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One’s choice of favourite colours, it says, alters time to time. I hold it to be true. Mine shifted from Yellow to Pink to Blue. The attraction, be it physiological, psychological or simply an appeal to one’s mood, frame of mind or senses, I cannot elucidate or explicate. As for mingled shades, the blend mixes even so, doubly capture and invite my attention. Let me confess however that browns, maroons and certain shades of green do not in any way catch my fancy. What then am I doing, vouching for this particular hue called Sepia? Many of you, dear readers would undoubtedly have a clear knowledge of it since its introduction, and now, rather regular use. This tinge of reddish-brown and grey tone has been found to add a certain charm of the old-world when used in photography and seems to have caught up in popularity.
I was drawn to this engaging tone through a friend’s painting of a profile that I had seen displayed on my sister’s drawing room wall. In total variance from an assortment of colours, this sketch of a woman painted within the restricted mono -colour scheme still was capable of capturing interest even from a distance.
Ever since, there’s been a lure of an enticement drawing me to this fusion.
As I sat one evening, gathering my thoughts, I found staring back at me, a collage; an amalgamation of sketched portraits that I had once put together and framed. Portraits are my all-time favourite and this was a collection of them. Each feature on every countenance could not be missed, so skilfully did the artist use the brush and dye to highlight and conceal, blot out and emphasise.
Young Indian village belles; some shy, some full of glee, some pensive, some guarded, each articulating a representation of an expression clearly illustrated and enhanced. And you may well guess , friends, that the creator of these beautiful faces was able to bring out the best of these vivid expressions with a reddish-brown monochrome colour- Sepia.