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The Evolution Of Panchamukha – From Pencil Strokes To Watercolour Washes

Change artwork to Panchamukha Hanuman

Having explored the anatomical silhouette of the Panchamukha in my last post, now let me take you through the journey of its creation, layer by layer, from the initial sketch down to the last brushstroke.

Bringing sacred iconography like the Five-Faced Hanuman to life from the first conceptual sketch to the final composition was like transforming it into a dynamic visual narrative. It was about illustrating and rendering each of the five distinct personas as well as their energies into a singular divine reality.

Through textured layering using watercolours and intricate detailing with fine liners, I have attempted to depict the grounded reality yet otherworldly majesty of each of the faces of the Five-Faced Hanuman. I have endeavoured to enhance the texturing with an interplay of light and shadow to differentiate between skin and stone. The folds of the drapery of the mighty Hanuman have also been illustrated with fluid brushstrokes in order to capture the natural flow of the fabric, while complimenting the indomitable strength and sublime grace of the divine form.

One of the most meaningful aspects of creating Panchamukha was the background. Wanting it to resonate with the same spiritual energy as the deity it portrayed, I carefully inscribed onto it, verses from the Hanuman Chalisa—the sacred 40-verse hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman—allowing the timeless words of devotion to become an integral part of the composition.

The script of the hymn does not merely serve as a decorative element; it forms the spiritual foundation of the artwork. Layered behind the divine form of Panchamukha Hanuman, the verses create the impression that the deity emerges from the very essence of sacred prayer. This subtle interplay between scripture and imagery transforms the painting into more than a visual representation—it becomes an offering of faith, where every brushstroke and every verse unite to celebrate Hanuman’s unwavering devotion, boundless strength and divine grace.

Sharing a detailed process video, where I take you through the complete artistic journey of Panchamukha—from the very first graphite lines to the final luminous watercolour rendition.  As each layer unfolds, it peels back not only the anatomical construction of every face and the figure as a whole, but also the profound symbolism woven into each element of the composition. More than a demonstration of technique, this is an intimate glimpse into the creative process that transformed my devotion into a work of art.

NOTE: The featured image at the beginning of the post is purely for illustrative and promotional purposes and is not the original artwork. It is included solely as a visual representation of the topic.

The Making of Panchamukha

Panchamukha – The Story Of The Five-Faced Hanuman

As I rummaged through the shelf that houses my Divinity Series in The Art Dungeon, I came across an artwork that I had christened “Panchamukha.” Looking at this composition instantly brought back memories of its creation, so here I am, narrating the story behind another treasured piece from my collection.

This artwork depicts Panchamukha Hanuman, a unique and revered form of Lord Hanuman with five faces. Each face reminds us of the diverse aspects of life that need balance—strength, fearlessness, protection, stability, and wisdom. This manifestation represents the confluence of the following five powerful deities, each embodying unique strengths:

  1. Hanuman (East-facing) – The original monkey-faced form, representing unwavering devotion, courage, strength, protection and victory over enemies.

     2. Narasimha (South-facing) – The lion-faced incarnation of Lord Vishnu, symbolizing fearlessness and the destruction of evil forces.

   3. Garuda (West-facing) – The mighty eagle, vehicle of Lord Vishnu, representing protection from negative energies, black magic, and serpents.

   4. Varaha (North-facing) – The boar incarnation of Lord Vishnu, symbolizing stability, wealth, and prosperity.

    5. Hayagriva (Upward-facing) – The horse-headed form of Lord Vishnu, embodying wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual enlightenment.

The multiple arms hold divine weapons and objects, including a gada (mace), chakra (discus), trishul (trident), parashu (axe), and a kamandalu (water pot), each signifying divine power and protection.

Two lions sit at Hanuman’s feet, representing strength, dominance over evil and divine guardianship. The halo with multiple eyes suggests all-seeing divine awareness and vigilance. The presence of sacred lamps (deepas) signifies enlightenment and devotion.

The background of the artwork features verses from the Hanuman Chalisa, (the sacred 40-verse hymn for Lord Hanuman), emphasizing the sacred nature of this depiction.

Rediscovering Panchamukha reminded me that some creations reveal their true meaning only with time. While I had originally painted it as a tribute to one of Lord Hanuman’s most powerful forms, revisiting it again made me appreciate the depth of its symbolism in an entirely new light. Each face, each weapon, and every carefully chosen element speak of courage, wisdom, protection, and unwavering faith—virtues that remain as relevant today as they have always been.

As The Divinity Series gradually unfolds, each canvas will reveal not only a sacred form, but also a story, a memory, and a piece of my artistic and spiritual journey.

Art is more than pigment on canvas. It is a vessel of stories, devotion and the emotions of the moment in which it was created. I hope Panchamukha leaves you with a sense of peace, inspiration and a renewed appreciation for the timeless wisdom embodied by the mighty Hanuman, and inspires you to look beyond its intricate details to discover the eternal spiritual message it carries—a message of strength, resilience, and the quiet assurance that divine grace is always watching over us.

“Ariya atthangika magga” – The Noble Eightfold Path

“There are no enlightened beings, only enlightened actions.”

Buddhism revolves around the principle of Dharma and encompasses various traditions, beliefs and practices of Lord Buddha. Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath to Kaundinya and four other scholars. In Isipatana of Sarnath, he preached about Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, which includes Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path.

It is these fundamental doctrines of Buddhism that have been displayed in the artwork shown below, the title of the artwork being, “Ariya atthangika magga” – The Noble Eightfold Path. The Noble Eightfold Path is one of the principal teachings of Buddhism and is the fourth truth of the Four Noble Truths and regarded by Buddha as the medium to attain Enlightenment.

This artwork depicts the Noble Eightfold Path through the Dharma Wheel (Dharma Chakra), with its eight spokes representing the eight elements of the path, namely – right view, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration (or “samadhi”).

The four circles in the corners represent the Four Noble Truths, namely – The existence of suffering, its cause, its cessation and the path leading to its end. The path alluded to in the fourth truth is the Eightfold Path, which ultimately leads to enlightenment or Nirvana. This path is also depicted textually in the form of Tibetan manuscripts in the background of the artwork.

The Noble Eightfold Path is all about ending the suffering of life and achievement of self-awakening.  It enables us to overcome the “I” and attain harmony with the world around us. Being always awake and aware, is fundamental to a good life.

Buddha Dharma – The Discipline of the Dharma

“A disciplined mind brings happiness.” – Gautam Buddha.

Reviving my blog and my art after a prolonged creative block. Today’s post is about my artwork titled Buddha Dharma – The Discipline of the Buddha, which is a sequel to the story of the Buddha and a continuation of my “Buddha Sutra” Series.  Here’s an image of the artwork I have created:

The making of the artwork – https://www.instagram.com/p/CjaGde-rKXc/

Over his lifetime, the Buddha preached a wide range of teachings that were collectively known as the Dharma or Buddhadharma. This watercolor artwork depicts not only the doctrines, disciplines, and teachings of Dharma but also the historical heritage and legacy associated with it. Dharma has been symbolized in the painting by the powerful Sanskrit mantra – “Om Mani Padme Hum.” This mantra, within which every one of the Buddha’s teachings is believed to reside, has been illustrated in the halo surrounding the Buddha’s face on the left as well as inside the “Dharma Chakra” or Dharma Wheel on the right.  Also depicted within the Dharma wheel is the “Ashtamangala” or the Eight Auspicious Symbols in Buddhism. These symbols, which are also teaching tools, include: the conch, endless knot, pair of golden fish, lotus, parasol, vase of jewels, Dharmachakra and victory banner. The various hand mudras associated with Buddhism have also been depicted within the Dharma Wheel.

The historical heritage of Buddhism has been illustrated in the form of Buddhist monuments of the likes of the Sanchi Stupa, the Mahaparinirvana Temple, the Mahabodhi temple, the Dhamekh Stupa, the Vishwa Shanti Stupa and some other monestaries and temples.

The Buddha’s teachings encompass the nature of the mind, the true nature of reality in the form of the existence and acknowledgement of suffering, the path to ending suffering, and finally the possibility of achieving nirvana through meditation and detachment.

“Moksha” – The Moral Compass

Hey all! I know I have been MIA for quite some time but I’m back now with a new post about my most recent artwork. This too has been long overdue, as I allowed procrastination to get the better of me, but finally, I have succeeded in completing it!

In one of my previous posts, I had talked about how a book can become the source of inspiration for my art, in particular the third book of the Ram Chandra Series – Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta, by the Indian author Amish Tripathi. This work of fiction chronicles the life of Ravan and portrays him as an artist among other things. One of the excerpts from the book describes a painting made by him that is not only a character sketch of himself but also a logically befitting description of the concept of “dharma” or the “righteous path”. (Click on the following link to read this post – https://theartdungeon.blog/2021/06/06/inspiration-calling/).

The beautiful artwork created by Ravan and described in this excerpt was not just a vivid description of Ravan’s psyche, but also a profound portrayal of his struggle to attain the right direction through the “moral compass” called dharma.

This one-of-a-kind piece of art became my muse purely because of the distinctive way in which it brings out the true essence of Ravan. I was so enamored by his narrative that I couldn’t wait to interpret it in my own way and create my very own version onto my canvas. Finally, I managed to do that and here I present to you, my acrylic painting titled “Moksha”.

In the book, Ravan describes a painting created by him that depicts his struggle to attain enlightenment. I have attempted to depict his mental turmoil and his desperate attempts to scale the wall of the Nine emotions or the Navrasas that hold him down. The ten heads in my artwork correspond to the ten heads of Ravan himself. Out of these, 9 represent the Navrasas, one for each emotion, whereas the tenth head is the state of spiritual awakening that Ravan is striving to achieve.

I have further attempted to add on to the concept by depicting the 7 chakras or the main energy centers that control our body. My endeavor is to reaffirm that one can only transcend the wall of emotions by opening up all the chakras, allowing energy to flow freely, thereby harmonizing the body, mind as well as the spirit.  It is only this equilibrium that can help one attain physical, emotional and spiritual “moksha” – which was not just the “righteous path” being pursued by Ravan, but also the “dharma” attained by the Buddha.

Hope you all like my approach towards Ravan and his “moksha!”

When your Artwork makes it as a Magazine Cover Page….

Greetings to all Art Dungeon followers! I have great news!! It gives me great pleasure to share with you all that my artwork titled “et ressurectionis”, that I had shared in one of the earlier posts (https://theartdungeon.blog/2020/10/04/et-ressurectionis/ ), has made it to the cover page of a magazine! How cool is that!!

Here are a few snapshots of the magazine’s with the artwork that extends from the front cover to the back cover as one continuous piece. Also including the original painting and a small write up explaining it that was published in the magazine.

The front and back of the magazine
The front cover
The write up
The original artwork

Do click on the link above to know more about the concept, medium and techniques behind the artwork!

The Journey Begins

“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.” – Pablo Picasso.

Hello art lovers! Welcome to my Art Dungeon!! I am Neha, a designer by profession but an artist by choice (and a happy one at that!)…Let me take you all on a ride through my world of  artistic expression, where I attempt to explore the infinite realms of art and creativity….hope you enjoy the ride!!