boats

Playing with paper boats this summer.

Sisters taking wing

I really should be dedicating my time to college work. But I had this itch to finish this piece and put it up, because I have something I simply must say. So neglecting my assignment for an hour and messing with photoshop, just to put this up has been time well spent. 

The black and white sketch was done whilst watching Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham with my silly younger sisters, both of whom have left me and flown away to colleges far, far away. 

I cannot imagine what the next few years shall be like. Lonely, to say the least. And so I hope that my birdies two shall find the time to come home and say hello every once in a while. 

I'm ending this post, lest I get teary and preachy. On a closing note, I love you, Sanu and Ayesha. Fly like you're saving your asses from a flame throwing dragon, and get the better of it. In short, be spanking good wherever you, doing whatever you chose to do, my lovelies. 

Perfect chintuk book courtesy Chumbak

Here are scribbles from a tiny book I won on a contest on Chumbak's facebook page. I promised that I'd send Shubhra scribbles from my book when I had some. My little pocket book goes everywhere with me. These scribbles are mostly from when I'm idling in class. 

Thank you Shubhra and Alicia. 

Remind me, do.

The summer is nearly here. It brings vacations that bear the lingering possibility of an internship. My brain is full of worry that the places I'd like to work at are not inclined to respond to me. The suspense and the fear of no news on that front are cluttering my thoughts.

To relieve myself of this worrying, I draw. With an ink pen retrieved from the base of an unfrequented drawer. What comes of it, is this. Someday, I plan to have this tattooed on myself, in the hope that it will remind me to calm my nerves when they are antsy and overworked. 

  

A Feline-Canine Romance.

A stray doodle of a stray cat.

I am not a cat lover, in the least. In fact, I find them to be the coldest, most vicious, self absorbed mammals in the animal kingdom. Felines. Ekh. Not my scene. 

Except when it comes to drawing them in amusing ways. 

I am, however, a dog person. They cuddle, and lick, and know when you're down. And are quite fun to draw too. They are also big posers and love being photographed. My nutty boxer, Beans, is proof of that. 

I'm strange in many ways. Friends often compare me to a feline creature, what with my obsessive, meticulous working style. OCD-ed and how, folks. And with the cold axe I can quite easily swing when I think I've had just about enough of someone's nonsense tantrums. Funnily, its the pushy, cuddly, nauseatingly clingy love that I get from my little Beansie that fixes every bad day. 

A feline-canine romance we have. 

Spectacled some more

My love for spectacles grows. 

I don't wear mine much. At all really. 

Yet, they continue to fascinate me. 

Hence, my Chashmish Rani. 

P.S, 

Happy 2011. 

It's late. But still. 

Raja ko Rani se pyaar ho gaya

If you're thinking "Enh? What?"

Here's an explanation.

We did this course in college on Visual culture with Sirish.

He re-introduced us to the street. 

Cool chap really. From Valley School too. 

We saw matchboxes and supari packets and film posters and educational charts as representatives of street culture. And then, we began to look at what the street means to us.

To me, playing cards are perhaps the most common tool for recreation on the street. Get into a bazaar at that time of the day when there is a lull in sales, and you'll quite frequently find a circle of pot-bellied uncles gambling. This sight weaves well with the sounds of animated chatter seasoned with colloquial phrases. 

This brought me to think about Kahavats and Muhavras in hindi, and how when literally translated, there is a complete mish-mash of understanding. Another common occurrence on the street. 

So I thought, why not start with a pack of cards that represents just that. The street, to me. 

A little bit of pop culture, some Hindi, some English, some illustration, some fun. 

Here are my Raja of diamonds and Rani of hearts. 

The shapes are a mish-mash of western playing cards and the traditional Ganjifah. 

I'd love some feedback.

I love.

I love Big Chashmas on illustrated characters.

And Big Swirly hair.

And multiple piercings.

And cool Twirly shoes.

Pages from a rather green book

So I still haven't had the time to do any illustration. Because, I'm too busy working on this magnificent project on Public Spaces and Hybrid Media. Which I shall write about later.
But for right now. Here's some very old pages of my green book.

To big eyes that see small things

My green book is severely neglected. Although here's a page from it. Sadly, I'm writing more than drawing. And I'm not writing so much either. But in the spare minutes that I get to do what I love, recently, I draw creatures with gigantic spectacles. 

A children's book illustration competition is coming around, and I must concoct a story and illustrate it quite splendidly too. 

I've been thinking about what it would be like to be a little colorblind child. To not be able to tell red from green, and yellow from blue. To see everything in it's simplest form. 

Then, to chance upon spectacles. Spectacles that are magical. Spectacles that let me see. And tell red from green, and yellow from blue. 

I'm thinking that the gigantic spectacled little boy/girl makes simple things quite colorful for me. 

And I'm thinking that maybe I have something there.

I feel weird today.

I don't know what it is. It's just that today is one of those days that makes me feel quite useless. I feel weird today. And I don't know what it is.
Now what?

The lost bird

The birds in Bangalore are missed.

People say their sights and sounds are lost in a haze of traffic.

Maybe so.

I'm keeping this one alive. And around.

Hello fantastical fictional birdy.

Twirly travels to Bhuj

This year saw some fantastical travelling. In September, to Bhuj, and in October to Calicut.
I'll say some about Calicut in a later post. But for now, let's look at Bhuj.
It was wonderfully colorful. They spoke Kutchi, and so I understood a significant amount.
I wish I had more time to write right now. But I don't.
So for now, imagine how lovely it was.

Layout assignment

Cover spread

End paper

Half title spread

Copyright/Preface spread

Contents spread

Introduction spread

Red spread

Blue spread

Yellow spread

Green spread

Violet spread

Pink spread

Brown spread

Orange spread

Grey spread

Black spread

White spread

Conclusion spread

End paper

Done three months ago as an assignment at college. Looking back, there's little I like about it. 

I had great fun while making it though. Endless hours of waiting for software to respond. Saving space-hogging giant files. Illustrating. More illustrating. Coaxing the printer at Printo to not mess with my colors. Rushing for my submission, only to be greeted by an extremely happy teacher. 

Good fun, all of it.

Feedback welcome.