Happy Independence Day T&T!

Independence Logo, Digital Art. © 2012 Shazanna Khan.

The day is finally here! Trinidad and Tobago is finally 50! Happy Independence Day everyone! 

Here's a little sketch of something that I was considering to expand on to submit for the 50th Anniversary Logo competition some time ago.

Graphic representation of the Steel Pan (National Instrument), Scarlet Ibis (One of the National Birds), Chaconia (National Flower) and sweet T&T. 

According to Kaiso/Calypsonian Brother Valentino in his 1986 song ("De Roaring 70's") "Trini have a funny way of forgetting/ Their history to them like it doh mean nothing."

I think that we have come a long way from then, but in order to move forward as a nation it is important that we remember our past so that we do not make the same mistakes again.

Be safe everyone and have a great day today with all the celebrations :)

My Father's House (Update #4) COMPLETED

Status: Completed

My Father's House is finally finished! Here is a quick review of what it looked like when I first started it and the progress as it went along.

Update #1: Reference picture and first sketches <--Refer to this link for the inspiration for this piece

       Update # 2: Watercolours added                             Update #3: More watercolours and Ink pen details

I ran the finished piece by my dad and uncle and the "old house" got their seal of approval for authenticity. Here's a picture of the finished product!

My Father's House.Watercolour and Ink on watercolour paper, 16 x 20 inches. ©2012 Shazanna Khan.

 According to my dad, the bushes look a bit more overgrown than he remembers but perhaps we can pretend that my grandfather forgot to cut them.  All that's left to do with this piece is to make a print for my Dad's office and send them both to an Art store to be matted and framed. Maybe when I write my book of the Chronicles of Ahamad Khan, I will include it.

I am so glad that I finally have some new artwork! Not only to hang around the house but for next year, when the Art Society of Mt Hope hosts its annual Art exhibition.

Let me know what you think of the finished piece and thank you for reading.

Blue-Grey Forest & Contest

My brother is currently redoing his room. Instead of buying some art for his walls he decided to paint his own abstract masterpiece (which turned out really fantastic).

I lent him my art supplies last night and while he brainstormed his concept and experimented with colour and technique, I borrowed his idea of a tree and came up with the following based on the proposed colour scheme of his room (blue-greys, greys, browns and black).

 Blue Grey Forest, Watercolour on Watercolour paper. 15 x 11 inches. © 2012 Shazanna Khan.

My scanner was not large enough to capture the entire piece. It was cropped on the sides during the scanning process, but you can get the basic feel of the piece from it. Also I thought that the colours showed up better on the scanned version than the photographed one.

Now that its finished it reminds me a bit of the woods in that Twilight movie, albeit a more gloomy one.

I need a name for this piece! SO let's try to make this into a contest. Let me know what you think it should be called. I will pick my favourite one at the end of the week and that person will get their own digital sketch (at a later date, i.e. when I have free time). Emphasis on the sketch part too. Content to be decided upon discussion with the winner of this "contest".

What do you think I should call it ? Leave me a comment and let me know your title. OR leave me a comment anyway of your thoughts about this blog post :)

Thank you for reading!

Art Supply Haul (Things I Love #2)

I finally purchased some new Art supplies! I made a much needed trip to Fine Arts in San Fernando on Friday and Superpharm, in Price Plaza a few days before.

My new supplies: 1. Acrylic Paper; 2. Watercolour Paper; 3. Pre-cut Matting; 4.  Dewert Inktense Pencils; 5. W&N Cotman Round Brush #2; 6. Black Ink Pen; 7. Palette; 8. Gold Acrylic Paint; 9. Liquid Glue; 10. Spray Adhesive Glue.

I got 2 sheets each of Acrylic and Watercolour paper, to replace the ones I used in recent paintings. I always like to have a few sheets handy, so I would not have to run to the store whenever I catch a whim to draw or paint or more importantly have time to do it. Acrylic paper is more textured and thicker than the watercolour paper and I love how coloured pencils or watercolour pencils look on it.

Fine Arts also has a big selection of pre-cut matting and frames for anyone who wants to make their photos/paintings look extra-professional without the professional price tag. I think I am going to use mine to do either a study of native flowers in watercolour or a landscape of some sort.

I originally went into Fine Arts to purchase Watercolour Pencils, but these Dewert Inktense Pencils caught my eye instead. They are watersoluble ink pencils and according to the packaging they are supposed to combine the intensity of pen and ink with the versatility of line and wash. You can wash them over with water for an ink-like effect and when its dry, the wash is permanent so you can continue work over it with different media. I really wanted a set with more colours, but this was all Fine Arts had and I was really excited to try them out.

I bought also a new brush to replace one of my old ones, black ink pen for my pen & ink endeavors, and a new palette for watercolours as most of my existing palettes were covered with acrylic paint. The gold acrylic paint and the glue were for my scrap-booking needs, but I would like to try a mix media piece with some sort of découpage or textured paper.

Blue-Grey Forest

I am pleased to say that my purchases came in handy today. I was able to supply my brother with materials for his abstract painting to decorate his new room. I worked on a new piece (pictures to come soon) while he did his, based on the colour scheme he picked- blue-grey, grey, brown and black. I am impressed. He did quite a good job on it.

My Father's House

Additionally, I finished the piece that I was working on, which you can see in previous blog posts, entitled, "My Father's House." Picture of the finished piece to follow soon.

Sometimes I wished I owned an art store just for the infinite amount of supplies that they have. I cannot wait to have my own home so I can have a room dedicated to being my work and storage space. Until then, a girl can dream :D

As you can see, I cannot do without some good quality paper to paint on. In my opinion it really makes a difference in the finish of a piece. So that brings me to this question, "What is/are your favourite art supply/supplies that you cannot do without?" Also how do you use it? This question also applies to your own special talent (e.g. writing, football, etc)

Thank you for reading. :)

One-A-Day Sketches, Flower People & other People Inspired Collections

In the May-August Vacation 2010, I first started experimenting with Corel Painter on my new laptop. I did one flower drawing for a friend and after that I started getting requests daily from the rest of my friends for their own flower or drawing. The aim for that holiday was to complete one drawing per person for each day of the vacation. Hence the term, "One-A-Day Sketch." 

For each drawing, the flower was that of the recipient's birth month, and what their flower meant about them and to me. The idea eventually evolved by the time I reached my 3rd flower drawing, to "flower people", i.e. people personified as flowers. Most of my University family received one, but due to time constraints, the rest remained as sketches on my computer or ideas in my head.

© 2011 Shazanna Khan, Best Gfs

In keeping with the flower theme, I came up with a 2nd collection of fairy/nymph creatures which one of the Drawings I did for me was based on. Most of my flower drawings were of male people, so I thought that it was only fitting that the females be fairies or nymphs as females are supposed to be generally more nurturing creatures.

My 3rd collection was based on Greek mythology and was done for my group of friends from high school. Their drawings were based on the Muses. They were the nine Goddesses who inspired the great Arts, with each muse having thought to have influenced a different art form. I thought it fit perfectly with them, because like the Muses and their different art forms, we are completely different people with unique likes and dislikes but somehow we always are connected and will be great friends.

I shall put up a new Tab at the top of my page for easy access to all my People Inspired Digital Art Collections that I will be uploading in the future, of new and old sketches. Keep on checking back for more updates! You never know when you may be featured ;)

My Father's House (Update #3)

Made some time on the Eid holiday to work on this piece. Almost done! It is amazing how far it came from Update #1 and Update #2.

According to my Uncle Ahamad who lives with me, the house was made from one Cedar tree, with each piece of wood cut by a two-man saw. Now that's a lot of work! Plus one very large tree.

Another uncle came over today, my Uncle Nazir. While I worked on this piece, all 3 men reminisced and shared their funny stories from the old days.Uncle Nazir apparently stayed in the 3rd room with the closed windows. Before my dad was around, every Christmas holiday that Uncle Nazir visited, he was given the task to clean the copper tank, because he was the smallest and could climb into it.

I am really glad that my painting could remind them of fond memories.

Update #3: Filled in the vegetation.

What do you guys think about it so far? Also should I do any pen & ink detailing on it?

Thank you for reading and remember to subscribe to my blog :)

Edit: This piece has now been completed! Click this post for the finished product- My Father's House Update #4 Completed

Football Field: Sketchbook

I have been busy helping out at home for the holiday tomorrow. No updates on the painting but here is a sketch that I did last night in my Moleskine instead.

Because you asked for a goal for the evening sweat LJJ. 

My Father's House (Update #2)

Continuing from yesterday's project, here's what I did today. 

Day 2: Watercolour added

It has been so long since I've worked with watercolours that I had to keep testing out brushstrokes on a paper nearby.

The agenda for tomorrow is the background, and all the green vegetation. I am a bit rusty with trees and plants so I hope I don't spoil it! 

Comments/thoughts appreciated.


EDIT: An update to this piece is available. Click here for the next recent update to this piece--> "My Father's House (Update #3)"

This work by Shazanna Khan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

My Father's House (Update #1)

Status: Current Work-in-progress

I am a big fan of doing Architectural pieces. I like the idea of being able to capture a piece of history. So often we take for granted the landscapes we are familiar with, but it is ever changing and its only when we look at an old photo that we can actually see how drastically things have changed.

Two buildings that I have always wanted to work on was that of the Lothians Plantation House, an old plantation house that was around in the early 1900s, which I shall describe in a next post; and the Old House that my father and his siblings grew up in.

When I was younger, my uncle would tell us stories of both. It was quite sad to me that the only thing left of them were a single photograph of each of the buildings and his stories. That was where the idea began, to maybe record his rich life and write a book so his many adventures and stories would always remain, as well as to try and illustrate both houses and capture them as they were.

Now that I have some free time, I decided to begin work on the "Old House". My uncle had this old photograph in his album. Apparently this photo was taken after they no longer lived in it, and modern day amenities like washing machines and running water were available. 

Photograph of the Old House

Sketch #1

In Sketch #1, my Dad and I sat down together and he explained to me how the house really looked when he and my uncle both lived in it, as well as the landscape of the time. 

Imagine, galvanized spouting to collect water into a large copper tank, outhouses/latrines and pitch oil lamps.

After we ironed out the fine details, and we were both satisfied that the image was as authentic as possible, I did Sketch #2 on Watercolour paper.  

Sketch #2

So far I am having a little bit of difficulty with the cylindrical copper water tank at the side of the house. The photo was not clear about it, but thankfully the tank is still around. It is still in use in my neighbours' yard. So I shall try to take a good peek over the fence tomorrow when there is better light :D

The next step for this, is to remove all the extra pencil lines on the drawing and begin painting with watercolours. I usually like doing black pen & ink detailing after all my architectural pieces, but this time I think I will hold off til I am finished to see if I am partial or not to it.

Stay tuned for more updates on this piece tomorrow!

EDIT: Click here for the most recent update on this piece --> My Father's House (Update #2)

Notebooks (Things I love #1) & New Sketch

I am a notebook addict!

A few from my collection

I absolutely adore notebooks. I love those hardcover notebooks with their gloriously thick pages. I love those with their fancy art-inspired covers. I even love those with their sleek modern black covers and soft drawing paper inside. I love how they help keep you organised, and they are so excellent when planning things. Also the pocket-sized ones are so fantastic to keep track of those little tidbits of knowledge that you need to remember at the hospital because you can't log around your textbook. (Dare I mention that I am also a big fan of stationery?)


I always purchase them with the intention of practising my writing, making lists or starting my sketchbook. However outside of their most practical functions (school and planning), I rarely use them, especially the gorgeous ones. I always think that I am going to use them when I am at the store, but when I carry them home, it boils down to me thinking that they are too pretty for my uses and that I would would spoil them.  

 New Sketch in my Moleskine Notebook

At the beginning of the week, I decided to start using my almost-new Moleskine Sketchbook. I excitedly purchased it a few years ago and never used it, but I have made up my mind to turn a new leaf. I have come to the conclusion that Sketchbooks are not about having the most perfect sketches in them, but having something to help you improve on your art and to see how far your work has progressed. Also, my new motto is no more notebook purchases until I start using what I have, so I need to get moving on finding uses for them

In this sketch, I experimented with Charcoal from my Cretacolor Sketching Set. It has certainly been a long time since I've used it.

Apparently there are other cool ways to use your own Moleskine notebooks to get the most out of them. The folks over at Freelance Switch have an awesome article about all the the tips and tricks to use them.
Click here to read more ---> The Monster Collection of Moleskine Tips, Tricks and Hacks

Are you a notebook addict like me? Please tell me there are others out there! :D If you are, how do you use your favourite notebook? Let me know in the comments below.

Like/ Share/ Subscribe and as always thank you for reading!

About Trini-Google Doodle

Inspiration came for this as I played Google's very addictive Hurdle 2012 Doodle. Google has a rich history of including funny, quirky and very entertaining Doodles about famous artists, scientists, celebrations and important events in the world.


For some of us, it can be quite an education. Did you know that Bolivia's Independence Day was on August 6th?

More importantly, did you know that Jamaica also celebrated its own Independence on that same day?

Maybe Google was giving a shout-out to Jamaica with the Rastafarian colours?

A very historic occasion as well, because like Trinidad and Tobago, 2012 is the year that both Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago celebrate 50 years of Independence. It made me wonder, would sweet T&T ever have its own Google Doodle? Especially on a momentous day as our 50th anniversary? As stated before, in a previous blog post, I have been feeling rather patriotic these days, so I started sketching while watching the Olympics.

Shame Fact: I had to google Google to remember the order of the colours of the logo.

The finished product:

Click Me!

Trinidad and Tobago over the years won medals at the Olympics in the fields of Weightlifting (3), Athletics (11) and Swimming (1).

Our first 3 medals that we ever won at the Olympic games were for Weightlifting by Rodney Wilkes (Silver-1948, Bronze-1952) and Lennox Kilgour (Bronze-1952), and our solo Swimming medal came from George Bovell III.

All our 15 medals are displayed in the logo and the sports we won them in.

In case you have not figured it out by now, there was no competition and this is not an official Google Logo. Just something for fun to inspire some Trini-Pride. Hope you got caught for a second and had a good laugh. :D

I have to give credit to my brother for creating the webpage and giving me that needed second opinion. It was a Khan collaboration, and I certainly could not have made this dream into a reality without him. The Google search bar actually works and if you click anywhere else, well give it a try and you'll see.

To my artist friends out there, if Google gave you an opportunity to design a Trinidadian Logo, what would you draw? Send me a link to your sketch so I can feature you in my blog.

Leave me a comment. I would love to hear what you think about my Logo :D and feel free to like/ share my blog to inspire some Trini-pride. #I4TANDT

Thank you for reading!

New Google Doodle!

As you know Google has been churning out fun and entertaining "Doodles" on its homepage for some time, and as the London 2012 Olympics continues on, they have certainly kept up tradition of having a new doodle everyday of the Olympics.


Just this week, Google hosted a competition, looking for new "Olympic-themed" doodles from around the world and I am excited to announce that MY Trinbagonian-inspired doodle got selected!!! :D

We're making history in 2012!

Here's a look at my (and now Google's new homepage) doodle:

Click Me to go to the Homepage!

Special mention to my brother for all his help in creating this! :D Stay tuned for more about my Trini Google Doodle!

Like and share if you're as excited about this as me!







EDIT: There really was no competition :(  But I did make this Trini-inspired Google doodle. Hope you guys had some laughs :)

You can still share if you want to surprise a friend, and remember to tweet #I4TANDT to support our future olympic national athletes.

You Don’t Miss Him. You Miss The Idea Of Who You Wanted Him To Be. | The Current Conscience

Yashar Ali, author of my favourite blog, "The Current Conscience" has done it again. Another brilliant article, which I think is a must read for all. How often we spend time missing unworthy people in our lives and as the author put it,

"...you know in your heart of hearts that you have no business ever having a relationship or probably even having any sort of friendship with him. But you still miss him a lot–even if he was and is bad for you. "

Read his article and the rest of his blog in the link below.

You Don’t Miss Him. You Miss The Idea Of Who You Wanted Him To Be. | The Current Conscience

Rasta-Footballer

Status: Work-in-Progress

A few years ago, as a means to keep myself occupied over a long vacation, I started doing a "One-A-Day" Sketch series. More about that later on but the basic idea was to come up with a sketch/drawing for a person that represented said person, without necessarily drawing a full-on portrait. Also it had to have a little humor in it because I wanted my quirky drawings to be able to cheer them up on a bad day and remind them that they were special people in my life. I ended up doing a few for some of the special and interesting people in my life. Though many of the other special people in my life did not get any unfortunately. I am blessed with a lot of you so don't worry! It shall be fixed one day :D

Anyway, I wanted to do a sketch for my friend who I shall dub, "Eddoes" for this post. Eddoes is one of the coolest people I know. Why? He's down-to-earth, different thinker, open-minded, a loyal friend, a big Juve fan, good footballer, has a cool ras and generally one of the nicest people I know.

Much respect to the Rastaman!

I wanted to do a Rasta footballer for his sketch/drawing. I thought a Rastaman doing a bicycle kick would be fantastic.

The following are some of the reference images I looked at when I was brainstorming this sketch.

Ref Image #1: Rastaman by Summerset.

Fun Fact: Did you know that there are rarely any drawings of a Rasta without some form of weed incorporated in it?  

(I challenge you to find one and without the Red, Yellow and Green)

The male form is a bit troublesome for me especially one doing a bicycle kick, but I do love drawing the human form in motion. Looked at quite a few pictures of the football legends. Wikipedia also had this great sketch showing the different phases of the bicycle kick. I definitely would like to try something like that out in the future on a different drawing.

Drawing of the several phases of a bicycle kick

My attempt at Eddoes' drawing:

Sketch #1: Juve Rastaman in motion after doing a bicycle kick

I was not a 100% happy with the concept for his drawing. I guess that's why I did not finish it. I felt it was a bit one-dimensional for such a multidimensional personality. Also I think that Ras is going to be one time-consuming draw!

Other crazy ideas

1. Eddoes eating eddoes: Cannibal or Herbivore? (He does love a good provision)

2. Rastaman smoking football. (His love of football is deep. I do think he and Ears can get high about that)
3. Rastaman @ the watering hole. (Always a common occurrence whenever we go hiking, and Eddoes is a hiker)

What do you guys think? Leave a comment. Let me hear what you think of my ideas/concepts or what you think I should be drawing for Eddoes instead.

As always, thank you for reading! :D

The Fox

 Status: Current Work-In-Progress

My friend G is a talented musician, great artist, awesome writer and a lover of foxes. Though he would only admit to the last. He asked me recently to show him how to paint a fox. I think he seriously overestimated my skills. I never attempted to draw/ paint furry animals before. Nevertheless G always inspires me to try something new artistically so I decided to give it a try.


So I scoured the internet looking at images of foxes and I saw this little guy popping up on a few blogs/tumblr/facebook. I'm not sure who was the photographer, but it definitely was such a cute shot.

Reference Image

I decided I didn't have time to go the traditional route so I fired up my computer and began sketching away. Here's the work I did so far:

Sketch #1: Rough sketch and outline

Sketch #2: Filling in the white spaces

Sketch #3: More details

I probably took less than an hour to reach Sketch #3 (that's the great thing about drawing on your computer- its so quick) but by then I was really tired and had to go to bed. The next day, I had a wedding to attend and after that I was either too lazy or too busy studying to continue any more work on Mr. Fox. Hoping to finish this by the end of August! 

Comment if you like foxes too!