Paintings in Odisha are a living tradition. Here, a special technique was developed and perfected in the cloth paintings known as Patachitra. (Pata is a Sanskrit word meaning canvas, cloth or veil and chitra means picture.) Patachitra defines Odisha best with its aesthetic value of Odissi culture, tradition, the picturesque landscape and its unique theme that brings together the immensity of life and the diversity of the Divine to stand as One.
The process of painting Patachitra begins with the preparation of canvas (pata). Traditionally, cotton canvas was used; now, both cotton and silk canvas are used for paintings. They use old used sarees or cotton cloth for making canvas, as it is much softer and free from starch unlike the new cotton from the mill.
Processing of cotton canvas is a tedious task which starts from dipping of cotton in a solution of crushed imli seeds and water for 4-5 days .The cloth is then taken out and sun dried.
Thereafter, the cotton is placed on the imli (tamarind) solution and kaitha (wood apple) gum is applied over the layer of cloth. Another layer of processed cotton is placed over the previous layer and gum paste is applied on it, this is done to stick two layers. The layered cotton is then sun dried.
After cotton is dry, a paste of chalk powder, imli and gum is applied on both side of the layered cloth and it is sun dried. After drying, khaddar stone is rubbed on the cloth several times for smoothening the canvas. When canvas is smooth then chikana stone is rubbed for shining the cloth.
The canvas is ready for painting and can be stored and cut into required sizes for painting.
1. Borders are an integral part of painting and this is drawn first on the painting on all the four sides of the patta consisting of two or three lines according to the size of the painting. The outlines of the figures are drawn first with pencil and then very thin lines in white are drawn.
2. The body colours are then added followed by colouring the attires.
3. Outline of other motifs are then thickened with a thick brush with black colour.
4. Then small and fine decorative motifs are painted in white. It is interesting to note that the chitrakar begins his painting with the colour white and ends with it too.
5. The eyeballs are the last to be inserted on the painting.
6. Sometimes a painting is done only in black and white. With perfect mastery over fine line drawing, the chitrakars make the paintings come alive with their skill and workmanship.
