about art and creating illusions
Recently, a friend told me that my charcoal pieces looked good. That was all the encouragement I needed to use the medium again. This portrait of Manish is one more for my College of Art Portraits series. I’ve inadvertently made his eyes look a bit like Sylvester Stallone’s 😛 and I hope he wont mind.
Charcoal on 12″ X 10″ off-white handmade paper.
I guess I would have to classify myself as a “self taught” artist not having an MFA or a BFA degree. I am a happy mix of self learning and a bit more formally from artists in workshops and institutions. And after over 15 years of figuring things out, I wouldn’t want it any other way! The journey of understanding and making art, for me, is a continuous learning process: Improving existing skills, learning new ones and most of all growing with the experience. Drawing and painting are an integral part of my life, something I am passionate about. The blogs, Maya & draw the line, document the road traveled thus far. People, their moods, interactions and emotions are an ongoing source of curiosity and interest. What I’m searching for is their inner personalities, their thoughts and there are stories I build around them as I work. I like portraying feelings of people when they are alone, lost in their thoughts, caught unawares. Those are the special moments that appeal to me most. I love to experiment and use a variety of medium ranging from oil, charcoal, printmaking, clay to the digital medium. Regardless, my focus remains fixed on the human form. View more posts
Maya
I fully agree with your friend Ujwala! This is just gorgeous! I’ve said it before, but every time I’m amazed at the character and emotion you can catch in your work, like in this drawing again…I love that! a beautiful protrait!
Ronell
Ronnel you are too kind 😀 Thank you!
What a wonderful portrait, Ujwala! The depth and emotion really floors me.
First class!
Very strong drawing. Now try a baby or young female and see if you can get the soft youth or femine look as well as you have done with the masculine.
Thank you. And wrjones – I shall definitely try for the softer look with my next attempt.
Your friend is right. Your charcoals are so alive, they almost look like b&w pictures. Go, girl! Show more charcoal!!
Your focus on the subject’s eyes reminds me of a little known Japanese painter
Thank you FLW. Could you let me have the name? I would love to have a look at their work. Until you mentioned it I hadnt realised how much importance i give to the eyes. In life too I’m interested in the eyes of the people i meet. I feel they have a language of their own.