MahaShivaratri 2012

Om Namah Shivay!!

Just back from the 2nd annual Comic Con in Delhi... very exhausted, but very excited too. The response to the preview pages of the TRIPURA graphic novel was tremendous! Thanks to our friend Lalit in New Delhi we were able to publish somethings just in time for the comic con.. 
This poster above sold a lot! Someone brought to my notice it was just as well because it was timely for MahaShivaratri (the great night of Shiva!! read more about this here & here)! Once the penny dropped, it became even more exciting to see the people that would be drawn to the poster and want to buy it... These were people who didnt need any selling (not that I can get myself to... sheesh!!!..erase, erase..negative affirmation!) but their eyes would twinkle in awe and admiration for the Great God! 
Some were struck by the inner strength of the scene, some by the serenity, some by the fact that it was how they saw HIM in their head. Some felt the black'n' white nature of the image was correct for the mood. those who noticed the awestruck Indra looking up understood the moment of majesty... some asked for the artist... soon it came to pass that the artist signed all the posters with a reminder and wish of the "love & Grace" for all who bought it!

  Bam Bam Bhole!!

Jai Bholenath!

TRIPURA: Character Designs 2: SHIVA & PASHUPATI

OM NAMAHA SHIVAYA!!

On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivaratri... want to put down my thoughts about the character design process relating to the great God. Actually the post has been in the works since the last one on Maya's design, but somehow it just hasn't got completed till now!

Designing Shiva was most of the most important things personally and we went thru Shiva as he had been depicted by practically everybody! We looked at everything we could find, from the bronze sculptures of South India, the reliefs at Ellora and Elephanta, to the comic book depictions of Waeerkar, Mulick and Kavadi and drew till what felt like Shiva to me, was on paper. Everybody responded to it favourably enough (above).
Getting the design correctly onto screen was the most unfortunate part of Tripura tho. For some reason the studio was not able to match design at all and even corrections sent didn't somehow get implemented. One of the mysteries of production dynamics to which I haven't received any answer yet.

Some of the rough sketches leading to the development of the final design

When Shiva went into destruction mode he would become Pashupati the primeval hunter.. the lord of destruction! In his terrifying aspect Shiva is often depicted as Gajantaka in the Ellora panels and elsewhere.
Since we felt there should be definite climb into the climax.. the buildup of the moment of Shiva becoming Pahupati would be fascinating to watch.. Even Vishnu and Brahma  contribute to the formation. (In the puranas, the gods are described as contributing to the process by providing various accessories)

Color key from the final storyboards:
Shiva turning in Pashupati!

Shiva in his violent aspect was to still be graceful, elegant.. when Shiva does it.. it is dance of destruction!! Maybe in  a future post,I will talk about this sequence in detail as many have expressed their satisfaction with this depiction of Shiva as the Destroyer!!