Tools and Materials-A
• Pencils & Erasers: - HB pencils are used for rough sketches and drawings on the canvas.
• Scissors are used for cutting the desired size of the canvas
• Rubbing Stones: - There are two types of stones which are used:
1. Khaddar stone is used for smoothening.
2. Chikna stone is used for shine.
• Treated cotton cloth canvas (Patas). Mainly practiced on treated cotton cloth, the patachitras are also done on tussar silk, wood and other substrates. A tedious time consuming process, known as ‘NiryasKalpa’, the preparation of the painting canvas can take up to 5 days. The steps followed:
Tools and Materials-B
• Brushes:
Chitrakaar use brushes made of mongoose or mouse hair to form the fine tip, fixed over a bamboo or wooden handle. The coarser brushes are made from the hair of the buffalo neck. The root of the Kiya plant is also popularly used to make the brushes of varied thicknesses.
Tools and Materials-C
Tools and Materials-D
• Lacquer:
The painted Patis are given a uniform layer of lacquer coating (made from resin seeds). This process, called Jaulasa, protects and gives a pleasing shine to the piece.