Painting on Paper generally involves the fine art of watercolors. Watercolors involve the mixing of colorants with water and using fine brush strokes on a ground generally made of paper.
Watercolors have the easy understated elegance which most other mediums lack. The ready mixing of water with the pigments gives the paintings a very fluid look. Paper is the ideal base for these paintings because it absorbs the colors very fast and dries very quickly too.
The History of Painting on Paper
With the invention of Paper in Chinain about 100 A.D. a new kind of art came into being, Watercolors, or Painting on Paper with water-soluble pigments. The Chinese used this medium the fullest possible extent and some calligraphies and paintings of this period is still preserved.
Palm Leaf Painting-the technique
- Rows of same sized palm leaves are first arranged together and sewn.
- These neatly sewn palm leaves are then folded in such a way so as to make a pile.
- These paintings are first etched out, which means that the designs and images are neatly etched on the surface of the palm leaf using a sharp pen like object.
- Ink (or a concoction of charcoal of burnt coconut shells, turmeric and oil) is then poured along the lines; the lines are now defined.
- Vegetable dyes are also added to give these paintings some color, but these paintings are mostly, dichromatic (black and white).
- The panels of the paintings are unfolded like a fan to reveal a beautiful patta chitra.
Palm Leaf Painting in the modern world
This ancient art form has found admirers far and wide. Not only does the intricate designs and aesthetic depiction of Gods and Goddesses attract ones attention, the use of the leaf adds to the quaint charm of the Art form. This form painting is hailed as very eco friendly too. Today there are small towns exclusively dedicated to this art form in Orissa. One can visit the towns of Raghurajpur and Chitrakarashi to see the artists at work. A first hand sampling of this art form is a must for all art lovers.
Palm Leaf Paintings- the themes
Mythological themes dominate most pattachitras; scenes from the Hindu epics, Ramayanaand Mahabharata are lovingly depicted. Local legends and folklore too find their way into the paintings. Radha and Krishna, Durga, Ganesha and Saraswati are the most commonly used Gods and Goddesses.
In Orissa the legend of Lord Jagannath is used very frequently. In Tamil Nadu, Lord Vishnu is the most popular icon; therefore he is most commonly depicted in the palm leaf paintings.
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