Making Process

Design Resource

Shadow Art - Swamimalai, TamilNadu

The carving for shadow art

Making Process

The artisan takes a picture of the image needed to be crafted. In this case the artisan prints Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam’s picture. Plywood sheet of the desired shape is taken next. A carbon sheet is placed on the plywood and on this the printed image paper is placed. Paper clips are placed on 4 sides to hold the sheets tightly together. And now the tracing starts.

Artisan starts tracing the outline of the image first followed by hair of Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam through the image printed. He traces along the edges until he completes the complete outline. He traces the image’s clothes until the bust as this is a portrait. Tie and buttons and the blazer’s collar are traced. Now the artisan draws along the mouth, teeth, chin and cheeks. As the artisan is going to cut the plywood sheet using ‘selected carving’ method, he only traces on the places he is going to do the carving on. So for the nose he traces only the bottom of the nose. He draws only a portion of the jaw line joining with the dimples. Now the outline of eyes and eyebrows are made. Few minute details are made inside the eyeball. He finishes the tracing by giving tiny details for the hair to distinguish the texture between the face and hair.

Now the artisan with the help of micro carving drilling machine, makes holes in the chin, one place in the hair & eyeballs of the image. This will help him to pierce plywood wire cutter in the holes. Now he takes plywood wire cutter and cuts along to outline of the figure in the image. Around the hair the plywood is cut. Artisan files around the plywood sheet in the cut places to give smoothness around the place cut earlier. Now only the selected places on the face is carved out with the wire cutter. Carving around the nose and eyes are done extremely carefully because of the delicate thin lines carved.

After the carving is done, artisan uses a cloth and varnishes on the plywood sheet to give a shine to the object. Now the object is ready to use for shadow art.

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Shadow Art - Swamimalai, TamilNadu