Palazzo Vecchio

This is a pen, ink, and watercolour sketch of the Palazzo Vecchio (meaning Old Palace) in Florence, based on a photograph by T. T. Srinivasaraghavan (Srini/Ramesh). Srini is a keen and good photographer and has been kind enough to permit me to use many of his photographs as reference for my artwork.

The colours in Srini's photograph were different. I chose the ones that I have used to give more warmth and vibrancy to the painting.

Hoopoe

This is one of my better efforts so far. It is a watercolour painting of a hoopoe based on a photograph taken by my good friend Srini. Srini has a blog called Ramblerspost, now unfortunately inactive for quite some time, which is replete with lovely photos and interesting commentary. He also sends out New Year cards every year using his own photographs and this was on one of them.

A Vietnam Landscape

I very much liked an image that I saw of a scene in Vietnam. Realising that reproducing it in watercolour was beyond my ability I simplified it and retained its essence. 

A Gem Of A 9th Century Temple

This is a small and lovely 9th century temple built next to a lake bund close to Melpadi in Vellore District, in the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu. My wife and I visited this place on one of our quarterly heritage tours with a group called Mystical Palmyra.

Sketching at Semmozhi Poonga, Chennai

This was my second sketch of the day at Semmozhi Poonga. Once again, since I had to dash off that morning to another appointment after only a brief sketching session, this a very quick sketch with pen and ink and then I was off for the day, I completed this one too later using colour ball point pens.

Open Air Theatre at Semmozhi Poonga, Chennai

I did not have much time on location since the park opens late and I had a lunch appointment and had to leave this venue early. I took around 15 to 20 minutes to make a pen and ink sketch of this and then moved on to my second sketch of the morning. I coloured both later at home with colour ball point pens.

A Trial Run

Yesterday I went into a stationery shop to buy an ink cartridge for my writing pen when my eyes fell on a set of really inexpensive colour ball point pens. I normally sketch only with black ink and use either watercolour or colour pencils for sketching in colour. But I was tempted by the price, bought the set, and was looking for a subject to try them out when I received a Whatsapp message...one of those wise quotes printed over a pretty picture. Here is my version of that image done with pen and coloured ink.

Tirunelveli Countryside

One of the distinct pleasures of the quarterly heritage tours that Nithya and I participate in is the travelling in luxury buses in the company of a bunch of friends and watching the constantly changing and beautiful countryside flash by. On one such tour to Tirunelveli this was one of the sights: lush paddy fields near Mannar Kovil. 

Shoreline

This is a pen, ink, and wash based on a demo by Peter Sheeler.

Across The Courtyard @ Old Harbour Hotel, Kochi

A few years ago my wife and I visited Kumarakom and Fort Kochi. At Fort Kochi we stayed at The Old Harbour Hotel, a small and cheerful hotel very close to the waterfront. During this trip I made several sketches on location in pen and ink. A few were quick ones and several were leisurely ones sketched from the comfort of a hotel room or a shaded verandah. The one that I have shared with you here is a watercolour done a few months ago using a photograph taken then as reference.