How to make the most authentic & divine Tanjore painting

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 00:29:58 +0530

There are various articles on the internet on making of Tanjore painting that use complex words making it very hard for a layman to understand it. To add on to the misery, the articles don't display the pictures of various stages of a Tanjore Painting. Hence this is our attempt to help user understand and appreciate the amount of work & artistry involved in the making of a Tanjore Painting.

The one in the picture is Durga Tanjore Painting in Bengal style. Size is 10 inch x 8 inch (board size). By Bengal style we mean the features of the subject. Bengal style subjects have bigger eyes and sharp eye brows as compared to the Traditional Tanjore style paintings that have calmer & smaller eyes and thicker eyebrows.

The following images & Videos elucidate the process of making of a Tanjore Painting using simple steps & images

The Emboss effect - using muck

The first stage of a Tanjore Painting involves creation of a board.
Check out the materials needed for tanjore paintings here: Prescribed materials for Tanjore paintings
Once the board is prepared, a sketch is made with all the highlights - outline, place for stones, crown jewels, ear rings, necklace, etc. Then, stones are kept in earmarked places
Following which, the emboss effect is created using muck - mix of Arabic gum and chalk powder
The muck is laid using a cone shaped dispenser made of polythene paper. It makes the design. This is kept for a day to dry which results in the picture shown on the left
If you are looking for a ready made Embossed muck boards on which you can do your paintings, you can buy here

Featured Video - Durga Devi Design work Demo

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Gold Foil on the earmarked areas

Once the muck dries up, gold foil is stuck on the earmarked areas i.e., on the embossed areas.
The gold foil that we use is Authentic 22 carat gold foil. There are some fake gold foils in the market that fade off - it loses the golden colour eventually
It is an art to keep the gold foil strategically on the embossed areas so that there is not much wastage. Nevertheless, some wastage is bound to happen
Liquefied Arabic Gum is applied on the back side of the shaped gold foil, kept on the embossed area and pressed hard so as to highlight the emboss effect
While pressing it should be ensured that there is no jerk as it creates wrinkle in the gold foil which is irreversible
You can start making Tanjore Painting youself using the authentic materials available with us : Buy Tanjore Painting Materials online

The Finishing Touch

This is the final part. It starts with cutting off the extra gold foil leaf protruding out of the earmarked areas
Gold leaf over the stones are cut removed with care
Once this is done, designs are drawn on the gold leaf using a thin brush to highlight the relief work
After this, background is painted followed by other areas
The final part is painting the face of the deity. Extreme care is taken while doing this. The eyes have to be calm; there should be a slight smile like expression on face. The artist should be experienced enough to strike the balance between two extremes as it holds sentimental value for the possessor

Framed & the Painting is ready to be adorned on your wall!

Framing is the final stage of the painting. It is done to protect the painting & the gold foil
A typical Tanjore Painting is framed using Teak wood, like the one shown in the picture
On the front side, traditionally glass is used. Some prefer Acrylic glass at the front nowadays as it is unbreakable
Now the Goddess painting is ready to be hung on your wall. Tanjore Paintings last for generations and will always remain as the most precious art item that you possess in your life time owing to the amount of skill involved and the materials used

Frames: Explore Authentic Teak wood Frames for Tanjore Paintings of various types and sizes

Materials and Painting used in the illustration

And if you would like to make this beautiful Durga painting your own, you can buy here - Devi Durga - Bengal Style Tanjore Painting
We believe by now you would have fully understood the process of making a Tanjore painting. Due diligence needs to be followed while purchasing materials for Tanjore Paintings - it is not just an art, it is an asset that you will be passing on to your future generations reflecting our rich culture. Hence longevity is of paramount importance for Tanjore Paintings. We suggest you use only the prescribed materials for Tanjore paintings
Sign up using the below button to get Exclusive tips, tricks and secrets of making a masterpiece Tanjore Painting. Get periodic updates and videos on our Free online Tanjore Painting learning videos and articles. Even better, you will also get discount coupons which you could use for purchasing the materials.

List of Materials needed for an Elegant & Authentic Tanjore Painting

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 22:43:11 +0530

In this section, we will discuss about the materials needed to make Tanjore Paintings. This could very well be the welcome kit for beginners

We have already discussed in our previous blogs how Tanjore Paintings are made in general using this Step by step illustration of Tanjore painting. To make it more useful for the users, we are adding this article so that you can try making Tanjore Paintings yourself. We believe that this will serve as a starting point for beginners.

Beginners kit needed for the making of Tanjore Paintings

Plywood
Canvas
Jaipur Stones - Sizes and shapes as needed
Arabic gum
Chalk Powder for muck preparation
22 carat Gold foil
Poster Colors
Brush Set

We have made a Ready-made Beginners kit for those who have just started making Tanjore Paintings and not aware of which one to buy and how much to buy.

Best Practices

We just saw the Materials needed for making Tanjore Paintings which is enough for knowledge purpose. But if you want to make authentic Tanjore Paintings, you need to also know the best practices need to be followed for the longevity of the painting you intend to make.

Following table provides you just that. We have classified the best practices and the quality of materials that need to be avoided

	Materials	Best Practices	Don’t use
1	Plywood	Use Water proof marine grade Plywood for logetivity of the painting 6 mm plywood for sizes not exceeding 20x16. 9 mm till 3x2 12 mm beyond that	Regular non-waterproof plywood, MDF, Hardboards to be completely avoided
2	Canvas	Cotton cloth	Make sure that there is no mix of synthetic material
3	Jaipur Stones	Glass stones	Don’t use plastic stones meant for fabric materials
4	Arabic gum	Use high quality crystals meant for Tanjore Paintings	Powder form of Arabic gum is not preferable as they might contain impurities
5	Chalk Powder	Use high grade French chalk powder meant for Tanjore Paintings	If it is not pure white, try to avoid it as calcium content could be less
6	Gold foil	Buy 22 Carat Gold Foil from authentic suppliers who are trust worthy	Avoid synthetic foil which would fade after sometime. Some vendors supply synthetic gold foil claiming to be real Gold foil
7	Poster Colors	Camlin Poster colour is preferable	Avoid Oil colours or fabric colours for the skin of Gods/ Goddesses
8	Brush Set	Buy art brushes meant for Tanjore paintings	Avoid synthetic bristles that are hard and makes the drawing tough

By now you are aware why due diligence needs to be followed while purchasing materials for Tanjore Paintings - it is not just an art, it is an asset that you will be passing on to your future generations reflecting our rich culture. Hence longevity is of paramount importance for Tanjore Paintings. Elegance of the painting totally depends on your skills. Our artists on an average have 4000 working hours in Tanjore paintings to reach the current skill level. So, what are you waiting for. Get the materials and get going with your first Tanjore Painting.

If you wish to buy any of the authentic materials, you can place order through the link: Buy Tanjore Painting Materials online
Once the painting is made, it could be framed with a regular teak wood frame or a Chettinad type frame. Some might want acrylic frame that have golden strip to make it look modern. You can also order frames from us - Buy Wooden Frames
And finally, if you want to know the tips, tricks and secrets of making a masterpiece Tanjore Painting, Sign Up using the below button and get periodic updates and videos on our Free online Tanjore Painting learning videos and articles. Even better, you will also get discount coupons which you could use for purchasing the materials

Buy Tanjore Painting Kit

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