Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani paintings form an integral part of Indian folk paintings. It is an ancient art form which holds a rich significance and background to it. Discussed under are the varied details and in-depth information about the subject. Read on to know more:

Madhubani Paintings- Introduction

One of the many traditional Indian art forms is 'Madhubani Paintings' also known as 'Mithila Paintings'. Madhubani paintings art, named after the village Madhubani(Bihar), where it is practiced, find their origin in Indian epic Ramayna. The art was originally practiced by females only, serving as a creative expression tool for everyday lives and happenings. Following the belief that Gods visit each house in the morning, the art primarily donned the walls and doors, intending to please the Gods. Traditionally done on freshly plastered mud wall of huts these paintings,overtime, graduated to cloth, hand-made paper and canvas. Now-a-days one can find Madhubani paintings online as well.

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History of Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani paintings are also also popular as Maithili, Chitra and Godhna figure paintings. It is said that Madhubani paintings originated during the Ramayana age when king Janak – ruler of Mithila made people paint the floors and walls of their houses on the occasion of his daughter- Sita's wedding to Lord Raam. Mithila or Madhubani district of Bihar is the actual hub of Madhubani paintings as long years back it all started from this particular humble region only. Eventually this artform spread to the adjacent districts of Madhubani like Rasidpur, Bacchi, Jetwarpur, Ranti, Rajangarh, etc as well.

Madhubani Painting Technique

Madhubani paintings are marked by abstract like figures of deities and bold use of colors. Tradionally, this particular art form was done on after applying cow dung and mud paste on walls to render a dark background. Then ornate floral patterns, abstract figures or borders etc are made using white rice paste and vibrant vegetable colors. Though with the introduction of a variety of synthetic colors, artists now avoid using the traditional technique of doing Madhubani painting. Mentioned here is the step by step procedure of today's adaptation of Madhubani, take a look:
Step 1
Select a design.
Step 2
Now sketch the selected design on a trace paper and with the help of a carbon sheet, copy it on the desired base – cloth or paper.
Step 3
The outlining of design in Madhubani painting normally has double lines which are filled tiny straight lines or crosses. You can create a simple Madhubani sketch sans any colors or can make a colorful painting using fabric colors for clothes and poster colors in case of paper. One thing to be remembered while coloring is that the colors should come flat on the surface, no shading required.
Step 3
Let it dry completely. Outline the entire design once more with black paint and leave it to dry again.

Madhubani Painting Themes

The central theme the Madhubani paintings is the Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The main theme is supported by the traditional geometric patterns. Some of the main attributes of all the Madhubani paintings double line border, ornate floral patterns, abstract-like figures of deities, bold use of colors and bulging eyes and a jolting nose of the faces of the figures. Madhubani paintings requires paste of cow dung and mud, applied to the walls and floors to give a perfect black background on which pictures are drawn with rice paste and vegetable colors. As the ethnic art is gaining its due popularity these days, this art form is being done on a variety of interesting bases like canvas, drapes, handmade paper, wall hangings, glass, sarees etc. For an authentic look many of the painters still apply a thin layer of cow dung and mud paste on their canvases.

Symbolism in Mabhubani Paintings

Most of the figures depicted in Madhubani paintings carry a symbolic meaning to them which makes these paintings all the more interesting. Fishes in a Madhubani painting depict good luck, fertility and procreation, peacocks symbolize romantic love while serpents in these paintings are identified as divine protectors.

Madhubani Painting Artists

Madhubani paintings were traditionally done by females only. Since generations, this folk art form has been passing from mothers to daughters in Mithila. Though, the madhubani painting technique has now crossed the restricted confinements of Mithila and Bihar and thus, skilled madhubani artists (including males) can be found in other parts of the country as well.

Tips and Tricks For Madhubani Paintings

-Choose a simple and easy to make design.
-Try and add various colors to the painting.
-Make sure you trace the design well.
-Go for a theme based sketch.
-Be innovative with the creations, apart from painting try making Mithila artwork bookmarks, wall hangings, table mats etc.
-Pay special attention on borders of the artwork as they are a significant part of the Madhubani.

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