There
are fairy tales and then there are heavenly interventions. The holy story of
Bhagwan Swami Satyanarayan and his beloved mare Manki, as told by Joban Pagi,
the feared dacoit turned devotee, has passed through centuries and settled into
the lives of ordinary people. This Oil on Canvas painting
represents Bhagwan Swami Narayan riding on the horse Manki while carrying a red
rose, symbolising his position as a preacher of wisdom and peace. Manki is
likewise adorned with magnificent diamonds, befitting her status as the Lord's
preferred horse. Swami Satyanarana's adherents adored him above monarchs and
rulers, thus the artists paid extra attention to the intricacy of his robes and
jewellery befitting to his status. This artwork is not just a work of art, but
also an offering to the reverend from a devotee.
Crafting Masterpieces: An Insight into the Making of Indian Oil Paintings
Oil painting is the most interesting technique in art. Unlike
other paintings or art forms, oil painting is a process in which
colored pigments are painted on the canvas with a drying oil
medium as a binder. This medium helps colors blend beautifully to
create layers and also makes them appear rich and dense. Several
varieties of oil are used in this painting such as sunflower oil,
linseed oil, etc., and depending on the quality of the oil, a
particular consistency of the paint is developed. With the use of
an oil medium, the painting gets a natural sheen on the surface
which appears extremely attractive. India is famous for its old
tradition of making oil paintings. This art form was brought by
Europeans in the 18th century and is now practiced by almost all
well-known artists. Nirmal, a small tribal town in the state of
Telangana is the center of traditional oil paintings in India
where the local people practice it with dedication. Most Indian
artists still use the traditional technique of oil painting.
Canvas of the required size is prepared
The artists use either a wood panel or canvas made from linen or
cotton. Sometimes the canvas is stretched onto the wooden frame
to form a solid base, or cardboard may be used. The canvas is
coated with a layer of white paint or chalk mixed with animal
glue. This mixture is then smoothed and dried to form a uniform,
textured surface. The wooden panel is more expensive and heavier
but its solidity is an advantage in making detailed paintings
with ease.
Sketch is drawn on the canvas
Now the artist starts to draw the subject of the painting on the
canvas using the actual charcoal or a charcoal pencil.
Sometimes, he may sketch with thinned paint as well.
Oil paint is applied using paint brushes or palette knives
Now that the rough sketch is prepared, the artist is now ready
to paint. Oil paint, a special paint that contains particles of
pigments suspended in a drying oil (usually linseed oil), is
again mixed with oil to make it thinner for applying it on the
canvas. Proper consistency of the paint is maintained to avoid
its breakage. The most important rule for the application of oil
paint is “Fat over lean” in which the first layer of paint is
thin and later, thicker layers are applied. This means that each
additional layer of paint contains more oil. This results in
getting a stable paint film. Traditionally, paint was applied
using paint brushes but now the artists also use palette knives
to create crisp strokes. To paint using this technique, the edge
of the palette knife is used to create textured strokes that
appear different from that of a paintbrush. Sometimes, oil
paints are blended simply using fingers for getting the desired
gradation.
Smaller oil paintings, with very fine detail, are relatively
easier to paint than larger ones. The most attractive feature of
these paintings is the natural shiny appearance that is obtained
on the surface because of the use of oil paint. The blending of
colors looks extremely realistic and this is the reason why oil
paintings are loved by everyone throughout the world.
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