The global meltdown affected all the industries and the art market was no avrse to it. Indian art market was considerably affected with the global economic recession that set in during mid 2008. Many said that the real artist in the industry will continue to exist and attain greater heights inspite of the recession. And this has been surely proved by the Indian art summit that recently happened in Delhi. The summit gathered an enormous response and this has surely boomed the Indian art industry.

All those who took part in the summit had an awe-inspiring experience. Commercially as well people did very well and had huge amount of sales. Indian art summit gives a base to the modern contemporary Indian art that is now catching attention on international grounds. The central objective of India Art Summit was to focus on education and raising awareness about art, which has been effectively done this time.   

About 17 galleries were put up from around the world including some of the most prominent international galleries from Europe, Asia and the United States.

The summit was organized by Asia Art Archive, Asia Society, Lalit Kala Academy, The Devi Foundation, and the British Council. The summit exhibited the most assorted range of modern and contemporary paintings, sculpture, and photography which included mix media, prints, drawings and video art by known and forthcoming artists.

The fair ensured that the contemporary art scene in India gains visibility. It also gave an insight into the richness and diversity of the art market to the visitors that came from across the world.

Appreciation of Indian art seems to be also a part of our heritage. Our monuments, kingly palaces and also getaways to prominent towns have a distinct identity owing to the encouragement received by patrons of art. The caste system prevalent in the earlier times also added to preservation of art forms in families. With much of intermingling and scrapping of caste system India is looking at a more comprehensive way to commercialize the appreciation of art.

Art sees no religion and is the expression of an artist. This is seen in the works of M F Hussain who explores the subtle natural element in Hindu mythology. The paintings of renowned artists like Amrtia Shergil or Tyeb Mehta are priced high and they have several seekers to love to adorn their homes or commercial units with the fabulous paintings. Several Indian associations are also looking at a consortium to sell the great works of art and the buyers are growing each year.

Scaling international heights for any kind of commercial activity is very important. This can be done by formal channels of exhibitions and display of the marked pieces. It is important to merchandise the paintings in a very sophisticated manner and the person must be able to highlight the in-depth matter of the subject. There are several art houses who exhibit paintings and photography on regular intervals.

Art schools have workshops to train novices and amateur painters who are also given a chance to explore and hone their talent. The support from the Government is also required to back any kind of activity in the Indian art market. Art lovers look out for unique and blending concepts in the thematic works of art and are ready to invest in premium collections.

The paintings by great artists are a trophy collection and for art lovers this is a passion. Exhibitions offer a great opportunity to display the paintings and the recent online gallery is again a new way to connect with people who share a love for Indian art.

If you want to make art your career, you need some professional qualification for the same; There are many art courses that are available in India for an artist to get some professional training and educational qualification in art. Art courses are wonderful way to explore the latent talents of artists and some other time, it works as a polishing mechanism for accomplished artists. Various art activities in these courses and workshops are performed in a thoroughly professional way. The scope of these programs is quite huge. Though art cannot be literally taught like other subjects, a formal training in the subject ensures that you know art history, various styles etc. In short it just makes you more aware and informative about the subject.

Talking about Art courses, there are various art courses at under graduate and post graduate level in multiple streams. Most of the colleges and universities conduct these courses. Approximately fifty universities in India offer courses in Fine Arts. These courses often start with BFA (Bachelor in Fine Arts). Students also have the option of going for MFA (Master’s degree program), once BFA completed successfully. BFA course is normally of four to five years and MFA of two years.

Few of the courses available in various streams of Fine Arts are;

Art Courses

Sculpture (Course in Sculpture)

• B.A Sculpture
• BFA in Sculpture
• U.G Diploma Course in Sculpture
• U.G. Diploma Course in Fine Arts
• Diploma in Sculpture

Painting (Courses in Painting)

• B.A Painting
• BFA in Painting
• U.G. Diploma Course in Painting
• Diploma in Painting
• MFA in Painting

Art lovers have an innate passion for art works. If you wish to invest in art or merchandise in the same a certain capital has to be scheduled. There are many art students who work as apprentice and in this field caliber is a primary ingredient. Each day new artists are exposing themselves to new fields of learning, mediums and colors. Locating a chief culture of art is also the main thing about this business.

One needs to have a considerable space to house the pieces of art and storing is essential to avoid any kind of harm or erosion in the art works. Technology and modernity has made it possible to restore works of art and this can be also looked into a branched business. Investing in art means having a keen sense of concept and understanding of varied art forms.

Books and literature is certainly available on the art forms in the ethnic and recent types. There is a lot of essential things to know about the original and metamorphosis of Indian art. Many art forms are also in their stage of extinction. Investing in art for self is another passion though many times this becomes a unique casing. Art lovers also have a specification for the love of art.

People can choose paintings for their living room as aura ones, the fire and ice concept or great ones in Warli art or Madhubani ones. The canvas paintings or portrait in singular frames look elegant on a hallway. Kid’s room paintings can also be looked at great gifts and vibrancy is a necessary ingredient and can also be related to caricature.

New age paintings are also showcased adjacently with traditional ones and this is a great relief that helps the investor to choose among the minimal choices. The investor must be clear about the color and medium and also can have a liaison with the artist to customize rare paintings. Knowledge improves with interaction and exposure and investing in art is a fervor for many investors.

Selling and buying art is becoming more and more commercial because people consider this as an investment that can give you high returns. Indian art industry is booming and it surely has a lot to offer to art connoisseurs and art industry enthusiasts all across the globe. Indian art is not only selling like hot cakes, it is selling at pretty high prices as well. Moreover, the spending power and indulgence amongst the masses of the country has greatly increased due to which people do not mind investing in art. Majority of the people across the nation have developed taste for this due to which Indian art dealers have become very popular and much in demand.

So who is an art dealer? Well, in simple terms he or she is primarily into buying and selling of art works. So how exactly do you sell and buy art? It is simply through the art dealers. They ensure that the customer is not cheated into fake art and thus he or she facilitates the whole process at the cost of a small commission. This also gives them an opportunity of combining business with personal interest. Selling art gives you an offer to make huge profits. This has resulted into many corporate art dealers. They possess huge number of art collections. Some even specialize in a typical style of art. In case if any of you have an inclination towards art which I am sure you do, you can consider becoming an art dealer. However, needless to say, an art dealer constantly needs to be aware of activities in art world. 

In the whole process of buying and selling art, an art dealer has a crucial role to play. Any art and artist having a statement is able to sell in rapidly growing global art market. Art dealer often conveys that statement to the world. He or she is a person with large network of people and wonderful public relationship skills. Being an art dealer means you need to have creative inclination as well as business acumen. 

Our God’s very own country has a rich tradition of murals and they are quite well known in the art industry through the history. Kerala has a rich and varied tradition of art and painting and much to the evidence of this are the murals in temples, churches and palaces in Kerala which the tourists and the art enthusiasts visit.

The murals of Tirunandikkara and Tiruvanchikulam are marked as the earliest specimens of Kerala painting. These have been assigned to the period from the 9th to the 12th century A.D. All most all the murals that are now seen in Kerala temples belong to the period from 15th century onwards. It is said that the tradition of painting on walls began in Kerala when the pre-historic rock paintings were found in the Anjanad valley of Idukki district. Rock engravings dating to the Mesolithic period have also been discovered in two regions of Kerala namely Edakkal in Wayanad and at Perumkadavila in Tiruvananthapuram district.

Art was highly regarded during the Dravidian period in the district and hence it is no difficult to trace the root of the Kerala mural style of paintings on the walls. These can be traced to the more ancient Dravidian art of Kalamezhuthu. Art was almost considered sacred and was connected to the religious rituals as portrayed in so many murals. People would sketch, border and then fill colours with the powder that was available to them.The oldest murals in Kerala were discovered in the rock-cut cave temple which is now in the Kanyakumari District of Tamil Nadu.

Dhokra is a metal casting art that has been used in India for more than 4000 years now. Ne o the earliest work of Dhokra art was found in Mohenjodaro. This wax artifact was a dancing girl. Dhokra art is known for its simplicity and enchanting folkness in it. The rural motifs that are used in this art evokes a very earthy feeling in all of us. Dhokra artisans and their artwork are thus in great demand in Indian as well as in international markets.

Dhokra art consists of animals like cows, horses, elephants, peacocks, owls, religious images of various Gods and Goddesses, measuring utensils, glasses and bowls, and lamp caskets etc. All these art products are highly appreciated and praised.

There are two main processes of lost wax casting: solid casting, and hollow casting. Solid casting is predominant in the south of India while hollow casting is more common in Central and Eastern India. Hollow casting is the more traditional method and uses the clay core whereas solid casting uses a solid piece of wax to create the mould.

Most artisans of the Dhokra art belong to the Dhokra Damar tribes that are the traditional metal smiths of West Bengal. Thus the name of this art and their technique of lost wax casting is named after their tribe - Dhokra metal casting. This tribe extends from Bihar to West Bengal and even to Orissa. Some of the artisans of Madhya Pradesh also specialize in the Dhokra art. Some of the artisans a few hundred years ago traveled to south as far as Kerla and north as far as Rajasthan and hence are now found all over India.

Being an amateur, one often wonders or is apprehensive about the genuineness of a painting. Am I buying a genuine painting or is it a copy or a reproduction or a forgery? These are the questions that linger on. Finally it boils down to this: What am I owning- an original or a fake?

Basically, there are two factors that enhance the quality of the painting: the aesthetic quality and the name of the artist. Because there is tremendous amount of money involved in art work, art pieces call for serious authentication. This leaves us with a pertinent question - How do I test the authenticity of a painting? Well, there are three ways with which one can test the authenticity of the painting: the art collector’s evaluation based on his or her knowledge and the information gathered, the historical documentation that is available, and last but not the least: scientific testing.

The knowledge of the art connoisseur should include when and where the painting made, acquired from, bought from, one was should also know how it was acquired, and then who sold it or inherited it or gifted it. The goal here is to ensure that this indeed is the object which has left the artist’s studio. If this data is not available then one can go for scientific testing.

One should always the seals, the stamps, the canvas as well as the frames as a part of the analysis of the painting. Great art collectors who own thousands of art collections usually put a stamp or a seal on every piece of theirs.

South of India is famous for its temple architecture and grand display of colors that depict the various mythological tales. The gopuras or the towers of the temple are a striking feature. Apart from wood and exotic fragrant wood sculpture the state of Karnataka was the chief pioneer in paintings. The paintings were patronized by the Kings who loved art and had a passion for constructing palatial dwellings.

Social set ups had major murals depicting the culture of the South which was encouraged by the existing rulers. Rich traders and royals had a penchant for the paint work which was beautifully brought out by the craftsmen. The medium of paintings was also in gold and vegetable colors or extracts of leaves where used as a medium. Cloth paintings were also a major display. This was the true and original form of art which was later modernized with durable boards and dependable sticking formulas.

Gold foil painting was a rich form of art where the painting was done on the 24 Karat gold foil after it was treated. The typicality of the paintings from Mysore is about a a definite and prominent look. The colors are green, red and blue which is again common in all parts of South India. The main idea about Mysore paintings was the gesso concept which highlighted certain areas of the painting. This included areas where the jewelry or certain metal work related to the idols needed attention.

Finishing lines were done in the last stage where the lines or features of the painting were highlighted. The palace at Mysore bears a lot of testimony to the great work put in by the painters of the yesteryears. The galleries also have several collections of paintings which still require a lot of encouragement to be continued as an art form. The Wodeyars were lovers of art and the impetus received by them was great. Though the art form has gained recognition, there is still a lot of reviving to be done by offering support to the artists.

Tribal art of India is authentic in its nature. The minimal presence of necessities in the tribal areas had actually made the inhabitants sufficient in their needs. Common use of available items like twigs, barks, shells, horns, wood pieces, stones were effectively used as adornments for daily wear. It is interesting to note that the tribal jewelry is a great piece of art and has much patronage from urban Indians and tourists abroad.

Also a common form of hobby, tribals used simple tricks of knotting with thread or barks to secure the beads in a necklace. The style is certainly not rigid and many times does not form a pattern. Raw aesthetic representation is the chief theme in many variations of tribal jewelry like a neck piece, earrings, nose piercing, finger rings, anklets, amulets and many other jewelry items.

The colors are magical like turquoise, jade green and also can be found in dull shades like tree brown or dull yellow in beads and designs. The stone jewelry again is a raw style which sets the stone by entwining the thread as a casing. The styles are inimitable in terms of their originality. There are also variations depending on the geography and many forms of tribal Jewelry are used in rural lifestyle.

Coloring a stone with natural dyes is an important aspect. The tribal costume is also a great effort with belly scarves, jackets and skirts that have a lot of trinkets around them. The waist band is a normal form of jewelry worn by tribal folk. This is a woven piece of cloth and intricate designing trinketsis employed with beads, metal works and mirrors.

Metal bracelets and wooden earrings placed in simple stone works seem magnificent in tribal art. Owing to deforestation and modern amenities reaching the inaccessible areas this art is slowly declining. Urban factories are also using the same art form and modernizing the art with the help of machines.