Pastel Painting

What is Pastel Paint?

The word “PASTEL” comes from the paste made of pure, powdered color pigment, bound together with a minimum of resin or gum, and molded into stick form.  If this same powdered color pigment were bound with an oil medium, it would be oil paint.  Because pastel sticks are formed with a minimum of resin or binder, usually just enough to hold the stick together, it is generally the most pure form of pigment that can be applied to a painting surface (generally paper) giving pastel paintings a vivid, luminous appearance

Acrylic paintings

 Acrylics are extremely versatile, fast-drying paints, and can be used straight from the tube like oils or thinned with water or a medium and used like watercolors. And a lot in-between.

Fabric Painting

 About Fabric Painting-

Fabric painting is an excellent way to spruce up an old household item or garment without having to replace it with a new one. All you need are fabric paints and a few good ideas to add personality to anything from old tennis shoes to lampshades. Although it helps to have some artistic abilities, you don't have to be an accomplished artist to paint on fabric. By learning a few basic strokes, you can transform your wardrobe or fabric furnishings as well as make creative gifts.

Best Fabrics for Painting-Fabrics should be a natural fiber or natural blend. For best results, paint on washable 100 percent cotton fabric. However, rayons and silks will also work. Textured or colored fabrics might produce variations in colors, while white or cream-colored fabrics can somewhat dull paints. To be sure of the effect on a particular textile, first test your paint on scrap fabric.

Fabric Paints-The various fabric paints available can easily overwhelm a novice. Fabric paints range from translucent, opaque and acrylic paints to those made exclusively for textiles. Acrylics, which come in tubes, jars and bottles, can be mixed with other paints for creating new colors. You can also dilute them with water or acrylic mediums. When applied directly to the fabric, they dry stiff, so it's better to mix with some type of medium for softer finishes.

Brushes-Choose brushes based on the desired effects you plan to create. For example, flat shaders have a chiseled edge, making them suitable for making clean edges and in making the "S" stroke for painting leaves. They're also ideal for filling in large areas. Liner brushes are used for making stems, scrolls, tendrils and other flowing lines. Scrubbers have tapered round bristles that work well for stippling effects or blending colors.

Painting Techniques-Fabric painting techniques include reverse stamping, stamp printing, screen printing and scratching. Reverse stamping gives the look of batik fabrics and is done as a "wet" technique. One or more colors are layered onto a wet extender base. Using fingertips, gently smooth brush strokes. Stamp printing is done with stamps, either homemade or purchased. The technique involves stamping on fabrics such as unbleached cottons or calicos, which are heavier than muslin fabrics. Screen printing is a technique done on thick fabrics such as duck fabric. Scratching, which is similar to reverse stamping, involves removing painting with a stamp and is usually done on poplin fabric.

History-Fabric painting is an ancient art with printing blocks dating as far back as 3000 B.C. Painted fabrics were found in 327 B.C. in India, with the invasion of Alexander the Great. Trade routes developed, and painted Indian fabrics were traded not only throughout Asia and Egypt, but also in Africa and Europe. The Chinese were also producing block printing on fabric and sharing their stencil and resist techniques with Japan, as seen in the beautiful Japanese fabric patterning. Various other fabric painting techniques have continued to evolve throughout the world.

Warnings-When painting one-sided designs such as on T-shirts, add some newspaper sheets, cardboard or plastic inside the shirt to prevent paint from seeping to the back of the shirt. For best results, always use tightly woven fabrics, because they produce brighter results.

Glass painting

Glass painting is an ancient art that rises and falls in popularity as techniques and materials change. In the early 1300s, large glass projects were often funded by wealthy families or through church organizations as stained, colored and painted glass were prohibitively expensive. The revival of modern glass painting is no longer associated with iconic religious windows or detailed Victorian panels. Today, glass painting has been brought into the everyday kitchen, allowing any artist, from beginner to expert, to play with the translucent effects of painting on glass.

 Types

• There are two basic types of glass painting: high fire glass painting and low fire glass painting. High fire painting requires the paint or stain to be fired at up to 1,200 degrees, and low fire painting allows the paint to be fired at 325 degrees.
  
  

Traditional Glass Painting

• High fire glass painting is considered traditional. This is the stain and paint work that has developed over hundreds of years in union with glass panels primarily used as church windows. According to M. Bradley Walker's 1999 article in Warm Glass, this type of glass painting uses four basic paint mixtures: vinegar trace, matte, silver stain and oil-based paints. Vinegar trace paints are used for line work. The color is often quite dark and opaque. This paint is applied with both the surface of the glass being wet and the paint being wet. Once the paint dries it cannot be painted over if an area is thin. The paint can be scraped away allowing for detail, shading and textural effects. This paint is fired at 1,100 degrees to a smooth finish.
  

High Fire Painting

• After trace paint is fired, matte paint is applied. This paint fills in backgrounds and shadows, and its color range is somewhat limited to blacks, blues, browns and greens. It also fires to 1,100 degrees. For red, orange and yellow colors, silver stain, or silver nitrate, is used. This stain changes color during firing. This stain is generally applied on the other side of the glass from trace and matte paints. Oil-based paints for stained glass can also be used. These fire at a lesser temperature.
  
  

Low Fire Glass Painting

• Low fire glass painting is relatively new. Products like glass paint markers are just entering the marketplace. There are a number of manufacturers who produce lines of paints and stains that range in features, colors and uses. Acrylic lines of glass paints offer opaque colors. Resin-based paints are transparent and offer opportunities to create frosted and glossy effects. Some products are more durable and intended for the regular use of the finished product. These glass stains can be applied to most glass surfaces. The paints are hardened or fixed by baking in the kitchen oven. Generally, bake time will be something like 40 minutes at 325 degrees. This may vary depending on the manufacturer and exact type of product. Some glass paints are designed to air dry and to be more decorative than functional.

Considerations

• In addition to glass painting, new products are available to mimic leading. These include adhesive lead, outline pastes and a variety of foil tapes. These products can be applied over the stain/paint work to further the illusion of authenticity. In addition, the foil tapes can be used to join pieces of glass together allowing for even more options. Rubber stamps can be used for design with the enamel glass paints, and stencils will also allow for easy design transfer. One of the attributes of glass painting is that a drawing, design or image can be attached to the back of the glass allowing for a direct transfer to glass painting.

About Warli Art

The tribal (warli, malharkoli, kokani, katkari) of Thane district in Maharashtra make Warli paintings. They do not consist of the myriad primary colours, so intimately associated with folk painting in India. Instead they are painted on an austere brown surface with the use of only one colour-white The only exception are red and yellow auspicious dots which are used to decorate the painting. The first impression of sobriety, however, is countered by the ebullience of the thems depicted. Men, animals and trees from a loose, rhythmic pattern across the entire sheet. This results in a light swinging and swirling movement, describing the day to day activities of the Warlis. Warli art was first discovered in early seventies. In many important respects, it was different from the folk and tribal idiom known to urban India till then. It did not narrate mythological stories in vibrant as did the Madhubani paintings of Mithila, nor did it contain the robust sensuality of the pata paintings found in the districts of Bengal, Orissa or Rajasthan.

Warli painting though essentially the same, depicting the marriage ceremony with the vegetation goddess in the center, her guardian in a side cauk and a surrounding landscape in which the preparations for the wedding are taking place, are far from repetitive for there are considerable differences in form and content between one area and another.

The Warli are short in stature with dark, burnt complexions and broad physical features. They share a connon religious awe of the Tiger God and roughly carved wooden statues of him can be found installed in all parts of the district.

Agriculture is their main occupation and provides bare sustenance to the Warlis. With paddy as their main crop, harvested once a year, there is little or no surplus for the coming year. An average of two to three acres for a family of five is barely sufficient for the year and the summer months find the Warlis looking for part-time jobs.The men of the family work during summer on other farm, constructing bunds, in bricks factories, repairing road for the Government or with the forest department.

The women lend a helping hand by cutting grass to be sold in the market.

The rough and rugged foothiils of the Sahyadri range, which comprise the main part of Thane, afford easy refuge to those who shun contact with the outside world.The undulating landscape, leading to higher and more invincible hills in the east which forms a natural boundary between thane and the rest of the state. The Warlis live in the rugged part of the country and keep much to themselves and have their own social organisation.The is no caste differentiation among them.

Warli Painting