Plein Air Painting & Watercolor Sketching in Bengaluru
Painting outdoors is my way to slow down and really see the world. Join me in my sketchbook as I capture the light, colours, and quiet chaos of life in Bengaluru.
There's nothing like the feeling of a new sketchbook in a favorite old place. This is me at Cubbon Park, starting with a simple pencil sketch and slowly bringing the vibrant landscape to life with watercolors.
Everyone told me to practice inside, but I found my voice by painting outside. This video shows my process of creating quick landscape studies, proving that the best classroom is often nature itself.
A short reel from a painting trip to rural Bengaluru with a friend. We rode out to find a quiet spot and captured the cloudy skies and green fields. It’s adventures like these that fuel my art.
A finished watercolor piece from a beautiful day in Cubbon Park. I focused on capturing the play of light and shadow on the grass and the quiet figure resting under the large tree.
I often create these small, four-panel storyboards in my sketchbook. It helps me capture different angles and moments from a single scene, like telling a short visual story of my afternoon in the park.
My painting setup on a beach in Goa. Capturing the sunrise over the ocean with my portable easel is a challenge with the changing light, but the result is always worth the effort.
This was my view while painting on a quiet beach in my hometown in Kerala. The fishing boat, the clouds, and the lush greenery are scenes that feel like home and inspire me deeply.
A memorable trekking and painting trip to Hutridurga. We hiked to the top to catch this incredible view and spent time capturing the vast, cloudy landscape with our watercolors.
I don't just walk, I collect quiet moments. This video shows my process of finding inspiration in small things, like fallen flowers in Auroville, and turning them into delicate botanical sketches.
A question for fellow artists while I paint. Do you plan every stroke or let the colors guide you? For me, it's a mix of both, especially when I'm immersed in a peaceful setting like this.
About My Personal Sketchbook: Plein Air Painting
When I paint plein air in Cubbon Park, I never use easels. It is just me, my sketchbook, and the grass. You will see that I keep my kit simple: paper, a water jar, and brushes, because the goal is to capture the moment before the light changes, not to set up a studio.
Painting outdoors is not just about the final image. It is about the practice. When you step out of the studio and into a place like Cubbon Park or a quiet beach in Kerala, you stop trying to replicate a reference photo and start reacting to the air, the sound, and the shifting light.
My plein air process is built on speed and observation. I focus on watercolour sketches that take anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. Because I work with water-based mediums like gouache and watercolour, I have to be decisive. You can see this in my sketchbook layouts. I often divide pages into panels to capture different angles or small details like fallen flowers or a passing dog, rather than one large, perfect composition.
If you have ever felt intimidated by a blank page, outdoor sketching is the best cure. Nature provides all the inspiration you need, and the mistakes, like a stray paint drip or a wobbly line, just become part of the memory of that day. Whether I am painting the architecture of a heritage building in Bengaluru or the cloudy landscapes of Hutridurga, I am looking for the vibe, not photorealism.
I keep my setup mobile: a portable palette, water, and brushes. I avoid heavy gear so I can move freely. If you are interested in starting your own practice, my approach is simple: show up, sit down, and start with the light. Do not worry about the brushes or the technicalities yet; just get the colours down.
Basit
I am Basit. I did not go to art school, so I learned by messing up and trying again on the streets and in parks. I am just a Kerala boy in Bengaluru who finds his quiet by sketching whatever catches his eye.
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