To Rishabh and Vanshika

Designed these cards for a wedding in close family. The events were all held in the beautiful Suryagarh, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

The illustration style has been kept similar to the folk art found on the walls of Shekhavati called Bhittichitra. The lazer-cut jaali, the colour scheme and motifs are all inspired from Rajasthan.

Sumangal 2011

When approached to design a calendar for 2011 for the Kalpataru group this year, we were delighted to be a part of this journey once more.

The group is well known for it's premium quality and style of construction. India-centric themes have been the highlight of these calendars for many years giving the group a profile that it is also rooted in culture, which is well received and appreciated. It is hence challenging to conceptualise a theme that is equally evocative and stunning year after year to bewilder the audience. However we all were keen to experiment as we did the previous year. And after a few rounds of internal brainstorming, meetings and presentations we were able to focus on a still broader concept, that was - symbols of prosperity in India.

We called it Sumangal 2011 - Painted prayers from folk India.



Research on this subject broadly indicated that the meaning of these symbols emerges from various faiths/beliefs from different regions of India with an unmistakable folk flavour. And hence came the inspiration for the rendition of these symbols in various Indian folk styles of expression.

We narrowed down to studying various "wall paintings" as they seemed an apt subject for our client, who's primary business is that of real estate. As we looked more and more we understood that these were not mere symbols for the artisan painting it but almost silent prayers of well being. And hence we got a title for the theme.


Some initial sketches and scans

Here is a glimpse of the calendar copy that has just arrived at the studio.



The calendar comes with a bookmark and pocket calendar. We opted for a red foil stamping for the title only. Otherwise appearing black it magically reflects the red sheen against light. Against an earthy rustic background, it adds richness. A similar feel is created onto the calendar flyleaf inside.

Each leaf inside has been given a special touch using various different inks and printing techniques to give the hand painted illustrations more volume.


Thermography in white on the shankh imitates rice paste.


Florescent green ink in leaves of the kalpavriksh lends extra freshness


Thakur ka ghar beautifully encases the deity in the house through Sohrai painting


Abrasive UV on a yantra gives it a tactile feel giving power each time it is touched


The kamal motif in lippan kaam imitates the mirror work See process


The surya spreads its radiance in a PVC Gold screen.


A moradi or peacock guards the walls of the meena tribe from rajasthan


A cluster of ten fish or matsya bless for good luck in marriage


A mrig or a deer symbolising man in harmony with nature


The seat of the rajput warrior on an elephant sparkles with gold foil stamped embellishments


The dharmachakra spreads the wisdom rendered in tibetian wall art style with effects imitating wood through a special UV


The magical spectre of the tarpa nritya captured with silver screen for the trees

With each of these folk symbols resting on its owner's desk we hope it brings them good fortune all round the year.

Experiments with random materials : Lippan Kaam

This year around we have had the fortunate chance to experiment a lot with some projects. Mostly they are experiments with materials, printing and paper that I have already shared in my previous posts.

This one is a fresh arrival at the studio and I am excited to share it here.

For a project we wanted to replicate a particular motif rendered in Lippan Kaam : Mud work from the walls of Kutch, Gujarat, India.



This work is actually created on the walls with a clay and dung mixture, motifs are created in bas-relief mostly freehand by memory by using palms and fingers pinching and shaping the mud mixture. The white comes from the sand of this marshland that is rich in salt content. The motifs are inspired from the rich and famous embroidery patterns and once the walls are done they look stunning with mirrors embedded in the mudwork, much like the embroideries itself.

And as much I was aware of the painstaking effort in creating these from my last visit to this breathtakingly beautiful place, where would one find the exact materials here in a city like Mumbai?

And so we did this little experiment...

On a ply-board we pasted a basic outline in a black and white print of what we wanted. Then carefully pasted a white chord (used to hold pyjamas) along this outline. Even though it seemed rather simple till then, it was tricky to get the intricate bits correct. For this reason we had to alter the design several times over.

Once this was ready, we made a mixture of plaster-of-paris and glue with water to pour over this basic framework. Getting the right viscosity here was important as we tried on a small patch first. Too thick would fill up the spaces and the chords would not stand out in relief and if too thin the POP would crack instantly. After pouring the mixture over, we still had to shape it with what we could get our hands on, but mostly very patiently with fingers. And then, wait for it to dry and settle.



Did think of sticking mirrors in the mud work but realised it would never show up in print correctly. So I left this issue to be dealt with at a later stage.

Even though the original art is an all white and a simple play of textures and relief work we tried giving some colour to it on Photoshop and were happy with the results.



Once we were done touching up our artwork the issue of replicating mirrors popped again. We succeeded in resolving this issue by using highly reflective silver foiling in the areas...and viola! It looks authentic as and stunning!



Can't wait to share the rest of this project. Shall do in another post real soon.