Painting Genres
Indian/Persian Miniature Paintings
Mughal miniature painting is a technique of painting on hand made paper (Vasili), wood, and ivory confined to miniatures either as book illustrations or as single works to be kept in albums. It was patronized throughout the territory of the Mughal Empire in South Asia.
It emerged from Persian/Indian miniature painting (itself partly of Chinese origin) and developed in the court of the Mughal Empire of the 16th to 18th centuries. Mughal miniatures are known for their realistic portraiture, vivid colours, fine details, and diverse subjects and themes.
Indian Frescoes -Arayush Paintings
Arayash fresco technique is a style of wall painting that originated from a Persian wet fresco technique and was practiced mostly in Rajasthan, India. It was used extensively for drawing, decorating and simple plastering in ancient houses, temples, forts, and palaces. The method of Arayash was a cheaper supplement of marble, as walls done up in Arayash are smooth and glossy like marble. Arayash also has the advantage of keeping the walls cool in summer and warm in winter.
Both Mughal miniature painting and Arayash fresco technique share a common Persian influence, but they also have distinct features that reflect their different contexts, purposes, and audiences.
Siyahi Qulam Paintings
Siyahi Qulam paintings are a genre of paintings or drawings done in pen and ink, also known as qalam-siāhi¹. They are attributed to a painter or a group of painters known as Siyah Qulam or the Master of the Black Pen. These paintings date from the late 14th and early 15th century and are mostly preserved in the albums at Topkapi Palace Library in Istanbul.
They depict various scenes of cultural and religious rituals, nomadic life, demons, monsters, animals, and fairy-like beings, influenced by Turkmen, Chinese, Persian, and Mongolian art and traditions. They are considered as a valuable source of historical and artistic inquiry, as they reflect the diverse and dynamic aspects of the Eurasian steppe.
Egg Tempera & Oils
Egg tempera and oil paintings are two different genres of art that use different types of binders to mix with powdered pigments. Egg tempera uses egg yolk as a binder, while oil paint uses linseed oil or other vegetable oils.
Some of the differences between egg tempera and oil paintings are:
- Egg tempera dries faster than oil paint, which allows for quick layering and precise details, but limits blending and corrections.
- Oil paint dries slower than egg tempera, which allows for smooth transitions and rich colors, but also causes wrinkling and darkening over time.
- Egg tempera is more transparent than oil paint, which creates a luminous effect when applied over a white primer, but also requires more layers to achieve opacity.
- Oil paint is more opaque than egg tempera, which creates a deep and vibrant effect when applied over a coloured ground, but also requires less layers to achieve coverage.
Some of the famous artists who used egg tempera and oil paintings are Sandro Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan van Eyck, and Rembrandt van Rijn.
Charcoal & Pastels
Charcoal and pastel paintings are two different genres of art that use dry media to create various effects and textures on paper or canvas. Charcoal is made from burned organic materials, such as wood or bones, and produces a dark and rich black tone that can be used for sketching, shading, or creating contrast. Pastel is made from powdered pigments and a binder and produces a soft and velvety colour that can be blended easily and layered for depth and richness.
Some of the special features of charcoal and pastel paintings are:
- They can capture the light and mood of a scene with subtle nuances and expressive strokes.
- They can create a range of effects, from realistic to abstract, by varying the pressure, direction, and shape of the strokes.
- They can be combined with other media, such as watercolour, oil, or acrylic, to enhance the contrast, texture, or vibrancy of the artwork.
- They can be easily erased or modified with tools, such as brushes, fingers, or kneaded erasers, to create highlights, shadows, or details.
Some of the famous artists who used charcoal and pastel paintings are Edgar Degas, Eugène Delacroix, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, and Odilon Redon.