The Veena Player

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This portrait of a lady playing the veena is set in the garden. She is seated on a bench judiciously placed at the edge of the patio, surrounded with various shrubs and plants. Vines with flowers hang down to encompass the figure in floral nimbus.

Possessing gentle, idealized features, she has a serene majesty which imbues her with a gentle iconic character. She seems to have crossed the threshold of unbridled youth. This is prominent in the treatment of clothes and jewelry, which is more regal than opulent. She has fish shaped eyes (meenakshi) which are not in contact with the viewer; has a straight aquiline nose and full lips. Her hair is neatly coiled at the nape of her neck, bedecked with a flower. A small 'bindi' rests on her wide forehead. The image of the lady is ethnic, laden with signs of tradition in attire and accessories. Her rust and yellow sari in rich fibre and a broad brocade border is draped in a typical Mysorean manner. She also wears a contrasting black blouse with exquisite embroidery. Her sari gracefully covers just the back of her shoulder.

Aristrocratic home, dress and demeanour and the very attributes of a leisured way of life have been used to define the feminine image of genteel sensuality. She is playing the veena in a pensive mood. A three dimensional effect of the veena is created with the aid of shading.

In order to depict the bend of her right hand, the artist has thickened it in relation to her body proportions. On the left hand though, the fingers are thoughtfully placed, each on a different string. Her hand movement and her concentration on the instrument brings about a fluidity in the picture, impressing that the moment is actually one when she is playing it.

The perfect art of portraiture here reveals the inner personality of the lady who is so peaceful and tranquil. In a calm, unobtrusive way, this painting allows for the mellow, pensive refinement of the subject to come through inherently bound with delicate sensuality and natural dignity.

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.