Activities / Pichwai / Mini Pichwai Painting

Mini Pichwai Painting

Mini Pichwai Painting: Lotus, Cows and Gold on a Small Canvas

Level: Advanced
Duration: 6 - 12 hours (over a few days)
Budget: ₹630 – ₹1,400
Age: 15+
State: Rajasthan
Craft: Pichwai

Materials

Canvas board, 8 x 10 in (20 x 25 cm)
Acrylic paints with blue, green, white, red, yellow and black
Gold paint pen
Fine round brushes in sizes 00, 0, 2 and 4
Flat brush, 25 mm (1 in), for the base coat and varnish
Clear matte acrylic varnish
Pencil, eraser, ruler and a light grey or white pencil
Plate for a palette, jar of water, paper towel, newspaper
Reference photos of Pichwai lotus and cow motifs

Steps

Set up your table and choose a respectful, simple subject
Pichwai paintings are made for the Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara, so approach them with respect. This project paints only lotuses and cows, the motifs that fill the borders and backgrounds, and no deity. Cover the table with newspaper, put a jar of water and a plate for paint beside you, and sit where the light falls on your canvas. Work in 30 to 45 minute sessions and rest your eyes, because the detail is fine.
Tip: Look at 3 or 4 photos of Pichwai lotus and cow motifs on your phone before you start, then keep one open beside you.
Paint the whole 20 x 25 cm canvas deep blue or dark green
Use the 25 mm flat brush and acrylic mixed with a drop of water so it flows. Paint in one direction, edge to edge, and cover the sides of the board too. Let it dry for 30 minutes, then add a second coat to hide any streaks. The finished base should look even and a little matte. Common mistake: using thick paint straight from the tube, which leaves ridges that show through later.
Tip: To get a deep colour from a basic set, mix blue with a little black and a touch of green.
Draw a 1.5 cm border and sketch one big lotus in the middle
Use a pencil and ruler to draw a border 1.5 cm in from every edge. In the centre of the canvas draw a lotus bloom about 9 cm wide and 7 cm tall: a centre petal pointing up, then two more petals on each side that overlap it, like a hand of cards. Add a stem running down to the lower edge and two big round leaves on either side. Press very lightly, because the lines are only a guide.
Tip: Use a white or light grey pencil on the dark base so the lines are easy to see.
Sketch two cows and a row of lotus buds
In the lower third, draw a cow on each side of the stem, each about 6 cm long and 4 cm tall, facing inward. Start with a rounded body, then add a hump on the back, a short head with a curved horn, four straight legs and a tail. Across the top third, sketch a row of small lotus buds and leaves, about 2 cm tall and 3 cm apart. Common mistake: drawing the cows too small to paint. Keep them big enough for a size 0 brush.
Paint the lotus petals white with pink tips
Mix 2 or 3 thin coats of white, because one coat looks patchy on a dark base, and wait 5 minutes between coats. Paint the back petals first, then the front ones, so each front petal overlaps the one behind it. Mix a little red into white to make light pink and paint a tip on each petal with a size 2 brush, blending it a little downward. Keep the colours flat and the outlines clean.
Tip: Wash the brush in the water jar between white and pink so the white stays clean.
Paint the stem and leaves in two greens
Mix green with a bit of yellow for the leaves and a darker green with a touch of blue for the stem. Fill each leaf with the lighter green, then add a thin darker line down the middle as the vein. Paint the stem in one steady stroke from the flower down to the border. Let it dry for 15 minutes. Common mistake: painting over wet colour, which turns it muddy.
Paint the cows cream or white with dark outlines
Fill each cow with 2 thin coats of white or cream, using the size 2 brush for the body and the size 0 brush near the legs and horns. When dry, outline each cow with dark brown or black paint on a size 00 brush, using one smooth line for each edge. Add a small dark eye and a pink patch in the ear. Common mistake: a shaky outline. Rest your wrist on the table to keep it steady.
Tip: Thin the outline paint with a little water until it flows like ink.
Add red garlands and ornaments to the cows
With the size 0 brush, paint a red garland of small dots around each cow's neck, about 3 mm wide, and a red blanket shape on its back. Add a row of tiny yellow dots along the blanket's edge. These ornaments are what make a Pichwai cow look festive. Wait for the red to dry for 10 minutes before you touch it, or your finger will smear it.
Fill the top third with repeating lotus buds in lighter blue
Mix white into your base colour to make a lighter shade. Paint each sketched lotus bud and leaf in that shade, one after another, all the same size, so they make a steady pattern. Then add small pink dots between them. The light blue should be only a little lighter than the base, so the pattern stays calm and the big lotus stays the star.
Pick out the details in gold
Use a gold paint pen or a gold paint on a size 00 brush. Outline every petal of the big lotus, then the cows' garlands, then draw a gold line along the border you drew. Shake the pen well and test it on scrap paper first, because the ink can come out in a blob. Work from the top to the bottom so your hand never rests on wet gold, and draw each line in one smooth stroke.
Tip: If gold gets on a wrong spot, wait until it dries and paint over it with the base colour.
Check for gaps, let it dry and seal it with varnish
Look at the canvas in good light and touch up any thin patches or gaps with a fine brush. Let the painting dry for 24 hours. Then, in a ventilated room, brush one thin even coat of matte varnish over the whole canvas with the flat brush, and let it dry for another 24 hours before hanging. Common mistake: varnishing too soon, which lifts the paint and smears the gold.

Sustainability

Medium - canvas and acrylic are plastic-based; traditional Pichwai uses cloth and mineral colours

Safety

Eye strain and hand fatigue from fine detail, so rest every 30 minutes; ventilate when varnishing; back strain from long sitting