Thursday, May 31, 2012

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 17 to 23
























I have been lagging way way behind on the 30 day drawing challenge. Today I was feeling a bit in a rut, so thought getting back to this challenge may be a good way to get my spirits back. And guess what, I managed to fly through quite a few of them in less than 10 minutes. Yay!
Day 17 - Favorite plant - what kind of topic is that? But wait, that brings back a great feeling of love and care. When I was in school someone showed me how to plant a ginger plant and that is one of my fondest memories of owning and caring something very dear.
Day 18 - Doodle - wondered what a doodle is? I looked up google; basically it is something you draw subconsciously. And I draw this all the time; in fact I think this is the only thing I have learned to draw effortlessly.
Day 19 - Something New - I am reading a book - 'The Immortals of Meluha'. What can be better than a book for this topic where things change so very often and authors do struggle and manage too to keep it interesting.
Day 20 - Something Orange - Hope this one looks like one - it is a orange light (traffic orange) Duh!
Day 21 - Something you want - Right now all I want is PEACE
Day 22 - Something you miss - I miss being athletic and flexible and thin
Day 23 - Something you need - I need a change for sure!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Photoshop - Learning and Practice


Learned to add vector-mask to remove a person/thing from an image. Always wondered how it can be done easily without the lasso tool. Can be easily done using brush and vector-mask. 

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 16 - Inspiration


Next topic was - Inspiration 

I could think of so many things, so many people. First thing came to my mind was my Mom. She has been my inspiration for strength and grace. Then I thought of my friends, sister, her friends for their struggles and how they rose above them. They will always inspire me to be happy. My Aunt who died of cancer; she inspires me to live healthy and with gratefulness.

Anything that is socially defined to be 'not possible' or 'not acceptable' and yet achievable and forces acceptance inspires me.  So I made a picture of a baby solving Rubik's Cube, an elephant winning a race against ace lion and a plant living happily even void of sunlight. 

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Reflection - Photoshop practice


Photoshop - Practice and Learning - Summer Poster


Load brushes, let up layers, use gradient background, use pen tool.

The spiral lines were not correct; reworked on it, looks little better. 

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Photoshop - Learning and Practice - Lomo Effect

Original image

Photo with lomo effect

What is lomo effect - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lomography
Usually photos with dark vignettes, blurs, focus and bright colors.

Food - Zunka

Zundka/Zunka - tried it today and it turned out so good. I have shared the recipe on my food blog - Zundka

Monday, May 14, 2012

Photoshop Practice and Learning - Painted Look


Duplicate image and to each layer add filter for brush strokes. Learned to add adjustment layers for different effects that applies across all the layers.
Tutorial - http://www.inspiks.com/create-a-painted-poster-using-photoshop-filters/

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 15 - Family


Friday, May 11, 2012

Photoshop Practice and Learning - Water Color Effect


Learnt water color affect, overlays, threshold etc
Learned from 10 Steps.SG

Photoshop Practice & Learning - Cinematic Effect


Learnt Overlays, add noise, filters, depth
Tutorials from Ebin - Digital media, tutorial, Mac & iPhone and lots of fun stuffs!

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 14 - Favorite Fairy tale


Hmm.. Hmmm... Cinderella! My sister once took part as Cinderella when she was in a drama school. In the story, her sisters troubled her, but in reality my Cinderella sister troubled me a lot. 

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Blind Faith


'In everybody’s life there’s a point of no return. And in a very few cases, a point where you can’t go forward anymore. And when we reach that point, all we can do is quietly accept the fact. That’s how we survive.'
~ Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore

We all go through bad times. For many people it may be less painful whereas for others it is life changing. Whatever be the case, if you are told that doing so and so thing will help you bring positive energy into your life or help you get what you want, would you do it? It may not sound logical at all or scientific in any sense. Would you still do it?

I remember I was in school. My uncle who was in his late 30's was diagnosed with brain tumor. My Aunt obviously sought all kinds of medication and best doctors help. My uncle's health deteriorated within few months. I remember an incident where my aunt came home late one day. She did not tell where she was going when she left either. Later she told that one of her colleagues at work recommended a tantric/mantric who did some kind of homa! or whatever she could not explain.
Coming from a well educated family and my Aunt herself being sophisticated and modern (like they say) was trapped in this kind of drama! Not knowing who these tantrics are or what they do, she risked herself going to some far off forbidden place and was ready to try anything to get my Uncle's health back.

Obviously people ridiculed her. But now when I think of that incident, I can understand the hopelessness my Aunt would have felt. You try to keep faith in God, supernatural powers and just hope that magic happens. Your mind is already stressed out that you will try anything and everything. You are so desperate.

There have been many other such incidents that make me wonder, how far out would you go on blind faith? Even if you usually don't believe in such things, would you still chase them?

I personally would have done the same thing my Aunt did. People may call it blind faith, but for people who go through it, it is hope.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

30 Day Drawing Challenge - Day 13 - Comic

Day 13 - Comic

One more lame reason for not getting to the next drawing was, I could not think about anything for 'Comic'. Been in a stale mood and I was like 'what's funny!'. Anyway, here is something comic.


30 Day Drawing Challenge - where I stand

So here is the challenge list once again!

As you can tell I am not able to follow any schedule on the drawing challenge. Challenge started Jan 24 and I am still at day 13 after 3 months! I need some motivation.

While I have gone from a 100% full force to a minus100% of not even thinking about it to the current average 50% of just getting it done somehow, I am learning many things.

First of all, my mind is not relaxed and focused. With time, the importance, the energy and spirit of getting the drawing done has dropped.
Second of all, I am not a good artist. I started off with the challenge to get my mind occupied; more of a distraction. I got success in the beginning but somehow my mind wondered around taking me along with it.
Thirdly, I want it to get done to day 30 not because I enjoy it, but only so that I don't be seen as a loser especially because the challenge is out on the blog accessible to the whole world.
4. If I did not feel like drawing on a day, I made reasons - to myself of course - for why I should not draw. Reasons were, I am too depressed, this challenge is for artists who need to practice and not me, I'll do it tomorrow maybe, I have never completed any thing related to creativity or talent so why this and so on.
5. It is very difficult to remain focused on something consistently. Even if you like it.

Anyways. Time for Day 13! I put together something. Will upload in a bit. 

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Marriage Anniversary

In life only thing worth holding on to is each other. We complete 5 years of our marriage - and what a journey it has been!
So many things have changed, so many new things have evolved. Lots of happy moments, many more fights and arguments, new learning, unlearning.
We have felt the world move by, while we stood holding each other's hands.

I pray to God this story continues.