Indian Painting Styles...Kerala Mural Painting

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Kerala Mural Painting​

HISTORY
The traditional mural arts of Kerala are unique in their style of drawing and depiction; and in their color schemes.
They are among the finest in India; and have unique idioms of depiction. These glorious paintings are easily recognizable with their characteristic warmth and grandeur of rich colors, elaborate ornamentation, sumptuousness of the outline, depiction of volume through subtle shading, a crowding of space by divine or heroic figures; a strong sense of design and well defined picturization.


Kerala has a rich and a long tradition in mural arts; and, it dates back to the seventh and eighth century AD. Kerala is the depository of the largest number of traditional murals in India, next only to Rajasthan. Its Temples, palaces, churches are adorned with profusion of very colorful mural paintings.

The oldest murals in the Kerala tradition are found in the rock cut cave temple of Thrunanadikkara (assigned to the period between 9th and 12th century AD), which now is in the Kanya Kumari district of Tamil Nadu. Among its oldest extant temple murals, the well-known are the 13th-14th century temple murals at Kanthaloor, Pisharikavu, Pardhivapuram, and Trivikramapuram in Tiruvananthapuram. These early murals were greatly influenced by the Pallava art, just as the Kerala architecture was influenced by the Pallava architecture.

One can say that the tradition of painting on walls began in Kerala with the pre-historic rock paintings found in the Anjanad valley of Idukki district.

Archaeologists presume that these paintings belong to different periods from upper Paleolithic period to early historic period. Rock engravings dating to the Mesolithic period have also been discovered in two regions of Kerala, at Edakkal in Wayanad and at Perumkadavila in Tiruvananthapuram district.

Where to find?
The period between 14th-16th centuries was the golden-age of the traditional mural paintings in Kerala. It was a prolific period. But, more importantly, it produced the best in the Kerala mural art tradition.

The bed chamber and four other chambers in the Dutch Palace, Mattancherri, are decorated with paintings depicting scenes The Ramayana and Girija-kalyanam panels.

The paintings in the temples such as :
Vadakkumnatha, Thrissur; Siva temple, with twin sets of paintings – in the interiors and the other in a small shrine.

The Chemmanthatta Temple of Shiva has sculptural art of Krishna and Balarama at its entrance.

Panayannarkavu Bhadrakali temple near Mannar,

Sri Vallabha temple, Tiruvalla,

Vishnu temple at Trikkodithanam Kudamaloor and at Thodeekkalam are regarded as the best illustrations of the art of this period.

They were, at a later period, followed by the wall paintings at
Panayannar Kavu,(Murals depicts Hindu mythology on the walls of SaptaMatha temple of Panayannarkkavu) Thrichakrapuram, and Kottakkal.

Those in Padmanabhapuram palace (the Ananthashayi painting) and Krishnapuram palace (the Gajendramoksham panel) are considered the best of this period.

The murals of Tirunandikkara, now in Tamil Nadu and Tiruvanchikulam are among the earliest specimens of Kerala painting.

The Brahma temple, Mitranandapuram contains mural paintings depicting Vishnu.

Ettumanoor Murals depicts the epics with imaginative panorama of a music concert by the Gods and Goddesses.

The murals in the Sri Padmanabhaswami Temple, Trivandrum, there are more than fourty murals depicting puranic themes are noted for their remarkable skill in workmanship.

Pundareekapuram Murals depicts the Hindu epics and also the frolics of Lord Krishna.

Rama Temple at Triprayar represents Rama and his coronation, Vishnu, Krishna and Sita.

Guruvayur and Aranmula Parthasarathi temple have many wall paintings.

Marathiavolom temple in Alleppey has many paintings on Krishna.


The Krishnapuram palace at Kayamkulam has a big panel of Gajendramoksham existing during the earlier eighteenth century era. also comes in this group.

The Natyagriha recently built in the Kalamandalam at Cheruthuruthi, near Shoranur contains the latest specimens of mural paintings in Kerala.



The Churches of Kerala contains Mural Paintings, which depict characters and scenes from Christian mythology. Some of the paintings are of deep religious significance to the devotees. To this category belong the paintings of Virgin Mary in the churches at Edappalli and Vechur.

In the Orthodox Syrian Church at Manarcad there is a beautiful Italian painting representing Virgin Mary holding infant Jesus in her hand.
Mar Sabore and Afroth Churches in Akapparambu, located in the outskirts of Ernakulam, possess murals portraying various scenes from the bible.

Among the church murals the huge one on the outer walls of the Kanjur Church which depicts the scene of a battle scenes of the armies of Tipu Sultan and English East India Company on the both sides of its entrance.. It has been executed in the indigenous style typical of Kerala.

The 14th -17th century murals of Kerala represent the final phase in the history of development traditional mural paintings of India.


Read the full article of Famous Murals
Kerala traditional mural artist Unnis M Mani Achary, Indian Mural paintings and Mural art Gallery.

Mural Paintings of Kerala
















The Tradition

The traditional texts followed by the practitioners of Kerala mural art are the Tantra-samucchaya,the 15th Century treatise on temple architecture and art written by Narayana;
and the Shilparatna, the 16th Century text by Sreekumara.
The later is also a standard text on temple architecture; and it lays down, among other things, the tenets of painting including the proper color schemes the skillful management of which provides stylized balance and rhythm to the painting. Shilparatna is the principal text in Dravida, particularly the Kerala, mural art.


The Characteristics/themes

The Kerala murals blend harmoniously with their surrounding architecture, wood carvings and decorative art. Each art-form inspires the other.

1.The strong and voluminous figures of Kerala murals with their elaborate head dresses have a close association with the characters from the dance dramas of Kerala, such as Koodiyattam and Mohiniyattam; and the ancient dance ritual Theyyam. The Kerala mural art is also strongly related to the drawing of various mandalas (ritual designs) in vibrant colors and decorating them by sprinkling powders of different hues and shades, filling the spaces within the mandala.

2.Unlike the wall-paintings in the temples of Tamil Nadu which are exclusively either Shiva or Vishnu oriented, the Kerala murals present a more balanced treatment of its subjects. The Kerala temple-murals depict the legends of Shiva and Vishnu rather evenly. There are paintings of Shiva worshipping Vishnu; and Vishnu offering worship to Shiva. Further, Kerala adores the unique fusion of Shiva and Vishnu in the form of Hari-Hara; and in the form of the most popular deity Sastha.

3.The murals of Kerala too are inspired by the legends, the episodes and characters from the Puranas, epics and folklore. But, generally, the depiction of the themes in the Kerala murals, in each case, is related to a classical text or an epic poem.
The series of narrative panels on the walls of a temple or a palace, in a manner of speaking, could be viewed as illustrations of a particular classic text. For instance, it is said, the Ramayana panels of the Mattanchery palace follow the narration of the epic- story according to Ezhuthachan (c.15th -16th century) who is revered as the father of Malayalam literary tradition. Similarly, the depiction of Girija-kalyanam (Shiva’s wedding with Girija) is based on the epic poem Kumara-sambhavam rendered by the great poet Kalidasa (c.4th century).

The scenes from the legend of Krishna – such as,Gajenda-moksha, Poothana-moksha Kaliya-mardhanam, and Cheera-haranam etc—painted on the walls of Padmanabhapuram palace and Krishnapuram Palace are illustrations of episodes from Srimad Bhagavatham.

5.The iconic representation of gods and goddesses at the Padmanabhapuram palace are based on Dhyana-shlokas, which are not mere prayers or hymns. They are the word-pictures or verbal images of a diety. A Dhyana-shloka relating to a deity describes precisely, its form, its aspects, its countenance, the details of its physiognomy, its facial and bodily expressions; its posture, details of the number of arms, heads and eyes; and details of its ornaments, ayudhas (objects it holds in its hands) etc.It is said that there are more than 2,000 such Dhyana- shlokas. These verses help the artist to visualize the form of the deity that he is about to paint.

6.The wild and erotic scenes also are overtly shown without much reservation. The gods, humans and animals are shown in combat and lovemaking. The murals take a holistic approach to all existence; and almost obliterate the thin dividing line between the sublime and the mundane; and between religion and art .The Kerala murals is another instance in Indian tradition where the sacred and the profane are treated with equanimity in its arts.


Style

The human and the godly figures depicted in Kerala murals are strong and voluminous, drawn in running, smooth curves and subtle darkening of colors. The exquisite shading depicts the fullness and roundedness of their form; resembling the paintings of Ajanta.

The figures in Kerala murals are highly stylized and rendered with elongated eyes, painted lips, exaggerated eye brows; and, explicit body and hand gestures (mudras). The figures are decorated with elaborate head dresses, exuberant and overflowing ornaments. The expression of the emotions too comes out rather strongly. As compared to these figures, the animals, the birds and the plants drawn in the pictures appear closer to life.


The Kerala murals often look rather over-crowded with too many gods and celestial beings hovering around and filling up the painted surface. The paintings hardly have plain and clear spaces; as if the artist was keen to maximize the space -utilization. The paintings sometimes appear to be lacking in depth. The white area is for all time retained with the background coat itself.

Throughout the image as well as at the borders a Particular design is used called “Ra Ra Ra”.(An illustration of Ra Ra Ra is seen below)




A unique feature of the Kerala murals is the deployment of a system for decorating the borders with relief- figures of animals, birds, flowers, creepers etc. It is called the Pancha-mala (five schemes or garlands), a system of five decorative reliefs. They are the Bhootha-mala (of goblins and dwarfs), Mruga-mala (of animals such as elephants, deer etc), Pakshi-mala (of rows of parrot like birds), Vana-mala (of floral motifs) and Chithra-mala (of decorative, artistic designs).
Shading is predominantly packed with dots depending on the shading pattern.

The backdrop is constantly red The background painted in red is coated as per the required shade and is dotted with a mix of red and brown.



The Colors

Another noticeable feature of the Kerala murals is their rich, warm and loud colors. A traditional Kerala mural follows the Pancha-varna (five colors) color scheme. The five colors employed in traditional Kerala mural paintings are; red, yellow, green, black and white.

The White, yellow, black, and red are the pure colors, according to Shilparatna. The Ocher yellow, Ocher red, white, bluish green and pure green are the more important colors in Kerala Murals.

The pigments are derived from natural materials, such as minerals and stones extracted from earth, oils, juices, roots, herbs etc.

The final treatment to a finished mural consists in applying a fine coating of resin on the painted surface in order to give it a glossy look.

There are varying versions regarding the materials used for preparing the pigments. One source mentions that the
White is obtained from lime;
Black is derived from soot of oil-lamps;
Red from vermilion (mercuric sulphide);
Deep red from lac and red lead;
yellow from realgar (arsenic sulphide),;
Blue from plants like Neela Amari (Indigo ferra);
and
Green from a local mineral called Eravikkara.

The color symbolisms are related to Trigunas- the natural triple attributes- of the characters[/B]. For instance,
Green is employed for depicting the sattva (balanced, pure or divine) characters (for instance, the jewel-like green color of the flute playing Krishna);
Red or a mixture of red and yellow for Rajas ( active , irascible); and
White for Tamas(inert or base).


Wooden utensils are used for mixing the colors and the binding media is derived from a tender-coconut-water and extracts from the Neem tree (Azadiracta indica).

The painting brushes used was of three types - flat, medium and fine. Flat brushes were made from the hair found on the ears of calves, medium from the hair on the goats belly and the fine brushes were made from delicate blades of grass.

The wall-surface- preparation too was a laborious process. Murals were painted over only after they were completely dry. Lemon juice was used to mellow the alkalinity of surface. The outlines of the murals were sketched by using sharpened bamboo pieces or charcoal or dung crayons.

While the traditional paintings were made on walls in the olden days, today any surface like paper, canvas, cardboard, plywood and terracotta can find space for a mural. These departures from tradition were required in order to sustain the interest in the art form. Murals are also done on pots, which are either made of clay or fibre. Even walls of houses, hotels, business centers and workplaces can be filled with mural painting.


Content courtesy:
The Legacy of Chitrasutra- Eleven- The Murals of Kerala | Sulekha Creative


Kerala Murals > AptClasses.com - Beyond Academics...

Kerala | Kerala honeymoon Packages| Kerala Tourism | Kerala Holidays| Kerala Resorts| All about Kerala

Celebrations Decor - An Indian Decor blog: Arts and Crafts of India -Kerala Murals

Kerala Mural Paintings - Original Vedic Art

Kerala Murals – Principles & Guidelines – Mural Paintings of Kerala

Design Resource - Kerala Murals - Preparation of Wall

http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/features/05-12/features2448.htm


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KERALA MURALS – PRINCIPLES & GUIDELINES​

Generally, Frescoes were painted on the surface of walls of granite or laterite after they have been prepared suitably. The wall, technically referred to as the carrier, was first given a rough plaster coating, with a mixture of sand and lime. A second, smoother coating of plaster was then applied on the first. These two layers [are] technically referred to as the ground. A mixture of resin and lime solution was used as the binding medium for dyes.

The frescoes of Kerala belong to a class known as ‘fresco-seco’, characterized by its lime-medium technique. The frescoes of Kerala, like those of Kancheepuram and Sittanavasal belong to this variety. Here, the murals are painted only after the prepared wall is completely dry. There is another category of murals called the ‘fresco-buona’, in which the color pigments are applied on a partially wet plaster ground.

Vishnu Dharmottara Purana (4th or 5th century A.D.),
Abhilaartha Chintamani (12th century A.D.) and
Silparatna (16th century A.D.) are the three principal texts dealing with Indian painting techniques. These three tests are agreed to a large extent on the four different phases for the completion of a wall painting:
1. Preparation of the ground
2. Sketching the outline
3. Application of colors, and lastly
4. Addition of decorative details.


The ‘Chitralakshana’ section of Srikumara’s Silparatna had a direct bearing on the style and techniques of Kerala murals. This section dwells at length on the various aspects of painting like its definition, suitable themes, the preparation and application of plaster on the wall, the names of primary colors, how to prepare the plastered surface, how to sketch the outlines, the preparation of pigments and brushes, how to picturise the frontal and dorsal stances of figures and so on.

The text also instructs the artists in the drawing of human figures. It describes the five main stances to be adopted in drawing figures, viz. frontal, half-frontal, askance, one and a quarter eyed, and profile, in great detail, which must have been extremely useful to artists. Dr Paramasivan, a famous archaeological chemist of India, has done valuable research in the techniques of Indian murals. It is he who classified the murals of Kerala in the Fresco-Secco category.


The Silparatna’s injunction that a picture should be painted in appropriate colors along with proper forms and sentiments, or rasas and moods, or bhavas and actions seems to have been the working guidelines for Kerala murals.

The Detailing of the mural painting makes all the difference, for every square inch of the painting, the painstaking work of the artist can seen, the blinding of colors, the transition of shades, the play of light and dark and the intricate lines and curves are distinctive to this style. The shading itself is the hallmark of Kerala Mural Painting and even for the novice; it is easy to identify a genuine Kerala Mural Painting by a casual inspection of the shading and detailing.

Six steps in Kerala Mural Painting Process


The traditional methodology of drawing mythical figures on the floor was called Dhuleechitramor powder drawing, using natural pigments, which is called Kalam (Kalamezhuthu). This ritual art is practiced in temples and sacred grove of Kerala with symbolizing the idols like Kali, Lord Ayyappa, etc which are made on the floorings, commonly using five colours. There are about six stages to Kerala Mural paintings, they are as follows:

1. First Stage: Lekhya Karma --On a white background, first comes the sketching by pencil or crayon where the deft lines of the artist bring out the contours and curves of the motifs.

2. Second Stage: Rekha Karma which enhances the outlines of the sketching done.

3. Third Stage: Varna Karma -breathes life into the painting with its colours. Here all colours are approriately filled in. The colouring of the human figures is done according to the characters and their common virtues. The divine and noble characters (Saatvik) are painted in green, those inclined towards power and wealth (Raajasik) is painted in shades of red, lowly mean characters (tamasik) in white and demons in black. Spice and Paddy grains are also used for colouring.

4. Fourth Stage: the Vartana Karma, shading is done.

5. Fifth Stage: the Lekha Karma brings us to the final outline of the painting which is usually in black.

6.Sixth Stage: Dvika Karma,the final and the finishing touches are done to the painting.

On completion, the mural is offered Pooja and worshipped with ritual songs, which is handed from one generation to another through vocal traditions only.


Traditional Painting Methodology
• The wall is ready for painting and the image is sketched out.
• The sketching is done using cow dung ash mixed with coconut water or water.
• Outlines were originally done with cow dung pencils.
• The pencil is made from cow dung called Kittalekhini.
• Bamboo sticks are used for outlining and grass blades and tree roots is commonly used as a brush.
• The size of the brush varies as per requirement
• The shading is adeptly colourized by symbolizing the characteristics separately for each god. • The colours are indigenously obtained from the extracts of the leaves, roots, earth and stones.
• The colours are generally painted beginning with the lighter colours.
• The order of colouring is firstly yellow, red, green, blue and brown (mixed red and yellow)
• White is by no means used, except for the prevailing white spaces which are retained during the initial coating.
• On shading, black is used to delineate and bring life to the portrayal.
• The painting is over-coated with pine resin and oil for sheen and protection.

Contemporary Painting Methodology
In due course of time,this art has transformed with easily available brushes purchased from the commercial market and the shading of the original colours can be distinctively noticed. The use of blue colour is also noticed over the passage of time. A shift from the walls to asbestos, plywood, cloth, paper and other frames can be noticed for aesthetics and effortless rationale. The contemporary mural painting consists as follows:
• Availability of ready-made canvas
• The drawing is traced out
• The outlines are drawn with red (on the canvas)
• Ready-made acrylic colours are used


Tools and Raw materials
Kerala Murals are aesthetic in appearance and also eco-friendly due to the materials used in the various stages of painting. The tools and raw materials used for painting of Kerala murals require the following:
• Plaster consisting of lime and sand
• Water
• Extracts (Juice) of Kadukka (Mussels)
• Burnt husk
• Tender coconut water
• Extracts of Neem tree
• Turmeric powder
• Soot
• Acrylic Paints (contemporary painting)
• Five colours or Panchvarna used are yellow, red, green, black and white
• Wooden bowl for mixing of colours.

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COLOURS AND TECHNIQUES​

Colors and Expressions

The Silparatna’s injunction that a picture should be painted in appropriate colors along with proper forms and sentiments, or rasas and moods, or bhavas and actions seems to have been the working guidelines for Kerala murals.

The colour schemes in the murals represent certain symbolic characteristics.
The colour scheme is based on the psychological aspects of the characters portrayed.
It mainly depends on the basic gunas laid down by Hindu scriptures
Satva, Rajas and Tamas.
OR
Deities depicted in the murals are given colours on the basis of their triple attributes - Sathwikam, Rajasam and Thamasam i.e Virtuous (the quality of SATHWA) Prosperous (the quality of RAJAS) and ignorant (the quality of THAMAS) respectively
Green or blue is usually used for Satvik (pure or divine)

Red and yellow for Rajasik (valour, passion, etc)

Black for Tamasik (impure, sinful behaviour, etc)


The characters were coloured according to the characteristics, as defined in the Bhagavad Gita.

To represent Satwik quality, green and shades of green were used,
characters of a Rajasik quality were portrayed in red or golden and the
Tamasik nature of the gods were represented not by black but in white, while demons and demonesses were represented by black.


Important steps in colour making:
1. Colour pallet and containers used to mix colours.
2. One half of the coconut shell used to mix and store colours.
3. For contemporary art, the canvas is used as the primary tool for drawing.
4. The traditional painting brush is made of elephant grass (Kuntalipullu).
5. The colours used for Kerala Murals are indigenously made using the traditional grinding tool.
6. Black is obtained from the soot collected in earthen pot.

A typical Kerala Mural Painting is done using Panchvarna or the five colours namely, red, green, yellow, white and black.
Besides, the different shades of these colors were also used. Ochre-red, ochre-yellow, white, bluish-green and pure green are the most common colors found in Kerala murals. We also come across golden-yellow, brown, yellowish-green, greenish-blue and sky-blue.

The colours are indigenously obtained from the extracts of the leaves, roots, earth and stones. The colours are generally painted beginning with the lighter colours. The order of colouring is firstly yellow, red, green, blue and brown (mixed red and yellow). White is by no means used, except for the prevailing white spaces which are retained during the initial coating. On shading, black is used to delineate and bring life to the portrayal.

Preparing the colours

The colors are all organic and herbal prepared from vegetable, fruit extracts and mineral pigments as well as crude chemicals, stones and ores .These were extracted using simple methods.

For YELLOW and RED, stones such as soft laterite are ground and the powder is cleaned to remove impurities. The pigment residue is collected and dried.
Yellow is obtained from turmeric powder also.

For GREEN, the leaves of Neela amari or Neelachetti (Indigo Ferra) squeezed and the extract is dried and powdered. This powder is bluish in colour.

Eruvikkara is a herb whose leaves are crushed to get yellow powder.
The blue Neela amari powder is mixed with the yellow Eruvikkara to get green, the proportion of the two powders being varied to get different shades.

For BLACK colour wicks are immersed in sesame oil, and then lit. The smoke is collected on the inside of a mud pot. The smoke is then carefully scraped out and used where black colour is needed.

WHITE is obtained from lime.

Cow dung mixed with its urine and filtered is used as BROWN colour.


The blending of the colours is done in a wooden bowl by adding appropriate quantity of tender coconut water and exudes (glue) from Neem tree.


Some ancient palm leaf manuscripts on painting mentions the use of chemicals like arsenic (Realgar) and vermillion (Red Lead) in the preparation of yellow and red dyes. The juice of lac was also used for making a deep red color. They also mention the application of lemon juice or copper sulphate solution over the ground for softening the alkali of like, before the application of colors.

Please check this PF link for the preparation of pigments in Detail
http://nopr.niscair.res.in/bitstream/123456789/10308/1/IJTK 9(4) 635-639.pdf

Images courtesy:
www.dsource.in

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Types of brushes

The Silparatna also describes the different types of brushes to be used. Mainly three types, like flat, medium, and fine, made from animal hair and grass fibers were used.

• Flat brush – Made from the hair taken from the back of the ears of the calves

• Medium brush – Made from the hair found under the goat’s belly

• Fine brush – Made from the delicate blades of grass(Elephant or elefante grass, Napier grass- Pennistum purpureum) ,tree roots or tails of muskrats.

• Eyyam Pullu or Kuntalipullu , a local leaf is treated and tied to the bamboo sticks.
The grass locally called 'Eyyam Pullu' in Kerala in the shape of an arrow is used for making brushes. These grow abundantly in the riverbanks. Fully matured grass is boiled with paddy. Then the chaff or the weaker part is removed and fastened together. This is the brush. This brush is tied to a small bamboo stick. The thickness of the brush is adjusted according to needs.

• The Silparatna advises the use of nine brushes, including three of each type, for applying the different shades of one color


However in due course of time and change, use of easily available brushes from commercial market and shading of the original colours can be distinctively noticed. The use of blue colour is also noticed over the passage of time.

• Currently, Staple hair brushes are used


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Preparation of the walls

The wall is prepared by application of various coatings for a durable, robust and clear layout, set for painting the mural. Preparation of the wall is of extreme importance and great care is to be taken in this process.

The process of getting a mural done is rather extensive involving minute technical detailing. Adherence to fine aspects is necessary to create murals, which are brilliant and exquisite. Compliance to the well-developed traditional practices and methods enhances the life of the mural.

Introduction
A mixture of CRUSHED LIMESTONE and SAND and is stored for about three to four days. There are three stages towards the preparation of the wall.

First Stage:

This mixture is blended with water and a MOLASSES solution. This mixture of lime, sand, water, molasses solution (the juice of kadukkai (mussels) or the juice of a creeper called Chunnambu valli + dissolved jaggery) is mixed well and this rough plaster is evenly applied on the wall to the thickness of two tamarind leaves and left to dry.

Second and Final Stage:

Ground cotton is also added for plastering. The cotton fills the cracks and absorbs colours to give it a rich finish.
Each application of this mixture is of half an inch thickness. On drying the process of application is repeated until it is of 2 mm thickness.
Over this mortar, lime (white) and tender coconut water is applied

After 10 days, 25 to 30 Horizontal and vertical strokes coats of a mixture of quicklime and tender coconut water are applied to gain a whitish appearance, acting as a primer to the wall.

Its features are the lime medium and technique in which the prepared walls are painted only after it gets completely dry.

There is another method for preparing the wall for murals. Lime, with powdered pisum sativum is mixed with jaggery in water and then boiled with Soil and Raw banana juice to make a paste. The paste is kept in a container made of wood and stirred daily, for nearly 60 days. Then it is mixed with kadukka water or juice extracted out of a plant called chunnambu valli. The paste thus formed is coated on the wall and polished for final finish.


Painting & Colouring

•Outlines were sketched not with brushes, but with dung crayons/pencils called Kittalekhini. In the traditional method, Kittalekhini is prepared by grinding a black stone and mixing it with cow dung. Nowadays artists use different methods including the commercially available pencils, mostly in yellow colour.

• The crayon outlines were run over on the outside, first with ochre-yellow and then with ochre-red.

• Light yellow colour is also mostly used for sketching, as pencil may spoil the purity of colours.

• The colours are then filled in. Once the painting is finished, the outline is done again in black.


• After the paintings were done, they were brushed over with a mixture of pine-resin and oil, which imparted sheen and strength to the pictures, and also protects them for a long time.

• Brushes made of feathers, or the fine roots of the Pandanus were used to apply this resin-oil mixture.

• The paintings have been brought down from the walls to plywood, cloth, paper and other frames for easy to make and use purposes.


Images courtesy:
www.dsource.in

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Making of a Kerala Mural..Step by Step procedure....



Making of Krishna and Gopis

http://celebrationsdecor.blogspot.in/2010/02/making-of-kerala-mural.html





Making of Ananthasayanam,Lord Vishnu

http://celebrationsdecor.blogspot.in/2010/02/making-of-kerala-mural.html






THE MAKING OF A MURAL – PATTAABHISHEKHAM

http://www.keralamurals.in/?page_id=55




THE MAKING OF A MURAL – ANANTASAYANAM

http://www.keralamurals.in/?page_id=59


THE MAKING OF A MURAL – RAASAKREEDA

http://www.keralamurals.in/?page_id=62


THE MAKING OF A MURAL – ARDHANARISWARA

http://www.keralamurals.in/?page_id=90






Links for More article on History of Mural paintings

Kerala Murals - A close study of Kerala Mural Paintings

Kerala Mural Paintings | Kerala Packages Tours Blog

http://www.thehindu.com/arts/art/article619342.ece

The Hindu : FEATURES / METRO PLUS : The call of the murals


Kerala Mural Paintings - Frescos depicting mythology and legends, which are drawn mainly on the walls of temples in kerala.

Kerala Mural Paintings

DhyanaSankalpam-an OpenStudio: April 2010



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GALLERY for mural paintings

I have added some pics from the below links to my collection(uploaded here).

Million to the External sites and bloggers.

Giving you the original site address to get more designs..Some of the links I have saved long back ,so as soon as you open the sites please save the images and details, as once in a while some ends in error message !!!!!

In few sites,the images cannot be saved.So use them as referential.




My DreamZ...: Mural paintings

artyrios - Mythological*APARNA*

Collection of amazingly beautiful mural art works from India | Deepu Balan - Scribblings of a cyber geek

color pencil: mural painting

Kerala Mural

kerala mural paintings&oil painting

http://mridulgame.blogspot.in/2011/10/world-murals.html

Tender Coconut Holidays that refresh your mind and body

My blue room: Artworks for sale!

Space for Crafts: Kerala murals

NEEDLECRAFT: PICTURES OF MURAL PAINTINGS OF KERALA

Mural Paintings « The Rainbow

color pencil: mural painting

Paintings « Padmini's Paintings & Crafts

Kerala Murals: Gallery


Gangotri - The Painting Studio

Dashavatar Series

Kerala Mural Paintings - Original Vedic Art

BHAGAVATA PAINTINGS
R.Satheesh - Art Gallery : R.SATHEESH MURAL COLLECTIONS / BHAGAVATA PAINTINGS / Leelas of


Artist blog
Gallery - Midhila Murals

Mural Art Kerala, Kerala Mural Art


Collection of amazingly beautiful mural art works from India

Collection of amazingly beautiful mural art works from India | Deepu Balan - Scribblings of a cyber geek


Kerala Murals - mural, murals, paintings, mural artist of kerala,wall murals, mural paintings, mural paintings of kerala, kerala's mural paintings, kerala's paintings, kerala murals, modern mural paintings, Indian Mural Paintings, Kerala Mural Painti


www.anilmural.com: Kerala Mural Gallery


Kerala Mural Art Gallery- "Kerala" Gods Own Country, "Kerala Murals" Gods Own Portrait


Kerala Murals - A close study of Kerala Mural Paintings Art Gallery


Kerala Murals | Cool Arts & Paintings


Panchavarna-with energetic lines and warm tones

Kerala traditional mural artist Unnis M Mani Achary, Indian Mural paintings and Mural art Gallery.

Thanks

 

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Tracing designs Courtesy
Panchavarna-with energetic lines and warm tones

color pencil: mural designs


mural ornaments, sankh & Ghadha, mural kundalangal.Hand gestures and faces

 

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