Illustration Friday | Resist

© 2017 Radha Ramachandran

Resistance is futile.

Illustration Friday: Myth | Ragamala Series No.4: 'A Goddess of the Seas'

© 2013 Radha Ramachandran | Ragamala Series - No.4: 'A Goddess of the Seas'

Myth [n]:

1. any invented story, idea, or concept.
2. an imaginary or fictitious thing or person.

© 2013 Radha Ramachandran | Ragamala Series - No.4: 'A Goddess of the Seas' (GREEN)

(I can't seem to decide between the green fishtail and the orange fishtail versions.)

Illustration Friday: Stretch | 'She Wore Feathers in her Hair'

 © 2012 Radha Ramachandran

"She was not quite what you would call refined. She was not quite what you would call unrefined.

She was the kind of person that keeps a parrot." 

~ Mark Twain

"Be grateful for luck. Pay the thunder no mind. Listen to the birds.

And don't hate nobody."
~ Eubie Blake 

“She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language.

And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.”
~ Monique Duval 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 'She Wore Feathers in her Hair' ― illustrated for me, by me. 

If you're here via Illustration Friday and are wondering how on earth it works for this weeks topic, well, it doesn't...quite.

It doesn't work for the topic 'Stretch' by any stretch of the imagination.

Okay, so I'm really stretching here, but considering that the last time I illustrated for me was in January and that the last blog-update was way back in February (I've been away from this here blog for a stretch of about 9 months), this is a definite 'YAY' moment, People. 

(Also, I just may be my own favourite client. So this was fun.)

 

Here she is (yes, it's a 'she') all mocked-up in an antique frame (Just because. Also, it makes me happy):

(Thank you Antoniu for the frame!)

I originally wanted some kind of type in the illustration, but changed my mind towards the end.

Below is some hand-lettered type that was born in the process.

© 2012 Radha Ramachandran

I have the companion piece to this one in my head, but he (yes, it's a 'he') may take awhile to happen,

considering there's a living to be made. 

Here's hoping the next blog-update happens well before December 2013!

Cheers.

Illustration Friday: Obsession

© 2011 Radha Ramachandran

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?

Illustration Friday: Sneaky & Savour

© 2010 Radha Ramachandran

(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.

Illustration Friday: Afterwards & Burning

© 2010 Radha Ramachandran

Illustration Friday: Spent

© 2010 Radha Ramachandran

Illustration Friday: Old-fashioned & Beneath

© 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?

:)

Illustration Friday: Music & NaBloPoMo: Day 26

© 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.)

Illustration Friday: Unbalanced & NaBloPoMo: Day 19

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

Burgers, coke and fries do not a balanced meal make.

Illustration Friday: Blur & NaBloPoMo: Day 11

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

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.)

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

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

© 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'.)

Ilustration Friday: Infinite

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

Infinite sky. Infinite joy.

:)

Illustration Friday: Magnify

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

(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)

Illustration Friday: Unfold

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

(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.)

Illustration Friday: Poise

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.

:)

Illustration Friday: Time

© 2009 Radha Ramachandran

(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 Radha Ramachandran

(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!

Illustration Friday: Sugary

© 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 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!

:)