Glass paintings started in the 18th and 19th centuries. They originated in China and were brought to India in trade between China and the East India Company. India imported the glass from Britain and Belgium, and often depicted stories, themes, portraits, and icons in their glass paintings. Similar to the stained glass seen in the Western World, they are created by painting in reverse on varying sizes of glass, starting with the details and shadows first, then filling in the color with special glass paint made from a base of gum arabic or water. The painting is then fired in a kiln to adhere the color to the glass. Modern artists can purchase stained glass kits to produce glass paintings, and glass paintings are still common in Indian households.
Madhubani paintings are folk paintings done by the women of the Madhubani village. They were painted on the walls of the house for three occasions: a ceremony celebrating a boy’s ascent to manhood; the dedication or renovation of the family’s shrine; or a wedding. Often, the most experienced women of the village would draw the figures, with the other women filling in the color, made from vegetable dyes mixed with milk, oil, or gum. The young girls would hold the paint pots and prepare the brushes. Paintings for a bride and groom often depicted all the gods and goddesses to protect the new couple, as well as guard against bad spells.
Warli paintings are simple tribal paintings originating sometime in the 10th century with the people of Maharashtra. They are created with a white powder made from ground white rice, and painted with twigs. The married women of the village painted them on the walls of mud houses, after first preparing the walls with a coat of cow dung, followed by a coat of red mud. They depict the social life of the village, and are similar to prehistoric cave paintings in that they are rudimentary stick-like figures and geometric designs, using dots and dashes to represent straight lines. They often depict elements of nature and social events such as a marriage or a hunt. Warli paintings are still created today, though they have been modernized to include paper and cloth as a medium. Men have also started creating Warli paintings.
Henna is a paste of ground henna leaves, oil, and lemon juice painted on the hands and feet of Indian brides. The designs are very intricate, and when they dry, they leave semi-permanent reddish brown markings that lasts from 2 weeks to several months. The painting of the bride’s hands and feet is often a ceremony prior to the wedding. Her henna markings are left to dry overnight under the cover of tissue, plastic, or medical tape. It’s said that the deeper the color of the henna, the more the bride’s husband will love her. Henna art has traveled to the Western world, and is often seen as an alternative to more permanent tattoos.
Batik is a form of painting on cloth with hot wax and dye to achieve a look similar to tie-dye. There are two methods: one where the artist uses hot wax to create a design on the fabric, then dips the fabric into a pot of dye, and one where the artist creates the design with wax and then paints the fabric, using multiple colors. When the wax is removed from the fabric, the areas covered by wax are undyed, giving each piece a unique look if the wax has cracked, either intentionally or accidentally, allowing dye through. Batik is another Indian painting style that has passed to the Western world.