Miniature Painting has significance not only in being beautiful, but also academically, historically, and religiously. These paintings were used to record the lives of royalty. For a long time, when people couldn’t read, this artistry acted as a means of spreading and recording information, education, notions, and anything that needed awareness. This particular field of art needs extreme precision and finesse in the final product. It’s an exceptional thing for a person of Miniature Artistry to get the faces with utmost accuracy. Importance of Miniature Painting in Rajasthan is massive and Udaipur dwells on Miniature arts.
The paint used in these paintings is mostly made from stones like Graphite, Lapis Lazuli, and many other natural resources. For colors like gold and silver, incredibly thin sheets of gold and silver are used called Varakh. Even while making the colors, the consistency of the color is vital. Details lie at the heart of Miniature Painting. Every stroke, fill, corner, and crevice of a painting demands a clean hand. So, naturally, the brushes used are excellent, they are made from the hair of a squirrel’s tails and it’s said, hair is also obtained from camel’s eyelashes. For mixing bowls, shells with smooth surfaces are used. For straight lines, wooden rod helps.
The four steps included in making a miniature painting are Sketching, done in reddish-brown ink, followed by Tracing done on the main canvas or paper, then the coloring is executed and lastly Stippling is done, where small strokes and dots are made with a small fine brush. Both round and flat brushes act as tools for the artists.
Sadly, more than sixty percent of the miniature artists are changing professions as they see a bleak future. Art comes from the intensive conversation between mind and soul. An artist simply cannot function if these two decide to not cooperate. Everyone is gifted with a little bit of art but not all are called artists. It takes recognition of that art, and practice every day to be respectably called an artist. Even after so much effort and passion, Miniature Art is a dying one. There are great miniature artists in Udaipur who follow this art with all their might, but they don’t wish to pass it down to the generation.
Miniature art is being kept alive by exhibitions, tourism, and a very small number of art lovers. If you are are someone who appreciates art, these paintings will amaze you. Visit the old city of Udaipur to support and appreciate local artists. Appreciating art is also an art.
