, here-- so you may not recognise her!) The problem was that her face did not have any shades..no gradients to work upon - so it got a little boring and I decided to speed up things and get over with it! I hate leaving something unfinished, so I did complete this sketch, but honestly, not much time was spent on this one. About 2 hours.I think I need to find better paper...this cartridge paper shows through so much that dark tones are spoiled. I can't achieve the desired smoothness... Any suggestions?

practice...charcoal

A quick sketch in charcoal pencil on paper.