Lady with an Apple

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The woman's peaches and cream complexion is complemented by her well-defined features. The eyes beneath well-shaped eyebrows, hold a dreamy and languid expression. They seem gentle and yet bold, the eyelids heavy with desire. Her long tassels cascade over her back. A stray tendril escapes to stand out on her forehead. The hair is pushed back behind the ears to reveal soft lobes adorned with stone and gold jewelry which is typical of Malayali tradition. Her straight aristocratic nose holds a ring which falls arduously over her lips. The smile holds mystery. A little shading below the lips gives the impression of a well-rounded chin. The dot (bindi) on her forehead, instead of averting the evil eye, turn all eyes on her.

Not only does she possess an exquisite face, but also a disarming body language. Her hand movement is well thought of. The way she holds the fruit, says more than what it depicts; she is as ripe as the fruit. The second hand holds the end of her sari, which is falling off her shoulder. What seduces the viewer is the unwillingness with which she is pulling it up. The action is careful, but seemingly casual. The kinds of folds formed at the left elbow show the tactile quality and the texture of the fabric. It is soft and silky as in a coarse material, the fold are bigger and wide apart. The red of the sari is well contrasted with the yellow of the blouse. The green bangles offset the contrast and add brightness.

No part of her anatomy is exposed, but the look and gestures reveal a whole lot of passion and sensuality.

The sombre and dull background helps in giving the portrait a closer perspective. The warm colors i.e. reds and yellows catapults it even closer.

As a composition, the painting is a triumph in the use of formal pattern without sacrificing the loveliness of the moment it has sought to capture. It truly is a homage to feminine grace, charm and seductive allure.

This description by Renu Rana.

Oil painting technique – India centric

Oil painting is the most interesting technique in art. Unlike other paintings or art forms, oil painting is a process in which colored pigments are painted on the canvas with a drying oil medium as a binder. This medium helps colors blend beautifully to create layers and also makes them appear rich and dense. Several varieties of oil are used in this painting such as sunflower oil, linseed oil, etc., and depending on the quality of the oil, a particular consistency of the paint is developed. With the use of an oil medium, the painting gets a natural sheen on the surface which appears extremely attractive. India is famous for its old tradition of making oil paintings. This art form was brought by Europeans in the 18th century and is now practiced by almost all well-known artists. Nirmal, a small tribal town in the state of Telangana is the center of traditional oil paintings in India where the local people practice it with dedication. Most Indian artists still use the traditional technique of oil painting.

Canvas of the required size is prepared

The artists use either a wood panel or canvas made from linen or cotton. Sometimes the canvas is stretched onto the wooden frame to form a solid base, or cardboard may be used. The canvas is coated with a layer of white paint or chalk mixed with animal glue. This mixture is then smoothed and dried to form a uniform, textured surface. The wooden panel is more expensive and heavier but its solidity is an advantage in making detailed paintings with ease.

Sketch is drawn on the canvas

Now the artist starts to draw the subject of the painting on the canvas using the actual charcoal or a charcoal pencil. Sometimes, he may sketch with thinned paint as well.

Oil paint is applied using paint brushes or palette knives

Now that the rough sketch is prepared, the artist is now ready to paint. Oil paint, a special paint that contains particles of pigments suspended in a drying oil (usually linseed oil), is again mixed with oil to make it thinner for applying it on the canvas. Proper consistency of the paint is maintained to avoid its breakage. The most important rule for the application of oil paint is “Fat over lean” in which the first layer of paint is thin and later, thicker layers are applied. This means that each additional layer of paint contains more oil. This results in getting a stable paint film. Traditionally, paint was applied using paint brushes but now the artists also use palette knives to create crisp strokes. To paint using this technique, the edge of the palette knife is used to create textured strokes that appear different from that of a paintbrush. Sometimes, oil paints are blended simply using fingers for getting the desired gradation.

Smaller oil paintings, with very fine detail, are relatively easier to paint than larger ones. The most attractive feature of these paintings is the natural shiny appearance that is obtained on the surface because of the use of oil paint. The blending of colors looks extremely realistic and this is the reason why oil paintings are loved by everyone throughout the world.