Mughal paintings are greatly admired and praised for its richness, texture and innovativeness. They were in a different league. Mughal paintings were very stylish and unique. One of the important sub-genres of Mughal paintings was Mughal love paintings. These paintings are very fascinating and will capture your imagination like never before. They had splendid themes and unique styles. One striking aspect about Mughal love paintings is that, they don’t really conform to realism. Imagination and creativity played a much bigger role than realism. However, the themes of these paintings stayed true to periods they were made in.

Mughal love paintings are wonderful illustration of the Mughal era. They give us a glimpse of what that period was all about. The cultures, art, concept of love etc portrayed in these paintings are true specimen of that era. What makes Mughal love paintings even more striking is the unique blend of Indian and Persian style. Themes were provocative as well as informative. Some of the most common themes of love paintings were, love, lovers, courtly lovers in intimate positions, failed love and lovers in a state of despair. The paintings proved to be of immense help to the historians. The artworks are full of luxury, colorful themes, sensuality and physical beauty.

Mughal love paintings give us a glance into the love lives of the kings and queens. Mughal King Jahangir was instrumental in encouraging the love paintings. He had a keen artistic sense. ‘Jahangirnama’ had some of the most amazing paintings reflecting the wonderful art taste of the king. There were renowned Mughal painters who excelled in making love paintings. Govardhan was one of the most famous artists of that era. Similarly, Ustad Mansur created huge impact as a Mughal painter during the 17th Century. The popularity of Mughal love paintings is not just restricted to Indian boundaries. They are loved, appreciated and admired all over the world.

Holiday painting is one of the most fascinating and exciting thing painters and art lovers can indulge in. Just as the name suggests, you plan a painting holiday where all you need is a pleasurable time with your canvas and paints. The number of people who can join the group is unlimited. Most artists get together and plan such trips. However, experience suggests that ideally 18 to 20 people can make for a great trip.

Painting holidays is specifically conducted for people who enjoy painting landscapes. Experienced painters as well as amateurs can join enjoy these trips together. Mostly scenic and quiet locations are chosen so that the artist can enjoy his or her painting in an undisturbed location.

Such trips are sometimes organized by tour operators who usually plan the whole trip. After the breakfast, there is an hour long art lecture after which artists are given their materials at a quiet spot where they can paint. Since so many painters come together there is a lot of learning and exchange of relevant information.

A fifteen day painting holiday is also organized where painters are taken through the world’s most astonishing and inspiring locations, where they can paint the mountains, rivers and forests using all kinds of painting methods. For amateurs, there are teachers who assist you to learn all the necessary skills to paint landscapes.

Be it landscapes, portraits, still life, buildings and architecture, forests or anything else a holiday and a leisure painting is a very pleasant experience for all art lovers. It is one holiday that makes you enjoy the colors of nature as you color your canvas!

Paint brush is more like a weapon in the hands of an artist. Like a warrior who cannot do much without his arms, similarly an artist will be rendered helpless without a paint brush. It is a must-have item for any painting project. If we further elaborate the range and scope of brushes, it can be used in painting your home or can be useful for a simple wood working project. A brush has several uses and in different categories. Having said that, no matter where you are going to use your paint brush, you must invest in good quality brushes. Like everything else, brushes also demand care.

If you want to make your brush last longer, you need to care for it and clean it properly. While you go to buy a brush you need to take into consideration certain factors. First of all, check the length of the brush as that decides the elasticity of it. So while you hold the bristles slightly bent and if they manage to hang together, it means the brush is sufficiently elastic. But if the bristles are flaring out, you should rather avoid it.  The brush should feel full of bristles while you compress it. One more sign of a good brush is presence of split ends.

Before using brush for the first time, you should rub the ends of the bristles on a rough surface and leave it in linseed oil for 24 hours. This will help it in softening up. The process is also known as preconditioning of the brush which proves crucial in its ability to accept paint and a longer life. Use scraper or a knife to get rid of stray bristles. One should ideally use dip and slab method for painting. Once the painting is done, use thinner or turpentine to clean away the excess paint. Implementing all these tips will help in improving the lifespan of brushes.

Today, with the help of internet and other modes, getting high quality painting tools is become quite easy. Indeed, there is a wide variety of artists’ paints available for the professional or amateur artist. Different types of paint are available based on the way in which the pigment is poised or entrenched in. It is this that determines the characteristics of the paint such as solubility, drying time etc. The commonly used mixed media tools are acrylic paint tubes, inks, oil paints, pastel crayons, spray paints, water colors etc.

Professional artists also use what is called an encaustic painting where colored pigments are added to bee wax that is heated. The paste which is then prepared from that is applied to the surface or the canvas. Another popular mixed media medium is called fresco which consists of pigments in a water medium on wet or fresh lime mortar or plaster. This is a durable work of art! Gouache is a type of watercolor paint which is made of heavier and more opaque substance by the addition of a white pigment such as chalk!

Most events and scenes are excellently replicated using the mixed media medium. Here, you can truly use what you want to and create your own master piece! From glass to wood to graphite powder all kinds of ingredients are used to prepare a media painting!

They produce many different types of wonderful pictures. Mixed media can be used for abstract imaginary art too. Both, thinned oil paints and thick oil paints can be used. The paintings can also be dyed. There are many a great effects that can be brought to life using this medium. The canvas is yours. Come and explore!

The use of henna or mehndi is very popular in the Indian subcontinent. Young brides get their hands and other body parts painted with paste of powdered henna. If we talk about India, applying mehndi is a common practice in almost every household. Women just love to apply henna during social occasions. Whether it is marriage, engagement, festivals or social function, women just need to have henna on their hands. It adds a certain charm to the overall beauty of the women. It is a type of body art practiced by Indian women since centuries. Artists trained in henna painting draw those intricate and beautiful lines on the palms. Traditional motifs are drawn on the hands of young brides. There are plenty of traditional motifs but the most popular one is the paisley motif.

Henna body painting is considered to be auspicious. According to existing beliefs, shade of the henna color decides the fate of the bride. In other words, the husband will love the wife more if she has darker shades of mehndi. Yes, that’s a belief which may be right or wrong but it shows the importance of the tradition of henna body painting.

Henna is basically a flowering shrub that has fragrant flowers. Leaves are dried and crushed into powder to create the dye. As far as the technique of Applying Mehndi is concerned, a paint brush or a plastic cone is used to apply the blend of lemon juice, henna powder and henna. Once the paint is applied, it is left as it is for few hours. This way, it dries up which helps it in getting a firm color. However, at some places, to create a more intense and dark color on the skin, plastic sheet or tissue paper or medical tape is used to wrap the painted area.  Reddish brown is the final color and can last from few weeks to few months depending upon the quality of the paste.

It was in 1950s that acrylics were first available. However that time they were mineral spirit-based paints. Later on, water-based acrylic paints were available in the market. These paints were used as house paints in Mexico. Later, artists started to use these mediums in art and painting. Today, acrylic painting has become an art genre in itself and more and more painters are experimenting with this versatile medium.

Acrylic painting is done with the help of acrylic paint tubes and though the painting can look similar to an oil painting or a water colour painting, they have their own unique look and feel that makes them distinctive!

Acrylic paints have the quality of being flexible and adaptable and can be used directly from the tubes or can also be mixed with water. Acrylic paints can be used on many types of surfaces. With this medium, you can use so many styles and brush strokes that you yourself will be amazed at the variety these paints will give you.

This is what you will broadly need to do an acrylic painting: A set of Acrylic Paint Tubes (easily available in the market), paint brushes of number 4 and 8 (flat) and 4 and 12 (round), Canvas board, cotton cloth and other essentials required for painting like pencils, eraser, brush holders, water holder, jars, palette etc. If you wish to make a beautiful colourful collage, try mixing acrylic paints with glue, the visual effect that it will give in a collage will be very appealing! A thick layer of acrylic paint will give a glossy finish to it while using a thin transparent layer will give a matte finish! What is most important while using acrylic paintings is that you should only squeeze that much colour out of the tube that is required. This is because acrylic colours dry very quickly. Blending colours in acrylic needs to be done fast because once applied these colors dry very quickly.

Acrylic and oil paintings look similar however there is a difference in the paint methodology. The main advantage that acrylics have is that they dry fast as compared to oil paints. Acrylic paints are also used a lot in mixed media than oil paints. You need to add turpentine to oil paints while acrylic paints can be directly used. However, the typical blend of colours that you get in oil painting is not achieved in acrylics.

A portrait artist has an array of paintbrushes to choose from. Talking about acrylic paintbrush technique, it’s up to the artist what brush he chooses for his paintings. Among the quality brushes, cryla and synthetic brushes are known for their quality. A serious portrait artist must invest on quality brushes instead of going for cheap brushes. Poor quality brushes can affect the overall effect of the artwork. However, many artists prefer to choose hog hair brushes for applying texture paste and scumbling. Acrylic painters do not allow the paint to dry on the brushes. Once it dries, it becomes solid and starts losing its shape. However, there is an option of using methylated spirit but then you run the risk of losing its texture and subsequently overall appeal.

There are some essential tools for portrait artists like water container and a rag. The former one allows them to keep the brushes on a ledge so that bristles remain submerged in the water. Rag will help in taking away any excess water that the brush might have soaked. Paintbrush needs to be just damp and not wet. In case, you are using watercolor technique to paint then obviously, you will need plenty of water.

Ideally, two brushes should be used for paintings. A large brush for big areas and a thinner brush for finer works. Different artists have different styles of paintings. Some like to have more freedom in their art and for that they hold brush further away from the bristles. But if you are looking for accuracy, try holding the brush nearer to the bristles. Portrait artists prefer to use Payne’s Gray to fill in the shadows on the face. Thereafter, they can apply opaque background of flesh tint. Using different glazes and colored washes will perfectly build up the skin tone. Focusing on minor details will make your portrait a complete artwork.

Oil painting medium is become  popular and exist since ages. We have already learnt some aspects of oil painting in our previous post. Amateurs must learn  this beautiful technique of art.

Like all painting, this one too starts by developing a sketch. If you are well versed with charcoal, you can use that to do your sketch. Else, light pencil strokes are also fine. Remember that it is a sketch and hence detailing should be avoided. After the sketch is done, remember to wipe the sketch with a dry cotton cloth so that while you are painting there is no pencil or charcoal dust on the paper. One needs to thin the oil paint that is removed on a palette through turpentine. The turpentine keeps the paint thin enough to work with and allows it to dry much quicker. Remember that the color should be thin enough to develop water like consistency. Now apply this thinned paint on to your sketch with a flat brush. Apply wherever one will apply the paints. For example, if your picture has a tree, apply to all the parts of the tree and so on and so forth. After this is done, let your painting dry for a few minutes (10 minutes) and by that time you can mix colors that you will need for your painting. For example, to paint the sky you will need to mix colors blue and crimson.

Mix colors and see what you achieve to paint your sky. Add a few colors like white and blue over specific areas for greater effect. Now take some color and dab it onto the surface for a technique that is especially used to do tree leaves. Try to use direct color to highlight regions you want to highlight. For finishing details, take a small, round brush and gently “quill” your colors together. For example, if your painting contains trees and they meet the sky - gently stretch the edges of the leaf colors into the sky. You oil painting is done and I am sure you will be quite excited to see this final product!

Texture is a very important part of a painting. It provides character to the artwork. Compared to other crucial elements of the artwork like theme, style and color, texture plays an equally important role. Most often than not, the texture of the painting decides the visual effect and mood of the complete work of art. A painter has to have understanding of finer nuances of texture. One of the most famous artists in the history of world art, Vincent Van Gogh was famous for using bold delineation of textures in his paintings.

Texture can be implied in many ways. An artist can use different tools or by varying brushstrokes, he can imply texture. Different painting tools can help an artist in producing varying textures on the canvas. For instance, using a palette knife will result into a completely different texture compared to a stiff bristled brush. Quite a few artists prefer to use rags to create amazing textures. Similarly, by using different brushstrokes, artists can create different textural effects. Using impulsive and broad brush strokes will lead to rough texture whereas smooth texture will be the output of using gentle brushstrokes. That clearly demonstrates the effect of using a brushstroke or even a canvas on the texture of the artwork.

By looking at the texture, we can figure out what that surface would feel like if it were touched. Artists also use different materials in the paint to bring desired textural effect. Materials like silica or foam are mixed in the paint for desired painting textures. There are some other mixed combinations as well like using bits of rice paper or fabric pieces to paste onto the painting. 

: Image courtesy findmyart.com

If you are an art lover or have just started to venture into the fascinating world of Indian art, you should be aware of different mediums of art. Many artists prefer to express themselves in one particular medium and because of that or call it comfort zone; they are slightly tentative to start in another medium. Not every artist is familiar with other mediums as they have made themselves comfortable with one particular medium. But to truly expand your talent and range of work, one needs to have a fair bit of idea about other mediums as well.

Watercolor is one of the most common mediums used by artists. If, by any chance you have not tried your hands at watercolor you must give it a try. It will surely fascinate you. Watercolor painting is reasonably quick and you will be able to create subtle colors and beautiful washes. If you are planning to paint a landscape, you must use watercolor. Quite popular amongst artists, watercolor paintings of outdoors or sceneries can be great attractions.

Drawing is often bypassed by the artists who are proficient in watercolor paintings or oil paintings. Drawing stage is quite important to your basic knowledge of art. It is a fundamental necessity. If you are planning to draw, you can choose among many mediums including charcoal, pastels or pen and ink. Working in these mediums can be total fun and relaxing. It will also give a new dimension to your artworks. It also helps in making you aware of new perspectives.

Every artist is familiar with concept of oil painting. If you have a desire of producing wonderful rich colors and blending the paints then go for oil painting medium. Initially, it can be tough but sooner than later it will mesmerize you. You can always take a lesson or buy a book on oil painting to learn the basics. The last medium in this article is Acrylic painting. Perfect for abstract art, acrylic painting holds all the possibility of creating a new artist in you. Some of the other painting and drawing mediums are encaustic, airbrushing and mixed media.