TOP 23 articles about Thangka Painting

Sketching is one step of Thangka making processes. Before the Sketch of the Karmapa Thangka Painting, it involves other different processes.

Avalokiteshvara Thangka making process includes several processes. Among them, we are going through the sketching process and coloring process. Sketching process Sketching process of the thangka is very difficult. To sketch the Thangka, measurement and the proportion must be accurate. For Sketching the picture of Avalokitesvara the artist will have to rely on a grid of exactly positioned lines. The basic system of these coordinates is one vertical and two diagonal lines. The intersection of these three lines defines the center of any Thangka. In Thangkas having more than one figure, there will be additional circles and connecting lines, to contrast the main icon with the background figure. There are 5 dites around Avalokiteshvara. It requires perfect skills in drawing, perfect figures and a great understanding of the econometric principles to make this painting. The balanced grid of angles and intersecting lines are used to portray arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements, thus for paintings these geometrically balanced drawings are first made on different, paper and by tracing the paper it is transferred to the prepared canvas.  

In essence, they are the same: visual representations of Buddhist concepts and Deities. The fundamental difference is in the style that the painting is painted in. The Pauba is distinctively different, the artist is given more room to express himself, while the Deity is always painted with directives (proportions, ornaments, throne, etc..). There exist Newari Paubas, painted in older styles, that may resemble traditional Tibetan Thangka styles.

The Mandalas and Thangkas are priced not on the basis of the size but the price depends on the material used to paint and the type of artist painting it. For a glance, the same the same size of Mandala range from 800 to 4100. The difference is that the one with low price is made by a beginners painter with the basic color combination while the high priced one is made by a master with high-quality colors and probably a 24-carat gold coating.

In Nepal, Mandalas are generally found in the streets of Thamel in Kathmandu. There are a lot of Thanka Shops in Thamel area. We can also find them in the Art Schools, temples, museums and monasteries. Thangkas are painted in Art school like Changu Thangka Painting School. Changu Thangka painting school is situated in Bhaktapur. According to an artist at Changu Tangka School Saroj Moktan, Mandala is not only made by Buddhist monks, but it can be painted by anyone who has an interest in art and paintings. Mandalas are also found in Janaki Temple of Janakpur district. The mandalas made around the Janaki temple portrays the life of God Ram and Goddess Sita, and the story of Ayodhya. In the temples, the Mandals are made on the ground of Hinduism while in Monasteries, Goombas and Art School mandalas are made on the ground of Buddhism.