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.

Urban sketching at Shyambazar Crossing

Today’s urban sketching at Shyambazar Crossing with the Urban Sketchers Kolkata group. I used watercolour and gouache. Mixing the two doesn’t give the same matte finish as using gouache alone.

During a visit to Mairung Gaon

Sketched from photos taken during a trip to Mairung Gaon, Kalimpong.

Botanical Garden

Yesterday at the Botanical Garden, I sketched quietly under the open sky. I mostly worked with a marker and oil pastels, even though I had watercolours with me.

Entering Book Fair again

Visited the book fair for the third time—probably the most I’ve ever been there. Though I didn’t enter a single stall, I went only for sketching. It may not sound great, but it was.

Visiting Mullick Ghat Flower Market

Today’s sketch was done again at Mullick Ghat Flower Market. I’ve always loved sketching people more than buildings. Initially, I didn’t plan to use watercolour, so I didn’t bring a water container with me—only water brush and a palette, just in case I worked on one watercolour piece. But I ended up doing three.

The problem was that the third one got a bit dirty, since the water brush always gets muddy after a painting. I carry two brushes, so for the third sketch I had no option except to use the dirty water inside. Still, it was fun—using watercolours while standing, holding everything in my hands, always feels alive and spontaneous.

A quick sketch

A quick sketch with a thick marker, while she was busy surfing on her phone.

Another sketch from the Book Fair

Another sketch from the next day at the Kolkata Book Fair. I went there with my brother, as it was pre-scheduled. That day I carried only the same tools as before—the permanent marker and a few sheets of paper.