Painting Nature...

Acrylic Painting on a canvas sheet

It's an intuitive painting (most of my paintings are), as I had no idea what I was going to paint. I painted after a long break and was obviously struggling. For several days, I kept looking at the messed up background on the canvas. And the struggle was a harsh reminder: don't take a long break. When you stop practicing, you lose command. Also, half finished works are not supposed to look great. Finish it, before you analyse/judge.

I am a nature painter; I paint landscapes because I am terrible at sketching and nature is the only thing that does not require real sketching.

Trees, clouds, rivers, rocks…you can't go wrong with them, even if you do, because they can be of any shape or size and it would look okay. That's the beauty of nature, that's how forgiving nature is. :)

Painted/written for Blogchatter Blog Hop. Thank you for the motivation.

वो चिट्ठियाँ जो लिखी ही नहीं...

Photo: My watercolour painting

अच्छा, सुनो!

उस दिन क्या कहा था तुमने? जब हम गंगा के तट पर मिले थे। पीली साड़ी में तुम ऐसी लग रही थी मानो तुमपर सुबह का सुनहरा रंग उतर आया हो। और जब तुम बातें कर रही थी... तो जैसे तुम्हारी आँखों में नदी की लहरों की चंचलता थिरकने लगी। और फिर...तुमने मेरी आँखों में देखा तो मुझे ऐसा लगा मानो मेरे मन के अंधेरे कोने रौशन हो उठे हों। मैंने नज़रें हटा लीं, और मेरे अंदर एक अजीब सा मीठा शोर उमड़ने लगा। 

मैं जब तुम्हें देखता हूँ तो कुछ सुन नहीं पाता। जानता हूँ कि ये आदत अच्छी नहीं। पर क्या करूँ? 

अगली बार जब तुमसे मिलने आऊंगा तो ये ख़त जो मैंने लिखा है, मेरी जेब में होगा पर वो तुम्हें दे नहीं पाऊँगा। ऐसे कितने ही ख़त हैं जो मेरी स्टडी टेबल की दराज में रखे हैं, और कुछ मेरी अलमारी में, मेरे कपड़ों की तहों के बीच। और जाने कितनी चिट्ठियाँ हैं जो मैंने लिखी ही नहीं, वो जो मैंने अपने दिल में सहेज कर रखी हैं।

तुम्हें अपने मन के कोनों में,
छुपाकर रखना अच्छा लगता है
इक राज़ की तरह...

―तरंग सिन्हा

―――――――――――――――――――

Happy to share my recently published works:

My short story in The Hindu

My new Hindi story for Neelesh Misra's show, Yaadon Ka Idiot Box

My article on including Time and Senses in your writing for Blogchatter

―――――――――――――――――――

C: Colour Mixing (#BlogchatterA2Z)

Acrylics on 10×12 inch canvas board

God, I missed painting! Could not find time for some reason in the last ten days. But then I painted this. It's an intuitive painting and mostly done by a palette knife. I wasn't sure if it was complete but didn't know what to add more. 

When we are beginners, we want to purchase all the possible shades, which is not practical of course. So, slowly I began to experiment with colour mixing. In the beginning, it felt like a task, but now it's fun. Moreover, when you mix your own colours, you get unique shades that you may not find anywhere. So limiting your palette is a good idea. In this painting, I haven't used any green, I mixed them. 

I know you should understand the basic colour theory rule, so yes learn it, however following rules can be really tiring at times, so experiment. No one is going to suggest you, but mix randomly, whatever you feel like, you will learn it eventually.

Recently, I started a YouTube channel, however I realized that it's not my thing because I get painfully conscious when recording and it kills the joy of painting. But I like making colour mixing videos. Here are some, in case you find it interesting. 

Four Unusual Ways to Mix Green

Two Ways to Mix Turquoise

Shades of Red

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Pastel Shades: Acrylic {Intuitive} Painting

 

Soft petals flutter

and dew drops dance,

and nature, filled with melody

sings the song of hope.

New painting. Acrylics on canvas.

It was my art challenge #paintwithtarang on Instagram {I decided to do it as I felt I was being repetitive in terms of colours}. The prompt was pastel shades. It was a bit challenging to create pastel shades as I mix these colours.

Painted this today. For another prompt 'Black and White'

Here's a quick video of black n white painting on my new YouTube channel. 🙈

However, again I get very conscious when recording a painting video. It kind of kills the joy of painting. :(

Painted this one a few days ago. Crisp autumn morning. :)

Interestingly, all these paintings are intuitive painting as I had no idea what I was going to do. It works for me. I get conscious when I try to follow an image. 

Talking about joy: today I received my new acrylic neon colours. Looking forward to unboxing and trying those colours!

Also, I'm conducting an online acrylic painting workshop for beginners. On Sunday, 12th Dec. Details here.

That's all from my side. Share your views in comments. :)

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

                         Blogchatter

Art Therapy

Written for Blogchatter's Cause a Chatter initiative.

Mental/emotional stress is more exhausting than physical tiredness.

Thankfully, there are certain things that help you relieve your mental stress. Everyone has a different way to deal with it (if you think nothing relieves your stress, you seriously need to rethink). 

In my previous Cause a Chatter post, I had talked about solitude. It works wonders for me. Another thing that distracts my mind is art. I am a self taught artist and I have started conducting painting workshops. For me, art has become like reading an engrossing book. When I'm reading an engrossing book, nothing distracts me. Similarly, when I am painting, I don't think about anything. Not even social media. Even when I am conducting my painting workshop, I'm so engrossed that I don't think about anything except the process and if the students are following the steps. The workshop continues for more than two hours (where I paint live, step-by-step), and even though I am not very talkative, I enjoy instructing the steps and answering questions.

Because Art is therapeutic. It teaches you to be calm and patient. Even therapists use this medium to interact with people who face anxiety and some mental/behavioural  disorders.

Art Therapy:  I came across this term a few days ago and found it intriguing. 

According to the American Art Therapy Association, art therapy is a kind of therapy that integrates mental health and human services by using “active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience.”

It's very important to understand that only Licensed professionals who are trained in both therapy can conduct these sessions.

According to Wikipedia, Art therapy can be used to help people improve cognitive and sensory motor function, self-esteem, self awareness, emotional resilience. It may also aid in resolving conflicts and reduce distress.

No wonder it works. Studies show that during the lockdown period, many people picked their paint brushes to deal with their anxiety and found solace in art. It's the best way to engage kids as well. Drawing or painting can calm the kids and make them sit still. Don't you think so?

Last week, I conducted an online painting workshop, the theme was waterfall. It's so satisfying to see them paint so beautifully. Sharing some lovely shots from my workshop. 

Rajashree

Saheli

Samarpita

Meetu

Shayonee (it's her first acrylic painting)

Also, it's fun to experiment with colour mixing. Shared two ways to mix teal colour in this video. You can watch when you have time.

Acrylic Colours: Two Ways to Mix Teal

https://youtu.be/aziT99yn35s

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Stay well, stay calm.

Acrylic Painting: Working on Black Canvas

 

When I painted on a black canvas for the first time, it wasn't a choice. Frankly, I didn't understand how it works, working on a black canvas. But then one day I ruined a painting. Didn't want to waste the canvas so I painted it black and decided to paint over it.

It was a wonderful surprise, as I found it really fascinating the way colours pop up. 

I painted this painting on a black canvas, again, because I ruined a painting. Also, it's an experiment. I wanted to capture the night life on the hills. Wondering if I managed to capture it. What do you think?

Also, I have started to record painting videos and started a painting channel, on a whim. Sometimes it's okay to do things without planning. You can watch my short videos, if you feel like. Please share your honest feedback, in case you watch. Thank you.

            👇 Video for this 👆 painting

‘This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.’ 

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Silent Promises

The salty scent of the sea reminds me of that soothing, moonlit night. The night when we realized that we can easily make endless, mindless conversation. That gentle kiss that felt like a caressing breeze. Some silent promises that our gaze made.

We knew we will meet again. 

What we didn't know was that the promises were meant to remain unfulfilled. That it was going to be our last conversation.

Image: My painting. I'm trying abstract, palette knife painting. Painting with palette knife is a totally different experience. It takes time to get comfortable but it's fascinating once you begin to get the hang of it. What do you think? Do you like abstract/palette knife painting?

‘This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.’ 

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Don't You Quit by Nishant Jain, Translated by Tarang Sinha

 

'You rise by lifting yourself up, not dragging others down.'

So, I tried something new. I translated a book. Don't You Quit by Nishant Jain (IAS officer), published by Westland Books, is the translated version of author's best-selling book रुक जाना नहीं. It's a motivational book that carries many real life, inspiring success stories.

In this book, the author, Mr. Nishant Jain, who is an IAS officer, has shared his experience, challenges and tips n suggestions, so the book mainly focuses on Civil Service examination and preparation, but it can be inspiring, uplifting and helpful for everyone. Especially who likes to read non fiction.

Working on this book was a different experience. The author wanted me to write in my own style, so it was a big plus point. Translating the beautiful and insightful Hindi poems was particularly challenging, but it was so enriching at the same time. 

Translating this book was a learning experience. 

Have you tried something new recently? Do you like reading motivational books? And do you like the bookmarks I painted?

‘This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.’ 

सराब...

Image: My painting

तुम्हें ढ़ूंढने की कोशिश में,

दौड़ते भागते फिरे।

थककर रुके जो थोड़ा,

खुद को वहीं पाया

जहाँ तुमने साथ छोड़ा था।

★★★

घर कुछ उदास सा है

जब से तुम हो गए।

जैसे तुम्हारी ही राह तकता हो,

और जब भी मैं लौटता हूँ

इस तन्हा घर में,

मानो ये पूछता हो मुझसे

कि 'उसे लेकर क्यों नहीं आए?'

★★★

वो जो ज़िन्दगी की हक़ीकत था,

दरअसल एक अधूरा ख़्वाब था।

वो जो सबसे करीब था,

एक सराब था...

____तरंग सिन्हा

‘This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon.’ 

'The Accident': My New Story on Juggernaut Books

 

Varun’s wife Priya went missing three years ago. What happened? Would he be able to find the answers?

You can read this story on Juggernaut Books, a very cool and handy reading app by a very popular publishing house.

The Accident

Also, I'm conducting an acrylic painting workshop for beginners. Please write to me if you are interested. 

Thank you!

Take care and stay safe.

कुछ अनकहा सा: A Hindi Story on Kindle

 

I painted this cover for my new Hindi short story, live on Kindle. How is it?

मेरी नयी कहानी, कुछ अनकहा सा, हिन्दी में। 

उनको देख भर लेने से सुकून मिल जाता है और फिर एक अजीब सी बेचैनी। ऐसा नहीं कि ये एहसास नया है। कई बरस पहले उनके लिए कुछ महसूस किया था पहली बार। पर ये बेचैनी नयी थी। जैसे खो दूंगा उन्हें अगर ज़्यादा देर दूर रहा उनसे।

पर सवाल ये है कि उन्हें पाया ही कहां है? इतने बरस उनके इतने करीब रहकर भी इतनी दूर। यही तो बेचैनी का सबब है।

ये एक अनोखी प्रेम कहानी है: कबीर और आयशा की। जो बरसों से साथ रहकर भी एक दूसरे से बहुत दूर हैं। क्या वो कभी करीब आएंगे? कभी ज़ाहिर करेंगे अपने जज़्बातों को?

इस किताब का कवर दरअसल मेरी एक पेंटिंग है। बहुत अच्छी नहीं है पर मेरे पास वक्त की कमी थी। जबतक डेडलाइन सिर पे ना आ जाए, मजाल है कि मैं उस काम पर कॉनसन्ट्रेट करूँ...

जब वक्त मिले, पढ़िएगा। मुझे आशा है कि आपको पसंद आएगी। :)

Sharing some more paintings that I created recently.

It's an abstract acrylic finger painting. What do you think?

 

And I painted with watercolours after a long time. :)

Sharing with Blogchatter

                         Paint Party Friday

Acrylic Painting: Seascape/Lighthouse

 

'You appeared like a lighthouse when I was wandering like a boat adrift on the sea.' My new original painting. 12" by 16", Acrylic on canvas.

Since I couldn't stop procrastinating, I thought to start an art challenge on Instagram. Here are the details, in case you want to join. No rules. Just paint, experiment and enjoy.

I painted this for streetscape prompt. Clearly, it's not my forte. But I'm trying as I find them very fascinating.

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Acrylic Painting: Painting On Canvas

This is my new painting. No matter how pathetic my imagination is (When it comes to painting), I have decided to use my own imagination or improvise in case I use any reference photo, so that I could call my paintings 'Original'. The word Original sounds great, no?

So, the above painting is my newest and original painting. 

I am am acrylic beginner. I started with Watercolours and never thought I would enjoy painting in acrylics. I used to paint on acrylic paper but noticed that most of the artists paint on canvas so I decided to give it a try. So, I switched to painting on canvas - 'Acrylic On Canvas' sounds nice.

And I did a wonderful thing (can't believe I did that): I started painting on my new canvas (cut out from a roll). But the colours were not blending at all. I was squeezing n squeezing the colours and they were going nowhere. It felt like I was painting on a khadi bedsheet. 

'Such a bad canvas sheet.' I thought! 

Terribly frustrated, I finished the painting anyhow by applying a lot of water. And then I realized that I was painting on the wrong side of the canvas. 😢 😊 Wait, did I say I did something wonderful? Wonderfully stupid, I meant. 

This 👇 is the painting:

If you paint on canvas, maybe you are laughing. I don't mind because even I laughed when I realized that. Also, I ruined a painting last night. It's looking at me, as if mocking. Let's see if I could fix it.

Another original painting that I created 2 days ago. Hope the bridge looks like a bridge.

Painting on a Canvas is a bit different from painting on paper, a little smoother I'd say. These are Eascan canvas sheets. I have also bought Canvas sheets from Camel but I haven't tried yet.
So, what do you think about my paintings? Do you paint in acrylics? Do you paint on Canvas? Any suggestions, please?

This post is part of a blogging challege. I am taking my blog to next level with BlogChatter's #MyFriendAlexa

Also, sharing with Paint Party Friday

Watercolor Painting: Riverscape in Black & White

Let's go, sit by the bank of river

Breathing in the fragrance of nature

Wordlessly,

Our hands entwined, wonderfully,

Our flushed cheeks

absorb the heat of our stolen glances,

as we listen to the love song

the nature sings...

A Black & White painting, yet again! And I am quite pleased with my effort. No reference photo. What do you think?

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Paintings: Nature in Black & White

Black and white combination has its own charm, no? Like black and white photographs. And these days I'm really fascinated by Black & White paintings. They look very striking. So, I tried. One in Acrylic medium and another in Watercolour.

Waterfall in Black and White

For this painting, I followed a Youtube tutorial by Joni Young (Again. Like my last Secret Staircase painting. She explains everything so well and so calmly). It turned out well, I think. The artist said it's a morning scene in Black & White. To me, it seemed like a moonlit night scene. :) What do you think?

A Forest Scene in Black & White

Watercolour medium is dear to me, as I started with this medium. I never thought that I would enjoy painting in acrylic medium, but I am really enjoying. It's a forgiving medium. It's been a long time since I painted in watercolours, so I decided to get back to watercolours. I didn't use any reference photo for this painting. And I am clueless when it comes to painting without reference photo. I have mixed feelings for this painting. Plus, I am not good at sketching figures, still I wanted to go for it (at the risk of ruining my painting). What do you think about this painting?

Sharing With Paint Party Friday

Acrylic Painting: A Secret Staircase

A secret staircase,

a fascinating journey, 

untiring,

I know, it would lead me to

a fantasy land

A world, 

exclusively mine!

And there,

I will find 'you'.

Just painted this secret garden. I am an acrylic beginner, and considering that, I am pretty pleased with the results. What do you think?

This painting is inspired by Joni Young's art tutorial on YouTube. If you paint in acrylics, you should check her channel. She explains everything so well, and so calmly. :)

Sharing with: Paint Party Friday

Trying Acrylic Paintings: Night Scenes

Hello,

Artists say that if you want to begin, start with acrylic paintings, because they are easier than watercolour/oil paintings and it's forgiving. However, I didn't listen to them and started with watercolour medium. I love watercolour paintings!

Recently, I decided to try acrylic paintings. Sharing my acrylic paintings today. Yes, it's forgiving but it's not easy. I ruined two paintings. But then, I'm just 6 paintings old. I'm trying to learn.

These paintings are inspired by YouTube video tutorials by 'Stay Creative Paintings with Ryan O'Rourke'

I'm an absolute beginner but I've learnt a few important things about acrylic painting

1. You can use water {I thought we shouldn't use water and struggled a lot initially}

2. Never take a large amount of paint on your palette. When acrylic paints are moist, they are water soluble but once they dry, they get very hard and, unlike watercolours, cannot be re-moistened. 

3. Acrylic paints dry quickly, yes, but still we need to let it dry, in certain conditions, before applying other colours.

And watercolour is still my favourite medium.

That's all for now. Do you paint in acrylics?

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Watercolor Painting: Minimalism

'Simplicity, clarity, singleness: These are the attributes that give our lives power and vividness and joy as they are also the marks of great art.'

—Richard Holloway

Recently, I participated in an art challenge where we needed to paint using single colour {Monochromatic art}. And I really enjoyed that. Actually, I have realized that our painting sessions are much better if we use limited colours. That we {especially beginners like me} get a little confused when we use several colours for a painting.

What do you think? Do you like using limited colour palette or enjoy/like experimenting using different colours?

Sharing one more artwork I painted recently. I am not good at painting mountains but I like this one. And it's not minimalistic. :)

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Watercolor Painting: 5 Things I Learnt As A Watercolorist

Painted it recently {Reference photo: Unsplash}

Well, I am not an expert, to be honest. I am a self taught watercolourist, and started painting, or rather started painting properly, last year. Painting is one of the most unexpected activities that I am doing. There was a time when I couldn't even relate to the term 'Art & Craft'. But my interest in watercolour painting is not just one year old. I started some six years ago, then stopped. But there's a quotation by Michael Jordan:

'If you can't stop thinking about it, don't stop working for it.'

I stopped painting but I couldn't stop thinking about it, so I started again. This time, thankfully, I have managed to keep my enthusiasm alive. 

Now that I have started painting regularly, I realized that there are certain factors that matter when it comes to watercolour painting. And if we do not follow them, they might affect our painting in a negative way and can kill our enthusiasm. 

So, here I am sharing what I learnt. I'm not going to talk about regular painting lessons. I am talking about what works for me.

Reference photo: Pinterest

1. Good Watercolour Paper:

It's the most important lesson I have learnt as a beginner. Watercolour painting is a little expensive medium. But when we are beginners, we do not want to buy expensive art supplies, which is totally understandable. It's okay to not buy very expensive colours and brushes, but it's essential to buy good watercolour papers. A little expensive {There are some good brands that offer reasonable price} but totally worth it.

Honestly, I used to paint on regular drawing copy. And many a time, the results were frustrating. So, I started buying watercolour sheets. I paint on the both sides, as I don't want to waste paper.

2. Don't Expect Your Painting To Look Beautiful While You're Still Working On It:

Reference photo: Pinterest

I was painting a night scene and I felt that it was turning out really bad. So bad that I felt like leaving that unfinished and paint something else. Thankfully I didn't. I completed it and realized that it was not that bad. The next day, it looked even better. 

3. Don't Try To Recreate A Painting:

I don't know if you do this but I did it quite often. And again the results were frustrating. A painting is already a recreated version. And if you try to copy that recreated version, the results are usually not that satisfactory. For me, reference photos work best. 

4. Understanding The Reference Photos:

So, when I started to follow reference photos {and not paintings}, I tried, really hard, to recreate EXACTLY what I saw in the photo. Maybe because my imagination is very limited when it comes to painting. I realised it later that it suppresses your own creativity and imagination. Set your imagination free. Take the reference photo as inspiration and try your version. 

Reference photo: Pinterest

This one I tried to recreate exactly. Not very happy with the result.

5. Be Patient:

Watercolour painting requires patience and time. Don't rush to apply all the colours when it's still wet.  Let it rest for some time. Understand that you will make mistakes. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. That's the way we actually learn, no?

As I said I am not an expert. I'm sharing what I have observed. What worked for me. Please share your views.

Sharing with Paint Party Friday

Watercolor Paintings: Painting Without Reference Photos

So, I would consider it a development. That I have painted some landscapes without any reference photos and paintings are not bad, I think. However, I would not encourage myself to do that often.

I always need a reference photo to paint. When it comes to painting, my imagination is very limited, so yes I would call it a development.

Sharing some of my paintings that I painted without any reference photo.

Also, I have started to feel comfortable painting on large sized paper. OK, not that large but A4 size. I usually painted on A5, as earlier I didn't feel confident enough to try on A4. These two paintings are on A4 size paper, without any reference photo.

So, what do you think?



Sharing with Paint Party Friday