Fragments of Kizom, 2024

Two quick acrylic studies on 4 × 2.5 inch watercolor paper, based on photos I took during my trip to Kizom, Darjeeling, in 2024.

Where I Was, Where I Stayed

The top one was done on location after our sketch meet on a Sunday morning. The bottom one was done from a photo I took at Kizom—it was our room where we stayed.

Acrylic on tiny tin box

Tried another tiny painting on my little tin box. This time I worked with acrylics—only my second time using them after a casual rough painting earlier. I must say, I probably should have bought larger tubes instead of the small 9 ml ones, though there’s nothing wrong with experimenting with the smaller set. The image is painted from a photograph I took during our Silk Route journey last year.

Mota Mahadeb Temple

Sunday morning Urban Sketch with the Urban Sketchers Kolkata Group.

Street View

Another painting on my tiny tin box with a limited palette. This time, I fully went with gouache since I needed to use those tubes :)

Digha Snaps

I tried making a few quick, small cartoon-style sketches from some pictures I took at Digha.

Way to Sandakphu

From a photo I took during our Sandakphu Trek.

At Gwalior Monument

Today’s sketch meet at Gwalior Monument. I chose to work my way—the same place, yet different views, capturing little portions as seen through my eyes.

Same Canvas, New Flow

Another progression in my small paintings. The canvas sizes remain the same; I’ve just switched to a box with a larger mixing area.

Darjeeling

Darjeeling Town, sketched from a photograph I took earlier. A small attempt to capture the charm of the hill town.

Urban sketching on location with my tiny setup

After doing four studies over the last two days, today I stepped out with it. I’m not fully satisfied with the results yet, but I want to continue and explore more.

A Busy Scene in a Tiny Frame

Trying a slightly more complex scene with people in it. Before stepping out with my tiny painting kit for tomorrow’s sketch meet, I wanted to be a bit prepared—especially to see if I can capture people at such a small scale. The scene is from Koley Market, from a photograph I took a while back.

The house at Kumortuli

Continuing my tiny painting series. The House at Kumortuli, Kolkata, painted from a photograph I took a while ago. Trying to see how much I can include within such a small canvas.

Bartir Bill

It’s another tiny painting I did yesterday, and I must say I’m really enjoying it right now. A painting based on a photograph I took at Bartir Bill.

Painting Small

Trying for the first time to do a tiny painting with watercolor and white on my portable small watercolor palette. I don’t use that palette anymore for watercolor because it has become rusted. Recently I saw tiny paintings done on a tin box, but those were done with oil paint. So I thought—why not give it a try?

Back to the Street with Colors

After a couple of weeks, I attended the Sunday meet with the Urban Sketchers Kolkata group. The place—or maybe the subject—didn’t excite me much, but it was still fun to sit on the street and mess around with colors.

Waiting at Babughat

A quick watercolor sketch from the Babughat transit camp. Just a small moment of people waiting and talking, painted loosely with simple washes.

Colors of the Morning Market

The morning at Mallick Ghat Flower Market is always a burst of color and movement. On one of my visits, I took a photograph of a flower seller quietly sitting beside heaps of marigolds and other blossoms, surrounded by the busy rhythm of the market. 

This painting grew from that photograph. I approached it with a loose, direct watercolor method, letting the pigments spread and mingle to capture the lively atmosphere rather than every detail. The warm yellows and oranges of the flowers became the heart of the composition, contrasting with the cooler tones of the surroundings and the calm figure of the seller. 

What fascinates me about the market is this quiet contrast—amid the chaos of buyers, sellers, and piles of flowers, there are small moments of stillness. That fleeting moment became the inspiration for this piece. 

Sometimes a single photograph is enough to bring back the sound, color, and mood of a place—and painting it feels like visiting that moment again.

At Rishikhola

Painting from a photograph I took during our Silk Route journey. 

The place was quiet, almost whispering—a thin river slipping past stones, hills layered softly in the background, and that slow mountain light changing every few minutes. While painting, I focused less on details and more on the mood—that peaceful hillside afternoon, the stillness in the air, and the feeling of being tucked away from everything.

A Morning Near Nakhoda Masjid

When watercolor is mixed with Chinese white, I would still call it watercolor—just in a more opaque form. It makes the medium much more versatile. This was a direct watercolor approach without any initial sketch. The picture was taken near Nakhoda Masjid.

Painting with what remains

Did a quick painting using whatever colors were left on my palette. I really wanted a warm red and more white, but only crimson lake and a tiny bit of white were available. I decided to use only what I had at the moment. Photo taken at M.G. Road, Kolkata.

Flower Seller

Painted from a photo I took at Mallick Ghat Flower Market. A direct watercolor approach — really enjoying color these days :)

In my local market

Sketched from a photo I took a while ago at my local market, probably during a morning grocery run.

Chinese New Year Sketch at Bow Barracks

Today’s sketch from Bow Barracks during Chinese New Year. I had carried my watercolours, but due to the extreme crowd, I abandoned the idea and only sketched this time. 

I do think the lions would definitely look even cooler with colours, though.

Travel Sketch Journal — McCluskieganj

My recent trip to McCluskieganj felt like walking through a quiet memory. Old colonial bungalows, cracked pastel walls, rusted gates, and silent railway tracks — everything carried a gentle sense of fading history.

I sketched wherever I could — under winter light filtered through sal trees, near the small railway station, and in front of abandoned houses slowly surrendering to nature. Earthy washes of burnt sienna and ultramarine helped capture the mood more than the details.

This journal isn’t just a record of buildings; it holds the stillness, the soft train whistles, and the unhurried rhythm of a place that reveals itself only when you pause and observe.