Digital Art

I came across the art work of Bulgarian artist Svetlin Vassilev recently and have totally been digging his illustration pieces and style. He has a very interesting eye for details, composition, and a general awe os mystery in his work. I particularly couldn’t peel my eyes away from his piece on Romeo and Juliet (last image in the scroll), and so decided to #drawthisinmystyle

Based on a beautiful picture of Silk Smitha, this piece celebrates the beauty, joy, and unfettered independence of a woman living her full life. This piece catches her in a moment of self‑reflection and self‑care. :)

This is a more contemporary, retro take on a Tamizh woman at leisure taking her time with a cup of tea come morning. I love drawing women who rest, relax, and engage in leisurely activities they love. I love seeing them free to do what they want and amudha here does just that outside any gaze. ❤️

‘Kaarmegham’ in Tamizh refers to “black or rain‑bearing cloud” (‘karu’ means black, and ‘megham’ means cloud); and ‘Arasi’ means “queen.” Kaarmegarasi, thus, is the (Dark) Queen of Rain‑bearing Clouds. Growing up, I drew a lot of women…and incidentally, I ended up drawing them fair‑skinned and ‘voluptuous’ in the right places, sans any perceived physical ‘flaws’ or ‘imperfections.’ Perhaps, that’s mainly because that’s what I saw on TV or read in Amar Chitra Katha / Tinkle comics. When Mahabharatam was shown on Doordarshan, Draupadi wasn’t dark‑skinned. She was fair, looked amenable (even though I personally think she could be characterized as a force and woman who could set her own rules) and beautiful. Almost all the women I saw on films were similarly so.

I’ve grown from to girl to woman since, moved states and countries, seen shades of skins, grown my own stretch marks, battled my own unruly eyebrows, grown into my own curly hair (which I still wish was thicker like my other Indian girls), have comes to like my body and its curves. It’s time, I felt, I embraced all those different aspects of women. So, now, when I draw my women, I draw them without apology. I want to draw them in different sizes and shapes. I draw them in sarees and mookuthis, or sans any clothes altogether. I have been removing a layer of morality from the women I draw. It’s almost as if I accept myself a little bit more with every piece I create. Kaarmegarasi comes down as rain when she wants to, but she can also be a storm. She’s what nature needs her to be in that moment. I love her as both, I hope you will, too.

Yendhizhaiyaal refers to a beautiful ornament from the words Ezhil (beautiful) + izhai (ornaments/jewels). It’s also used to describe a beautiful, young girl. This piece is a self‑portrait inspired piece to illustrate different types of ear adornments in the Tamizh culture.