Ratlion's Den

Chitra Santhe 2012

2012-02-02T09:02:00.005+05:30

© 2012 Radha Ramachandran

January 29, 2012. Chitra Santhe, 2012. Slice of pavement No.160. A huge 'thank you' goes out to all the kindred folk who bought a print and to those who took the time to stop, look and voice their appreciation.

:)

Maithili dances the Bharatanatyam.

2012-01-15T13:24:00.001+05:30

The Goddess Kali

2012-01-09T21:55:00.004+05:30

© 2012 Radha Ramachandran

"Out of the surface of her (Durga's) forehead, fierce with frown, issued suddenly Kali of terrible countenance, armed with a sword and noose. Bearing the strange khatvanga (skull-topped staff), decorated with a garland of skulls, clad in a tiger's skin, very appalling owing to her emaciated flesh, with gaping mouth, fearful with her tongue lolling out, having deep reddish eyes, filling the regions of the sky with her roars, falling upon impetuously and slaughtering the great asuras in that army, she devoured those hordes of the foes of the devas."
~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kali

The Hunter

2012-01-08T12:19:00.004+05:30

© 2012 Radha Ramachandran

"Orion with his golden bow is on watch during the night."
~ Aesop, Fables 123 (from Babruis 124) (trans. Gibbs) (Greek fable C6th B.C.)

un león, un tigre

2012-01-07T20:03:00.009+05:30

Albert and the Lion
by Marriott Edgar

There's a famous seaside place called Blackpool,
That's noted for fresh air and fun,
And Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom
Went there with young Albert, their son.

A grand little lad was young Albert,
All dressed in his best; quite a swell
With a stick with an 'orse's 'ead 'andle,
The finest that Woolworth's could sell.

They didn't think much of the Ocean:
The waves, they were fiddlin' and small,
There was no wrecks and nobody drownded,
Fact, nothing to laugh at at all.

So, seeking for further amusement,
They paid and went into the Zoo,
Where they'd Lions and Tigers and Camels,
And old ale and sandwiches too.

There were one great big Lion called Wallace;
His nose were all covered with scars -
He lay in a somnolent posture,
With the side of his face on the bars.

Now Albert had heard about Lions,
How they was ferocious and wild -
To see Wallace lying so peaceful,
Well, it didn't seem right to the child.

So straightway the brave little feller,
Not showing a morsel of fear,
Took his stick with its 'orse's 'ead 'andle
And pushed it in Wallace's ear.

You could see that the Lion didn't like it,
For giving a kind of a roll,
He pulled Albert inside the cage with 'im,
And swallowed the little lad 'ole.

Then Pa, who had seen the occurrence,
And didn't know what to do next,
Said 'Mother! Yon Lion's 'et Albert',
And Mother said 'Well, I am vexed!'

Then Mr and Mrs Ramsbottom -
Quite rightly, when all's said and done -
Complained to the Animal Keeper,
That the Lion had eaten their son.

The keeper was quite nice about it;
He said 'What a nasty mishap.
Are you sure that it's your boy he's eaten?'
Pa said "Am I sure? There's his cap!'

The manager had to be sent for.
He came and he said 'What's to do?'
Pa said 'Yon Lion's 'et Albert,
'And 'im in his Sunday clothes, too.'

Then Mother said, 'Right's right, young feller;
I think it's a shame and a sin,
For a lion to go and eat Albert,
And after we've paid to come in.'

The manager wanted no trouble,
He took out his purse right away,
Saying 'How much to settle the matter?'
And Pa said "What do you usually pay?'

But Mother had turned a bit awkward
When she thought where her Albert had gone.
She said 'No! someone's got to be summonsed' -
So that was decided upon.

Then off they went to the P'lice Station,
In front of the Magistrate chap;
They told 'im what happened to Albert,
And proved it by showing his cap.

The Magistrate gave his opinion
That no one was really to blame
And he said that he hoped the Ramsbottoms
Would have further sons to their name.

At that Mother got proper blazing,
'And thank you, sir, kindly,' said she.
'What waste all our lives raising children
To feed ruddy Lions? Not me!'

The Tiger
by William Blake

Tiger Tiger. burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye.
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies.
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat.
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp.
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile His work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger Tiger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

The Owl & the Pussycat

2012-01-06T16:14:00.005+05:30

The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!'

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

III

'Dear pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Mr. & Mrs. Dachshund

2012-01-03T14:36:00.012+05:30

The Dachshund's affectionate
He wants to wed with you:
Lie down to sleep,
And he's in bed with you.
Sit in a chair,
He's there.
Depart,
You break his heart.

~ E.B. White

“Dachshunds have their own agenda and can be stubborn about seeing their plans through to completion. What Rosie lacked in consistency, she made up for in enthusiasm. Most of the time when I called her name, she sprinted back, her long ears cocked and flying like a little girl's pigtails. Each encounter was a glorious reunion, even if we'd been parted for only a minute or two. I had never felt so loved.”

~ Mary Doria Russell, Dreamers of the Day

© 2012 Radha Ramachandran

Hello!

I might be doing Chitra Santhe this year (I'll only know for sure after the 15th of this month), which means I need to make lots of new illustrations! (See my post on last years Santhe here.)

And when I sat down to draw yesterday, this is what emerged.

Meet Edward & Elizabeth Dachshund. A.k.a. Mr. & Mrs. Dachshund.

:)

Oh, and here's wishing you a very happy new year!

Cheers,
Radha

P.S: Have you seen Lisa Bengtsson's Dachshund prints? Love!

(Image below by Lisa Bengtsson)

December 7, 2011 | 12:21 PM

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What my Tumblr archive looks like at the moment.

Artemis

2011-12-05T21:03:00.000+05:30

Aristophanes, Frogs 1358 ff (trans. O'Neill) (Greek comedy C5th to 4th B.C.) :
"O Artemis, thou maid divine, Diktynna (of the Nets), huntress, fair to see, O bring that keen-nosed pack of thine, and hunt through all the house with me."

Aristophanes, Thesmophoriazusae 114 ff :
"Praise Artemis too, the maiden huntress, who wanders on the mountains and through the woods."

A Lady

2011-08-23T21:11:00.000+05:30

Sorta Kinda

2011-08-23T13:55:00.000+05:30

Illustration Friday: Obsession

2011-08-01T15:05:00.000+05:30

Her music is her obsession.

Update: Just added another version of the illo. I think I may prefer the one on the top with the lighter pencil lines. What about you?

Pottery | Made by me

2011-08-01T14:26:00.000+05:30

Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | Dalhousie

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Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | Norbulingka

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Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | McLeod Ganj

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Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | Bir + Tashi Jong

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More pics here and here.

Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | Andretta

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More pics here.

Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | Palampur

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More pics here.

Himachal Pradesh, Apr-June 2011 | At the Mela

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Hello.

2011-08-01T07:55:00.000+05:30

Hello!
I've been gone awhile (deadlines, travel, pottery) but I'm back.
Interesting times ahead I think.

:)

Chitra Santhe 2011

2011-02-02T08:20:00.000+05:30

January 30, 2011. Chitra Santhe, 2011. Stall (Slice of pavement?) No. 567.
Me, Meghana, Gayathri, Rohini, Ramya & Ashwin.

14 kindred folks who bought my work and a lot more who stopped
to say how much they liked it. 18 framed illustrations sold.

All in all, a pretty good day.

:)

New Moon / Full Moon / Twilight

2011-01-20T09:23:00.000+05:30

Secret Garden

2010-12-28T22:09:00.000+05:30

This is what I wake up to in the morning.

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Merry Merry

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More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.*

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R.Krishnamurthy (1927-2010)

This is my paternal grandfather.

Dad thinks this picture was taken around 1947 when Thatha was simultaneously studying and working in Calcutta. I think he was already married to my grandmother at the time.

He passed away this Tuesday, on 21st December 2010, just 3 months after Amamma left us.
She was 79, he was 83. They would have celebrated their 63rd marriage anniversary next year.

Rest in peace Thatha.
Wherever you are, I hope you're with Amamma. And I hope you're happy.

*The title is a quote by Lord Alfred Tennyson that I've heard Thatha mention often. It's something he truly believed in.

muchos leones, tigres muchos

2010-12-09T10:16:00.001+05:30

León (no.17)

2010-12-09T10:01:00.000+05:30

le lion et le tigre

2010-12-09T01:10:00.000+05:30

Illustration Friday: Sneaky & Savour

2010-12-02T14:24:00.000+05:30

(top): This sneaky cupcake thief can't wait to savour her loot!
(bottom): A closer look at the 'Of winged pigs and cupcakes' pattern on her pajama pants.

And he dreamed...

2010-12-02T14:18:00.000+05:30

Illustration Friday: Afterwards & Burning

2010-11-19T02:22:00.000+05:30

The Light Fantastic*

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Cocolin!

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© 2010 Radha Ramachandran

Spotted this chocolate bar on a trip to the supermarket a couple of days ago and
brought it home with me solely for its packaging.

I like the whimsical wrapper, but the taste? Not so much.
Kinda tasted like what I imagine 'fake' chocolate might taste like! Not good!

Wall-E

2010-11-07T22:47:00.000+05:30

Autumn

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Remembrance.

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This one's for you, Ammama. Wherever you are, I hope you're happy.

Painted wooden eggs and a pinecone souvenir.

2010-11-05T00:58:00.000+05:30

Painted wooden eggs from various handicraft exhibitions and a pinecone souvenir from a trip to Kodaikanal.

>O<
"Pick up a pinecone and count the spiral rows of scales. You may find eight spirals winding up to the left and 13 spirals winding up to the right, or 13 left and 21 right spirals, or other pairs of numbers. The striking fact is that these pairs of numbers are adjacent numbers in the famous Fibonacci series: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... Here, each term is the sum of the previous two terms. The phenomenon is well known and called phyllotaxis. Many are the efforts of biologists to understand why pinecones, sunflowers, and many other plants exhibit this remarkable pattern. Organisms do the strangest things, but all these odd things need not reflect selection or historical accident. Some of the best efforts to understand phyllotaxis appeal to a form of self-organization. Paul Green, at Stanford, has argued persuasively that the Fibonacci series is just what one would expects as the simplest self-repeating pattern that can be generated by the particular growth processes in the growing tips of the tissues that form sunflowers, pinecones, and so forth. Like a snowflake and its sixfold symmetry, the pinecone and its phyllotaxis may be part of order for free"

~ Stuart Kauffman (At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity)

:)

2010-11-05T00:53:00.002+05:30

Happy Diwali!

2010-11-04T20:56:00.000+05:30

It's the same illustration as last year, but with a few modifications to the dress, hair and background.
Here's wishing you a Happy Diwali & a prosperous New Year.

:)

Illustration Friday: Spent

2010-11-04T01:13:00.000+05:30

Excuse me while I kiss the sky.*

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Message from New York

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Please let that not be what I think it is.

2010-11-02T00:09:00.000+05:30

2010-10-11T13:55:00.000+05:30

Tumblr Archives

2010-10-05T22:16:00.000+05:30

I'm totally digging the way tumblr displays archives.

Illustration Friday: Old-fashioned & Beneath

2010-10-04T17:18:00.000+05:30

© 2010 Radha Ramachandran

An old-fashioned gentleman standing beneath a garland of paper triangles.

Sooner or later I will open that Etsy shop (hopefully sooner than later) and a card set with this illustration will be one of the first things I put up for sale! (So there Universe!)

It's been awhile, IlloFri. How've you been? Or rather, how do you do?

:)

Recent Work

2010-04-09T16:21:00.001+05:30

Below is a sampling of some recent work done for the
Feb, March and April issues of Lonely Planet Magazine India.

A perfect illustration of the day that was.

2010-02-24T21:11:00.001+05:30

Illustration Friday: Music & NaBloPoMo: Day 26

2009-11-27T00:50:00.000+05:30

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

The sitar (Hindi: सितार, Bengali: সেতার, Urdu: ستار, Persian: سی تار ) is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages. It derives its resonance from sympathetic strings, a long hollow neck and a gourd resonating chamber.

Used throughout the Indian subcontinent, particularly in Northern India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, the sitar became known in the western world through the work of Pandit Ravi Shankar beginning in the late 1950s, particularly after George Harrison of The Beatles took lessons from Shankar and Shambhu Das and played sitar in songs including "^[1]Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)". Shortly after, The Rolling Stones used sitar in "Paint It, Black" and a brief fad began for using the exotic instrument in pop songs.

Source: Wikipedia

*****

(See Gita play the guitar here.)

NaBloPoMo: Day 25

2009-11-26T00:23:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 24

2009-11-25T00:22:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 22

2009-11-23T00:02:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 21

2009-11-22T00:13:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 20

2009-11-21T00:21:00.000+05:30

Illustration Friday: Unbalanced & NaBloPoMo: Day 19

2009-11-19T23:59:00.000+05:30

Inspire Me Thursday: Tree and NaBloPoMo: Day 18

2009-11-19T00:47:00.001+05:30

"There are some trees, Watson, which grow to a certain height
and then suddenly develop some unsightly eccentricity."
~ Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the Empty House)

NaBloPoMo: Day 17

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NaBloPoMo: Day 16

2009-11-16T23:56:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 13

2009-11-13T23:44:00.000+05:30

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

Yup, her neck is wonky and could use some fixing. But for now, I'm content to just let her be!

:)

(Also, I'm going out of town for the weekend, so anything I draw over the next two days, I'm going to have to post on Monday)

NaBloPoMo: Day 12

2009-11-12T23:56:00.000+05:30

I have no idea why I'm drawing all these geometric shapes lately. Just going with the flow. This one was doodled while watching television.

Illustration Friday: Blur & NaBloPoMo: Day 11

2009-11-11T17:06:00.000+05:30

Without her glasses, life was just one big blur.

Just a sketch this time. I've opened this an innumerable number of times in Illustrator to work on the final vector illustration, but something's just been off. I have a feeling I want to try painting it, but haven't been able to make myself open a tube of paint either.

Maybe it's time just hasn't come yet!

Will just have to update this post with the colour version if and when I get around to doing it.

:)

Below is another sketch I drew earlier today for NaBloPoMo*.
(*Stands for 'National Blog Posting Month'. Basically, you try to post something on your blog everyday in November. In my case, I'm trying to post a drawing, sketch or illustration everyday.)

NaBloPoMo: Day 10

2009-11-10T22:51:00.000+05:30

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
~ Edwin Way Teale, Autumn Across America

NaBloPoMo: Day 9

2009-11-09T23:50:00.000+05:30

NaBloPoMo: Day 8

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I've just gotten my hands on this book, and since I doubt I can put it down till I'm done with it, I'm just going to have to see you on the other side of 765 pages.
Till then, I'll leave you with a doodle I did yesterday.

:)

NaBloPoMo: Day 7

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Today.

NaBloPoMo: Day 6

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“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”
~ Charles H. Spurgeon

(Pssst...I've decided to overlook the fact that I'm about an hour and 20 mins late posting this.)

:)

NaBloPoMo: Day 5

2009-11-05T12:40:00.000+05:30

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

We've been having quite a few cold and cloudy days over
here lately (Think socks and cozy rooms).

Also, Mr.Yates gets a makeover.

NaBloPoMo: Day 4

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Illustration Friday: Skinny (Also known as NaBloPoMo: Day 3)

2009-11-03T23:49:00.000+05:30

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

"A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise."
~ Winnie the Pooh

***
This is George. He likes snorkeling on weekends.

Did you know Snorkeling burns approximately 435 calories per hour for
an average, 145 pound (65.9 kg) person?

Now George knows he'll never be skinny (not that he needs to be), but he's hoping
to get fitter by shedding a few pounds.

:)

Here's the sketch:

(Posted exactly 5 minutes before it's time for ' NaBloPoMo:Day 4'.)

To do! (Also known as 'NaBloPoMo: Day 2')

2009-11-02T23:51:00.000+05:30

The ancient owls' nest must have burned.
Hastily, all alone,
a glistening armadillo left the scene,
rose-flecked, head down, tail down...

~ An exceprt from the poem The Armadillo by Elizabeth Bishop

***

'Mother,' he said, 'there are two new animals in the woods to- day, and the one that you said couldn't swim, swims, and the one that you said couldn't curl up, curls; and they've gone shares in their prickles, I think, because both of them are scaly all over, instead of one being smooth and the other very prickly; and, besides that, they are rolling round and round in circles, and I don't feel comfy.'

'Son, son!' said Mother Jaguar ever so many times, graciously waving her tail, 'a Hedgehog is a Hedgehog, and can't be anything but a Hedgehog; and a Tortoise is a Tortoise, and can never be anything else.'

'But it isn't a Hedgehog, and it isn't a Tortoise. It's a little bit of both, and I don't know its proper name.'

'Nonsense!' said Mother Jaguar. 'Everything has its proper name. I should call it "Armadillo" till I found out the real one. And I should leave it alone.'

~ An excerpt from the story 'The Beginning of the Armadillos' by Rudyard Kipling

***

Posted exactly 4 minutes before it's time for ' NaBloPoMo:Day 3'!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's another (simpler) version (which I must admit I rather like):

And a version of the original sketch for posterity:

I think I'm going to call him Arnold.
Arnold, the amateur skateboarding Armadillo.

To do or not to do? (Also known as 'NaBloPoMo: Day 1'. Maybe.)

2009-11-01T16:53:00.000+05:30

Today is the first day of November, and so traditionally the first day of NaBloPoMo.

I've always been intrigued by the concept of forcing oneself to write or post or draw something every day of a month, but at the same time also a little intimidated 'cos let's face it, I'm usually a person of few words and who wants the pressure of having to say something (be it through pictures or words) every single day whether you feel like it or not?

Yet here I am, writing this post, so that if I decide to do NaBloPoMo after all, I can post tomorrow without feeling like I've cheated and skipped a day (Yes, I can be really anal about things like that sometimes!).

Besides, I've been feeling restless lately with regard to my art and work. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to try new mediums and styles and do a little experimentation on a daily basis?

We shall see.

:)

Howdy

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Goa

2009-10-19T13:42:00.000+05:30

Happy Diwali!

2009-10-17T15:25:00.000+05:30

Here's wishing you a Happy Diwali & a prosperous New Year.

:)

The Green Dress

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Pencil + Photoshop + Illustrator

ghost dog

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'Then out from a grave, with a curl and a twist,
Came a whimpering, whining, spectral mist.
It was a little ghost dog, with a faint little bark,
And a jack-o'-lantern nose that glowed in the dark.
It was Jack's dog, Zero, the best friend he had,
But Jack hardly noticed, which made Zero sad.'

~ An excerpt from the poem 'Nightmare Before Christmas' by Tim Burton

Ilustration Friday: Infinite

2009-09-22T00:50:00.000+05:30

I like them white.

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Or yellow (definitely NOT red). And in bunches (the more the merrier).

:)

Illustration Friday: Magnify

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(Click on image to enlarge)

She often magnified her life in her daydreams.

(What else are daydreams for if not to help us magnify our lives a little now and then?)

Blue or green?

:)

(Inspired by the line 'She pours a daydream in a cup...'
from the song 'Her Morning Elegance' by Oren Lavie)

Peace on a Post-It

2009-08-24T12:35:00.000+05:30

My definition of peace...on a post-it.

What's yours?

"Grab a Post-It note. Draw, scribble, or design your definition of peace."
~ SoulPancake | Peace on a Post-It

Out with the old...

2009-06-23T20:32:00.001+05:30

...and in with the new.

Old header:

New header:

Just needed a change.

Illustration Friday: Unfold

2009-06-15T23:48:00.000+05:30

(Click on image to enlarge)

News broadcasts enable us to keep track of global events
as and when they unfold.

PS: Maya over at Pratham Books was kind enough to feature my illustrations in their blog last Friday. Take a look here. Thank you Maya!

(Pratham Books is a non-profit trust that publishes high quality books for children at affordable prices and in multiple Indian languages.)

Leo. Leo. Leo.

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Illustration Friday: Poise

2009-04-02T23:41:00.000+05:30

The boy stood absolutely still, carefully poising five birds
on his head and arms.

Seeing as how I can't seem to get enough of the birds and the balancing act, I present to you the very first 'Bird Boy'. See the 'Bird Girls' here.

:)

Just playing.

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Illustration Friday: Time

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(Click on image to enlarge)

It's already Friday in this part of the world, but I figured I had a couple of hours before the topic over at Illustration Friday changed.

Besides, having decided to do an illustration for Illustration Friday after ages, and having worked on said illustration in brief snatches of time over the last week (while waiting for feedback from the client in between of working on the project that's currently earning me my bread and butter), I was determined to get this up no matter what.

Besides, as much as I liked Gita, I'm just really tired of having her be the latest post on this blog!

:)

Cheers,
Radha

Illustration Friday: Strings

2008-10-14T13:46:00.000+05:30

(Click on image to enlarge)

'Gita (pronounced 'Geetha') plays the guitar'

"A guitar typically has six strings, but four, seven, eight, ten and twelve string guitars also exist."

(Source: Wikipedia)

I've kinda made a conscious decision to try and work more in this style, and see if its something I can use exclusively for children's books etc. This doesn't mean I'll stop working in the other styles though. The style in which I do editorial illustration, for eg., will remain the same and of course work in the other styles may pop up as and when the mood strikes.

Hmm.

What do you think? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

One of those days where you go...

2008-10-09T17:26:00.000+05:30

This was me yesterday. Working on this today was almost cathartic. Funny. Maybe I should get it transfered on a t-shirt. I can wear it on days that I just feel like snapping everyone's head off.

:)

Cheers,
Radha

Illustration Friday: Sugary

2008-10-08T01:10:00.000+05:30

© 2008 Radha Ramachandran
(Click on images for a closer look)

Text reads, 'She had a weakness for sugary tea'.

A huge 'thank you' goes out to everyone who stopped by and left me a comment last week. It did me a world of good.

:)

Cheers,
Radha

Illustration Friday: Packed

2008-09-30T20:47:00.000+05:30

© 2008 Radha Ramachandran
(Click on image for a closer look)

Rub-a-dub-dub,
Three men in a tub,
And who do you think they be?
The butcher, the baker,
The candlestick maker.
They all sailed out to sea.

Now that is one 'packed' tub!

It's funny how inspiration works. I went to bed idly thinking about the various meanings of 'packed', and woke up with the phrase 'Rub-a-dub-dub' in my head (literally). And of course then there was no looking back.
(Who could resist drawing three men in a tub?!)

:D

Cheers,
Radha

P.S: Those orange fish in the blue-green sea? They make me happy!

:)

Illustration Friday: Clique

2008-09-27T19:01:00.000+05:30

Inspired by the sketch below (bottom right on the page), for the Illustration Friday topic 'Clique'.

Back when I was doing my graduation in management studies, one subject I absolutely could not stand was finance (I hated it, and it hated me right back). This was the notepad I kept specifically to doodle in during those lectures.
It contains some of my best doodles to date.

:D

Again, I like the body language and expressions of the women in the original sketch better. Can't you just imagine them at some party, haughtily looking down their nose at the people outside their clique? Maybe even making catty remarks and gossiping about the lesser mortals?

:D

Cheers,
Radha

Island Dream (Illustration Friday: Island)

2008-09-27T18:50:00.001+05:30

Oil on archival canvas cotton duck.

Paint and me are just getting to know each other better. We used to be fairly well acquainted, but have lost touch over the last couple of years. Here's hoping we become friends.
Inspired by the Illustration Friday topic 'Island'.

Like something about the original sketch that seems to be missing in the final painting. Maybe I ought to do a digital vector version from the sketch?

Cheers,
Radha

On My Desk...

2008-09-19T11:35:00.000+05:30

Hello.

It's been awhile since I've felt like blogging. Feels good to be here.

:)

This is what my desk looks like today. I picked up the 'Notes from the Universe' from a book sale yesterday, while shopping for a gift for a friend's birthday (the wrapped packages you see next to the book). Love the play of light on the table.

Cheers,
Radha

Illustration Friday: Poof

2008-08-06T22:51:00.000+05:30

A few months ago, I illustrated a series of girls to gift to friends. Four illustrations, to be precise, of four different girls in similar poses. I didn't expect to be able to put anything up this week, but when this idea popped into my head while looking over those illos, I couldn't resist.

This actually started out as a .swf file, but when I tried following tutorials online to embed it in this post, nothing seemed to work. So in the end, I had to download a free trial version of an .swf converter and convert the file into a .avi so it could be directly uploaded via Blogger's video option.

Phew. I really hope this works.

Below is a frame by frame version of the above video.

Yeah, I'm sure having those birds go 'poof' and disappear was a relief. I can just imagine her arms aching in that pose.

:D

And finally, I give you the other 3 girls in the set.

:)

Cheers,
Radha

Illustration Friday: Foggy

2008-07-16T19:28:00.000+05:30

(Click on image for a closer look)

She was usually foggy in the mornings, before her first cup of coffee.

(Click on image for a closer look)

:)

No idea where this idea came from cos' I drink tea in the morning. Plus I wake up all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

Well, kinda.

:D

Speaking of 'thank you', I have to thank the two lovely ladies over at 'The Frog Blog' and 'Sketched Out' for giving me the 'Brilliant Weblog' award. Colleen and Linda have pretty awesome blogs themselves, and are always there for me with a nice encouraging comment just when I need it.

A huge thank you to them both!

Now, as a recipient I must

1) Put the logo on my blog.

(Like so)

2) Add a link to the person who awarded me.

(Go check out 'The Frog Blog' and 'Sketched Out' now!)

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on mine.

My 7 nominees are
1. Red Dog & Jude
2. Anonyrrie
3. Geninne's Art Blog
4. Kristi Valiant
5. French Toast Girl
6. Sheree Boyd
7. Natascha

and 5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

(Right. *Scoots over to all 7 blogs and leaves messages*)

There. Done!

:)

Cheers,
Radha

At this moment in time.

2008-07-02T20:53:00.000+05:30

Hello.

Below is a piece inspired by a tweet of mine from awhile back. I've been working on it on and off for the last week or so and today it finally felt finished. And so here it is.

© 2008 Radha Ramachandran

Now, I know how I interpret it 'cos I wrote the tweet it was based on. But I'm curious. How would you interpret it? Do you take anything at all away from it?
It's just something I was wondering about and I would love to hear from you, even if it does nothing for you at all!

Hmm.
So.

What's up with you today?

:)

Cheers,
Radha

Inspire Me Thursday: Bringing Child's Art to Life

2008-06-26T14:19:00.000+05:30

The topic over at 'Inspire Me Thurs' this week is 'Bringing Child’s Art to Life'.

"This week, let us be inspired by South Korean photographer Yeondoo Jung’s series Wonderland, a collection of amazing photographs in which he brilliantly brings children’s crayon drawings to life. "

I know! Cool, right?
So cool, I had to give it a shot.

So here goes.

Exhibit A:

(Click on image for a closer look)
Felt pen/Markers on paper

Drawing made by a little me a long long time ago.
(I don't remember exactly when this picture was made, but I think it would be safe to say its from at about 11-14 years ago)

Exhibit B:

(Click on image for a closer look)
Digital Vector

It's reproduction by the 23 year old me of today!

Ta-da!

Hmm.

Are you thinking you like the original one better?

Sigh.

Yeah, me too.

:)

More drawings from the early years below:

(Click on images for a closer look)

The paper is a bit yellowed due to years of storage (found these in a truck full of books at my grandparents place) but the scan really isn't doing some of those florescent marker colours any justice!

I'm thinking I ought to frame one of these.
I'm kinda partial to the last one with the turkey/peacock bird and strange creature in oranges and blues.

What do about you?

:D

Cheers,
Radha

Ratlion's MOO

2008-06-25T09:35:00.000+05:30

Hello!

I did'nt blog about it at the time, but I was the Illustration Friday/MOO Haiku winner in a draw held back in March.

It's been fun to see the updates of the other winners on the blog, and with the last of my free pack of MiniCards, Stickers & Postcards arriving yesterday, I figured I'd share too!

Love how my cards and stickers turned out. Thank you so much MOO and Illustration Friday!!

I think the illustrations on the three different rows of postcards pretty much define my 3 main styles at this point, which is to say I both enjoy and am comfortable working in all three. Now if I could only figure out where exactly I'm going with it all.

:)

Also, 2 of the 'face' stickers are the same one's that won in the Laptop Sticker Competition awhile back. I think I really like how they turned out.

There hasn't been an illo on this blog for awhile and I really haven't any idea why. Just been thinking a lot lately (where am I? What am I doing? etc. etc.) and the more I think, the less answers I have. Which can be frustrating. Hopefully I'll draw something soon!

Thank you so much to everyone who's been coming around and commenting on my posts (you know who you are). Your comments brighten my day. Really.

Cheers,
Radha

PS: My apologies for the crappy photograph! It was taken on the coffee table in the late afternoon light on a cloudy day and looks a bit weird to me, but I decided to go with it anyway!