Portrait of the Unseen and Unheard

What comes to your mind when you think of a seascape? Water? Waves? Ships? Boats? How about under the sea? You would probably think of corals, aquatic flora and fauna, fish, dolphins, etc., etc. How about a Submarine?? While the above mentioned subjects are very commonly used by artists in their compositions, there are very few submarines that have been artistically portrayed onto the canvas. Why do you think so? Is it because they are submerged, out of sight, covert and inaudible? Wouldn’t it be simply wonderful to have a beautiful seascape with the possibility of a submarine surfacing from down under?  

Personally, I found the idea of painting a submarine extremely fascinating! So that’s what I did!! Enough of those ships and sailboats! Let’s talk submarines!!

For centuries, people dreamed of a vessel that could go under water for defending their maritime interests. That’s when the mighty submarine came along. She took warfare to an entirely new level with her ability to destroy enemy ships while remaining undetected herself.

In my personal opinion, if submarines had not been invented, it would be difficult to stop the world’s super powers from using their state of the art, technologically superior weaponry. I think they serve as the biggest deterrent against an impending Third World War, a threat that will always be hovering over our heads. I like to call the sub a tin can full of the bravest lot of mankind and armed with the most powerful creations of technology.

For this very reason, I chose submarines as the subject for my next set of paintings. What fascinated me the most about them was their stealthy and silent presence. One moment there’s nothing out there and the very next, there it is! Right in front of you, emerging from the depths of the sea, ploughing its way through the mighty waves.

For me ‘Submarine’, is probably one of the most important subjects I’ve painted (well, after dragons of course!), and it will always remain close to my heart. It was an amazing experience and it really changed my perspective of a seascape.

The Eavesdropper

 So, let’s talk about my first composition. I call it “The Eavesdropper.” This one is a rendering of a conventional diesel submarine making its way through the vast expanse of the ocean, with fluffy white clouds and the bright blue sky as her backdrop.

It depicts the mighty war machine just after she has emerged from the depths of the sea to take a sneak peak at the world above. I call her the Eavesdropper as when under water, she sneaks around stealthily and keeps a watchful eye on her enemies, listening ever so silently to every sound, every move he makes. Her magnificent supremacy and grandeur become evident when she surfaces and makes herself visible to the entire world, thereby affirming her presence as a warning to all who mean harm.

I felt that oil paints would serve as the best medium in order to bring out the intensity of the potent power associated with this beast. I have tried my level best to do justice to the finer details of the hull of the sub, which is what is visible above water. I have adopted a conventional approach to paint this one, so as to make it look as realistic and authentic as the real thing. Similarly, while painting the clouds and the sky, I have taken the help of realism as a style of painting, in order to make the background look natural. Hope all this is visible in my work!!