The days and hours I spent with thee, are as a string of pearls to me.. And now,
I count every one of them apart..

A simple pencil sketch.Wanted to explain the scene so thought of highlighting the blood and that was done using color pencils.

Grapthite Pencil and Color pencil on Chart.

I would like to share the prizes that I grabbed for the few pencil sketching competitions I participated during my college days.

 

After watching Jab we met lately, repeatedly though.. Inspired and wanted to sketch one..

And here are those mesmerizing eyes... The draggers

My crayon drawing...

In "Die young as late as possible"I have put in my efforts to bring out the feel of experience and expressions that reflects from the couple of portraits below...

Beauty Of Old Age... #1

Graphite pencil on PaperA4- 8.27" x 11.69''

One of my favorite works of all time...

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years..We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul..Everyone is the age of their heart...A man must have grown old and lived long in order to see how short life is. Die young as late as possible !

Beauty Of Old Age... #2

Grapthite Pencil on Paper A4- 8.27" x 11.69''

The Passion Of The Christ begins as Jesus prays in the garden of Gethsemane and is tempted by an androgynous figure personifying Satan.As Jesus carries the cross along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary,Seraphia wipes Jesus's face.After the death of Jesus, a single drop of rain falls from the sky. The movie ends with Jesus' resurrection and exit from the tomb, with the holes in his hands from the nails visible as he walks.

# The Passion Of The Christ
Graphite Pencil on PaperA4- 8.27" x 11.69''

Above is the original picture I used for sketching "The Passion Of The Christ"

# The holes in HIS hands from the nails
Graphite Pencil on PaperA4- 8.27" x 11.69''

# The Crucifixion Of Jesus
Graphite Pencil on PaperA4- 8.27" x 11.69''

# Jesus Christ

Graphite Pencil on PaperA4- 8.27" x 11.69''

The Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours prior to and including his trial and execution by crucifixion. The Crucifixion of Jesus is an event central to Christian beliefs

# Mary,the mother of Jesus
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4- 8.27" x 11.69''

For her work among the poor and dying of India, Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910-1997) won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979.


Mother Teresa-#1(1910-1997)
Name at birth: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4 Mother Teresa-#2(1910-1997)

Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

# On A Candlelight Dinner
Graphite Pencil on PaperA4.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate only love can do that.


# Played Out
Graphite Pencil on PaperA4.

A boot that is played out without its better half..Should hold true for humans..
I tried to evoke the image of a widow but by rendering only the boots.

Raindrops...

Pencil Sketching of Animals...

Graphite Pencil on A4

Fabulous Feline
Graphite Pencil on Chart
This is one of my favorite Sketch.The fur was made with the edges of rubber..
It was a weeks sketch..
Status : NOT FOR SALE

Fabulous Feline #1

A closer look at sketching details




Fabulous Feline #2
a closer look at sketching details

Fabulous Feline #3

"Tiger Claw"
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

Crouching Tiger
Grpahite Pencil on Paper A4

Modern Art...Playing With colors..
Noticed the number in his costume..?


Donate Blood - Save a Life - Pencil Sketch Graphite on Paper A4



Facts about blood needs

1.	Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood
2.	More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day
3.	One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood
4.	Total blood transfusions in a given year: 14 million (2001)
5.	The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints
6.	The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O
7.	The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs
8.	Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98% of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives
9.	More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
10.	A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.

Facts about eligibility

11.	You must be at least 17 years old, weigh more than 110 pounds, and be in good general health to donate (note: eligibility requirements may vary in some states and blood centers)
12.	A healthy donor may donate red blood cells every 56 days
13.	A healthy donor may donate platelets as few as 3 days apart, but a maximum of 24 times a year

Facts about the blood supply

14.	The number of blood donations collected in the U.S. in a year: 15 million (2001)
15.	The number of blood donors in the U.S. in a year: 8 million (2001)
16.	The number of patients who receive blood in the U.S. in a year: 4.9 million (2001)
17.	The volume of blood transfused to patients is increasing at the rate of 6% per year (2001)
18.	The demand for blood transfusions is growing faster than donations
19.	Less than 38% of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood
20.	Blood cannot be manufactured — it can only come from generous donors
21.	Shortages of all blood types usually occur during the summer and winter holidays

Facts about the blood donation process

22.	Donating blood is a safe process. A sterile needle is used only once for each donor and then discarded
23.	Blood donation is a simple four-step process: registration and medical history, mini-physical, donation, and refreshments
24.	Every blood donor is given a mini-physical, checking the donor's temperature, blood pressure, pulse and hematocrit level (red blood cells count) to ensure it is safe for him or her to give blood
25.	The actual blood donation typically takes less than 10-12 minutes. The entire process, from the time you arrive to the time you leave, takes about an hour
26.	The average adult has about 10 to 12 pints of blood in his body. Roughly 1 pint is given during a donation
27.	All donated blood is tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C, syphilis and other infectious diseases, before it can be released to hospitals
28.	Information you give to the American Red Cross during the donation process is strictly confidential. It may not be released without your permission except as directed by law

Facts about blood and its components

29.	Whole blood can be processed into red cells, platelets, plasma, and cryoprecipitate. The total number of units of all of these components transfused in a year is 29 million (2001)
30.	It is possible to donate specifically only platelets or plasma. This process is called apheresis
31.	Most donated red blood cells must be used within 42 days of collection
32.	Donated platelets must be used within 5 days of collection — new donations are constantly needed
33.	Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets. The body will replenish the elements given during a blood donation - some in a matter of hours, and others in a matter of weeks

Facts about donors

34.	The #1 reason donors say they give blood is because they "want to help others"
35.	Two most common reasons cited by people who don't give blood are: "Never thought about it" and "I don't like needles"
36.	One donation can help save the lives of up to 3 people
37.	If you began donating blood at age 17 and donated every 56 days until you reached 76, you would have donated 48 gallons of blood, potentially helping save over 1,000 lives!
38.	Red Cross donors are 50% male, 50% female
39.	The American Red Cross accepts blood donations only from voluntary donors
40.	Among Red Cross donors in a given year, 18% donate occasionally, 38% are first time donors, and 43% are repeat and loyal donors
41.	People with O- type blood are universal donors. Their blood can be given to people of all blood types. Only 7% of people in the U.S. have O- blood type
42.	Type O- blood is often used in emergencies before the patient's blood type is known, and with newborns who need blood.
43.	45% of people in the U.S. have type O (+/-) blood. This percentage is higher among Hispanics — 57%, and among African Americans — 51%
44.	People with AB+ type blood are universal donors of plasma, the liquid portion of blood. AB+ plasma is often used in emergencies, for newborns and for patients requiring massive transfusions

Facts about the American Red Cross

45.	The American Red Cross blood program started in 1940, under the leadership of Dr. Charles Drew
46.	The American Red Cross supplies approximately 45% of the nation's blood supply
47.	The Red Cross provides blood for patients in nearly 3,000 hospitals across the U.S.
48.	The Red Cross makes blood available to any patient who needs it — patients are not required to find donors to replace the blood they use (a practice common in Europe and some U.S. blood banks) allowing the patient and their family to focus on recovery
49.	80% of the blood donations given to the Red Cross are collected at mobile blood drives set up at community organizations, companies, high schools, colleges, places of worship or military installations. The remaining 20% are collected at fixed Red Cross donor centers
50.	The American Red Cross works with over 50,000 sponsors each year to hold more than 120,000 blood drives, providing convenient locations for people to give blood

- Facts about blood donation -

Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

Born October 15, 1931 (1931-10-15) Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, India
Spouse(s) Never married
This eminent scientist and engineer has also served as the 11th President of India from the period 2002 to 2007.."A.P.J.Abdul Kalam", A term meant for inspiration and nation building.APJ Abdul Kalam is a man of vision, who is always full of ideas aimed at the development of the country. He firmly believes that India needs to play a more assertive role in international relations.He is a man of vision, who is always full of ideas aimed at the development of the country and is also often also referred to as the Missile Man of India. People loved and respected Dr APJ Abdul Kalam so much during his tenure as President that was popularly called the People's President.
Hatts off,This sketch is my respect for the legend.




F.R.I.E.N.D.S Forever...
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

This is a sketch of my close friend,Yugaraj.
Its a live drawing.Thanks to you,for you posed for hours to make this sketch.
I could remember this was my first live drawing of a human portraiture.I am happy that I started it with you and its still ticking.
When writing this I could remember some of the best times we had in our college days..I know you'll keep rocking all d way u go!!!







Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

Sonali Bindre,Actress
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

Amitabh Harivansh Bachchan
Graphite Pencil on Paper A4

Dreams to touch the sky...as I would call this sketching is a tribute to the movie that I like the most "Taare zameen par" The story of a boy who is considered to be dyslexic..
Ishaan Awasthi (Darsheel Safary) is an eight-year old boy who hates school. Every subject is difficult for him and he perpetually fails his exams. He also lacks motor coordination skills and finds it difficult to throw a ball in a straight line. Rather than help him, his teachers and classmates subject him to constant acts of public humiliation. At the same time, Ishaan's internal world is rich with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate:magical lands filled with color and animated animals.
The jigsaw of lessons and letters, characters and numbers and the herald of class tests marks is a regular pattern in every student's life.The dirty shoes,soiled shirt and the tie losing its important place and the water bottle used for all the signified import- Ishaan swinging by the gate and giving away his test scripts to Sheroo only drives home the fact that intelligence is counter non-productive. A kid who cannot multiply 3 and 9 knows what to do with his test scripts, his one painting on war strategy speaks volumes, also his sandwich hand wash and mixing and choice of water paints!!!
The movie offers a list of famous people who are considered dyslexic: Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Walt Disney, Agatha Christie, Thomas Edison, Pablo Picasso, and actor Abhishek Bachchan
The literal translation of the movie's title would be 'stars on earth', I beg to differ, stars always rise above the normal and if at all, we have stars on earth, they are fallen and consumed.

Pencil sketching for beginners
For quite some time now I keep hearing from people asking me to conduct classes on pencil sketching.Though I have not decided much about it,for time being I planned to write some basic tips for sketchers on the web.Keeping this in mind,the post is written mainly targetting the beginners.Before writing this post I was wondering,"do I really need to?".coz,there are plenty of stuffs out there that speak about tips,techniques,tutorials on drawing and sketching.But after reading some of them and doing quite some research,I get the impression that they sometimes tend to confuse beginners with some great techie terms.
They introduce some techniques which might not be of much help to the beginners.

So I finally decided to share some of my personal experience I learnt in years with sketching in this post.The ideas described in here are my own ideas and is shared on my own personal interest.

All I would like to say here is pencil sketching is simple.

With few things to keep in mind,you are on your way to discover the piccasso in you.

          Introduction
I.        Drawing medium
II.       The enviornment
III.     What to draw
IV.     Start carefully
V.      Take breaks
VI.     Mirror image
VII.    Shading
VIII.   Concentrate
IX.      Believe
X.       Finishing touch
XI.      Protect your work


Introduction

Art produced with pencil can be classified into various categories.
It can be a realistic pencil art,It could be a sketch(Which does not have many details in it.Its a kind of quick sketch,a rough drawing),It could be of line drawings,Storyboards,cartoons etc.
The see and draw tips described in here falls into the following category - realistic pencil drawings.

The very first step in learning art is, interest in art.


I.Drawing medium
The good thing about pencil sketching is, you dont need a great drawing kit.Just a pencil,a rubber and a paper will do.
A graphite pencil and Charcoal pencil are the common mediums.
Either of them will do.You can also use the combination of both.Charcoal pencils are of more use in places that requires a darker or more deep tones.
Different kinds of graphite pencils are available.Each give a different kind of effect on paper.
Choose the different pencils you need.I would suggest you to have one pencil which give fine sharp lines,one with dark wider lines and one normal.
Choose a good quality paper.A chart Paper or a A4 paper is a common choice.Choose the correct size of paper.The proportion of your drawing should match the size of paper..


II.The environment

Sit in a comfortable place where you are free from distractions.Be away from people who keep peeping into the progress of your sketch every now and then.
Hearing to some music will be helpful.choose a place where there is good light,or you may tend to strain your eyes.Whatever,ensure you get to focus and your concentration is not distracted.


III.What to draw
Start with some basic objects.Move on to people( Refer my previous post on The Making Of A Portraiture - Sketching - Lesson I and The Making Of A Potraiture - Sketching - Lesson II ) ,Buildings,nature.Choose a good picture to draw which is appealing.If you could not fix what to draw,browse for some already drawn pictures.You get the advantage of learning from other drawings.Use it as reference.
Try to draw things by seeing them in real.Dont ever even try to do a tracing(Not even the so called "outline").It dismisses your creativity and drawing skills.

IV.Start carefully
Once you have decided what you want to draw,plan how your drawing should appear in the paper.Start carefully so that you get the picture positioned at the center of your paper.I have seen people who get to draw a good picture ,however they get it quite in the corner of paper and they would not be able to do a good finish.It finally messes up.So before you start,visualize and take care that you start correctly.
I suggest to go for a top to down drawing approach.Because here you will not have any chances of dirting or spreaing your already drawn parts.

V.Take breaks
Dont over streach yourself.Dont try to complete the work overnight.Enjoy what you draw and do it with passion.Be patient with art.Take breaks.You tend to keep looking a long time at your artwork and your mistakes might not be visible to you.Have a look after a break,You get the chance to find out if something looks odd in your drawing.

VI.Mirror image
Another tip to find your mistakes in drawing is by seeing your artwork reflected in a mirror.The mirror image helps you in identifying the odds in your sketch.
This method is very helpful.

VII.Shading
The most important heart of pencil drawing is shading.Shading gives your artwork a three dimentional view.It gives the effect of light and dark,a more realistic appearance or in other words it brings life to your drawing.Observe well the shades and reproduce the same.Shading is nothing but darkening the place.shade evenly(shade in one direction).Ensure your shades should not reveal the pencil lines.use a paper to smoothe it(take a small piece of paper and fold it to make it like a cone.Using this fine edge of paper you can soothe the nooks of your sketch).Also dont overshade.That can sometime over shout at others or spread too much on other places which is not inviting.Some places needs more darker shades where some places needs a lighter shade.Identify them.
Do not to use any outline or borders in drawing.There is no specific outline or border for sketching.For example if you are sketching a nose,Dont try to begin with drawing the outline of nose.A good sketch has no outlines.(Refer to one of my Prevoius Post for more.Try to bring the nose through shading.This concept holds true for all drawings.And this is the key to a professional good sketch.
A good shade should always give a realistic sketch.

VIII.Concentrate
Concentrate on what you are drawing.Observe well the picture or thing that you refer.Do not look things you draw as objects.Your perception should be it is a thing of black and white.Reproduce the same.Concentration is very important.

IX.Believe
The quitters are person who give up easily.You got to believe your drawing is coming well.Anything half way looks ackward.And pencil sketching is not an exception.Thats where people stop or hurry to finish off.We usually hurry to put off quickly because we wanna see the end result of our sketch,how it is going to look.Thats wrong.You got to believe.keep going slowly and believe that your drawing is shaping well.Dont hurry to complete.Spend more time.The more the time you spend on a picture,the more better it is gonna appear.Draw for hours or weeks.Remember,I have spent weeks drawing one picture.

X.Finishing touch
Once you feel you are done with all,you need to do some final touchings.This gives your artwork a more professional look.Dont touch with fingers inside the drawing.smoothe out the sketch with paper.fill the background with some shades if it can add value to what it looks.Border your drawing.Erase out the markings or dirts.
What is a drawing without a sigunature?Go ahead and scribble your sigunature most preferably at the bottom right corner.Mark the date as well.

XI.Protect your work
Frame your work.For at least, file and protect your artwork.
You have put a lot of efforts and you got to protect it from dirt,tearing,spreading of pencil marks.A glass frame suites good for a big chart sized sketch and a lamination should preferrably do for a smaller sketch.
And what else,your artwork is now ready to be showcased.

I wanted to and have tried to keep it short as much as possible.Thanks for your patience reading this.Let me know if you like it or it was helpful to you.Any suggestions,queries and feedback is highly appreciated.This will help me in serving you better.

Happy drawing!

Quick Sketches


Thought of sharing a few of my sketchings from papers and diaries...Likely to be called "Quick Sketches" for they were just Sketches than to be called Drawings

"Swords of Strength"

 

A sketch that should have taken not more than 5 min..  

"Night Watchman"

That was when I was gazing the beautiful glowing moon..wanted to sketch one and came this 5 min sketch in my diary..dreaming on the moonlight

 "Sculptures of Love"

A quick sketch..Pen and ink on paper..Its a pretty small sketch..not able to present here with better clarity..

"When I had a chance to go back to school"

I have participated a few art contests,but this one was different..
A different kind of a drawing competetion altogeather...
The name of the contest was "Back to school drawing competetion"
We were asked to sketch like kids do,the time alloted was 30 min.

My favorite sport..Soccer was the theme I chose among the others like My birthday party,On a vacation etc.,

Was happy that I grabbed the first place...Thats the proof for i am still the best kid of my time!!
Look at the crowd below that cheered for me!!

"Its Christmas Time"

A simple sketch of jesus in cross.. Sketched on a mathematics class in college...

"Mobile?! Immobile??!"

A quick live drawing sketch  ...

"Dreams gone Wild"

When memories are the only treasures to look back...

"Wind Biking"

A fast sketch of a real biking experience ...

                                   

  "Faith"

Quick sketch... Pen on paper..

"All Around"

That was a random drawing .. People... Yet another fast sketch..

 The Flimstones Bush...

                                                                 Just a scribbling...

 

                                                                     Heart Breakid...


Yet to find a few more sketches... To be updated shortly...