Sheshashayi Vishnu Worshipped by Gods

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Oil painting is one of the most flexible and in-depth style of art that highlights each and every detail in utmost elegance and richness. Artist here has used superfine quality of oils and paints while portraying this scene from Hindu mythology, when the universe dissolved into the primordial waters at the end of age and Lord Vishnu is stretched out in Yoganidra on sesa (his serpent), formed like a couch and the five hoods forming an umbrella over him. The iconic blue hued Vishnu is garbed in a lavish yellow dhoti decorated with charming zari and green and red stones along with precious jewels ornated all over him complementing his South Indian styled densely chiselled crown; he holds a lotus in the left hand and right lies straight supporting the stance of his posture.

As shown here, Brahma dwells in the lotus arousing from Vishnu’s navel and goddess Lakshmi (Vishnu’s consort) resides in elegance on the pedestal in the front. The two asuras Madhu and Kaitabha who arose from the dirt in Vishnu’s ear are painted in green in the front on either side; various Vishnu’s avatar’s can be seen scattered around with the panel of various other gods and rishis standing in obeisance behind him. Each and every pattern is painted with subtle intricacy and highlighted beauty reminding us of the popular art style in medieval era.

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.