The King of Clay ( Rafael Nadal )

The journey with my tennis idol began when I was eleven years old in 2006. Even before I had held the racket, I was inspired to play tennis on seeing him on TV. One evening as my uncle was watching a tennis match, I saw a muscular figure in a sleeveless tee and Bermuda shorts playing some nerve-wracking tennis. He had long flowing hair, bulging biceps and played like a warrior in the face of defeat. His opponent toyed with him by sending him from one corner of the court to another, but none of it seem to weigh him down as he battled on.

It was Rafael Nadal playing with Roger Federer. I got an instant liking for this young man and rooted for his win. Subsequently, I was so thrilled with the epic matches he played, that I even named my first email id after him and have followed his tennis ever since.

Throughout these 15 years Rafael Nadal has given a roller coaster of emotions to his fans and my painting is a homage to this undisputed King of Clay. It is in dedication to the agony and the ecstasy, he so unwittingly shared with his die-hard fans on his many victories and defeats.

Every kid who plays sports has an idol, who inspires him to be better than himself in the game. I being a huge sports fan had an idol for nearly every sport I played, as I was mesmerized by their skills and would try to emulate them on the field and at times thought of voicing my admiration with the fandom art.

Here are the materials needed

• Canvas or a sheet of paper
• Paint brushes
• Acrylic/ water color paint
• Palette
• Cloth to wipe off paint
• Container with water to wash the brushes
• Pencil
• Sharpener
• Eraser

Before you begin painting it is very important that you are able to sketch and draw. As sketching helps you to get the proportions right and drawing helps you study the values, tones and shades of the subject you are drawing. Painting is the subsequent step, where you represent these qualities in colors.

So, being able to sketch is fundamental to painting but don't panic if you don't want to be bogged down by the intricacies of painting, just take a brush and play with the paint. You need only apply the color you see in the reference image.

1. Have a picture of the sports person you are painting.
2. Divide the picture into grids to better gauge the proportions.
3. Divide the canvas in a similar grid, here 3/4, so that your sketch matches the proportions of your reference image. (image 2)
4. Draw the figure roughly yet lightly on the canvas. No need of details as you are going to paint on the sketch. (image 3)
5. Begin painting by starting with the background. (image 4)
6. Then paint the player's clothes and accessories.
7. Then begin painting the players limbs. (the arms and the legs)
8. In the end paint the head as its the most difficult part in the painting.

Painting the face free hand is the most difficult part but there is a method to tackle this.

Note: Do bear with the face I could construe, as I had attempted the difficult feat of sketching it freehand. I have given a solution to make this ordeal easier. Don't be discouraged with the outcome as Art is not limited by reality. A photograph can very well do this job. Art can be free from the visible form and can strive to capture the essence.

Here are the steps you can follow if you are finding it hard to draw the face

• Highlight the players prominent features with a pen on the reference image. ( image 2)
• Use a tracing paper to transfer these details from the picture to the canvas. ( image 3)
• Once you have the features in place, begin painting the head carefully observing the reference image to draw the likeness.

Once you have painted to your satisfaction. Voila! Your fandom art is complete!