About Me

A little bit about my interest in Art.

I love Animation, Illustration and Fine Art 

I grew up in the 70s on good old Russian story books filled with wonderful watercolor illustrations, British and American Comic books by some of the greatest artists like Sy Barry, Alex Raymond, Alex Toth, Carl Barks and the most adorable Herge. Illustrated stories of Sherlock Holmes, the classics such as Tom Sawyer, Kidnapped, Robinson Crusoe..with the wonderful art work of the greats Sidney Paget, Charles Dana Gibson, and others occupied my eyes. So did the wonderful works of Chellam, Sankar, J, Maruthi as well as Pratap Mullick, Ram Wearkar and the likes. I did at times look at the classic works of the fine arts, but for some strange reason they appeared very alien to me.

I have been drawing ever since I can remember. earliest that I can recollect is perhaps when I was five.I was introduced to painting through a box of watercolor tubes that my mother bought me, when I was probably eight, which I tried to learn to use for quite a long time. (My first ever painting was a feeble attempt at a waterfall scene with water flowing over huge boulders, when shown to others, I was appreciated for the realistic looking potatoes with water pouring from a tap.) In the early 80s she signed me up with the then famous Santhanus Chitra Vidyalam for a two year diploma in Fine Arts. This I realized was very similar to the Famous Artists School that was quite popular in the United States during the 50s and 60s. It was fun taking some semi formal distance art classes. But did I put in sincere effort to learn much..I don't know. All those art materials, and methods were quite exciting. Anticipating the next set of lessons by post was one of the most cherished boyhood memories, equally engaging was a trip to the post office to mail the exercises. 

I used to draw and paint as and when I found time. drew my own comics, created magazines, etc. but nothings much of significance. And as with most of us, had to keep it on the side. Education, Work, Travel and other things meant art took a back seat. But I guess true passions never die.

After a good gap of perhaps 15 years, I returned back to drawing with more vigor and interest around 2000. What inspired me was a book that I picked up at the book store in the Stanford University campus during one of those afternoon breaks. This book did not have proportions, anatomy, methods, tricks or techniques to draw, but simple scribbles of all kind, and very beautiful detailed text on exercises. Yet it claimed to teach figure drawing! The scribbles were natural and I realized that I can do them. 

Soon I was discovering art from the writings of Kimon Nicholaides, Burne Hogarth, Brigdman, Glenn Vilppu, and several great teachers such as Al Dorne and his Famous Artists School Courses. I took a liking to figure drawing, and pen and Ink sketching. Especially drwan to the methods of the Renaissance, I found interest and information in the numerous online forums, bringing in some kind of focus into my art. Also, it helped me learn enormously about artists, their stories, methods, their times. All these got me back into drawing.

This journey has taken a turn for the good, in the past few  months since I got to meet fellow artists in Chennai, and go out and sketch on location. All the talk about art, the methods, the materials and the events happening around me has brought in a great bit of enthusiasm, and has inspired me to delve deeper. I have finally got back to my childhood dream of watercolors.

I have dabbled in many mediums including Acrylics, Oil, Water soluble Oil, Watercolors, Gouache, clay modeling,  to name some, as well as 3D modelling and animation for some good amount of time especially using Blender, but those I love and keep coming back to are Oil Pencils,  Pen & Ink, and  transparent Watercolor.  I do like the flexibility and versatility of the digital medium, but I restrict its use to projects that have a specific need and mostly the tool of choice is the simple yet powerful Gimp.. 

The writings of Kalki, has inspired me to learn and understand the art and culture of South India, which goes back thousands of years. I am in awe at the craftsmanship and the advanced artistic tastes of the bygone era. having beheld the beauty of the grace and gesture of the Nataraja, or a Tribhanga Parvathi or the exquisite panels of art sculpted in stone along the shores of the ancient port of Mamallapuram, my idea and view of the world has changed permanently. 

As I keep exploring life in the dimensions of space and time, there is not a moment or a day that goes without learning something new and exciting.

My artistic pursuit include a mastery of Watercolors, creating Graphic Novels and Illustrating Children stories.