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Activities / Pattachitra / Pattachitra Border Sampler

Pattachitra Border Sampler

Pattachitra-Style Border Sampler: Odisha's Bold Lines and Flat Colour Practice

Level
Beginner
Duration
45 - 75 mins
Budget
₹415 – ₹719
Age
10+
State
Odisha

Materials

  • Heavy paper, A4 or US Letter, 200 gsm or thicker
  • Acrylic paints: red, yellow, blue, black and white
  • Round brushes in sizes 0 and 2 (a set of 6 to 9 is fine)
  • Black waterproof fineliner, 0.5 mm
  • Pencil (HB), eraser and 30 cm ruler
  • Jar of water, old plate for mixing, newspaper

Steps

  1. Cut an 8 cm tall paper strip and set up your colours
    Cut a strip of heavy paper 8 cm tall and as long as an A4 sheet, about 29 cm (11.5 in). On US Letter, use 28 cm (11 in). Cover your table with newspaper. Squeeze a pea-sized blob of each colour onto a plate: red, yellow, blue, black and white. You will mix yellow ochre from yellow with a touch of red and a speck of black. Fill a jar with water.
  2. Draw the two border bands with a pencil and ruler
    Pattachitra panels are framed by borders. Draw two pencil lines along the top, 5 mm from the edge and 5 mm apart, to make a top border band. Repeat along the bottom. This leaves a middle band about 6 cm (2.4 in) tall. Press lightly so the pencil lines can be erased. Common mistake: pressing hard, which leaves grooves that show under the paint.
  3. Divide the middle band into 4 boxes of 6.5 cm
    Leave about 1.5 cm of paper at each end. Between those margins, make small tick marks every 6.5 cm along the middle band and draw a light vertical line at each tick. You now have 4 boxes, each 6.5 cm wide and 6 cm tall. Repeating panels is the heart of pattachitra, so keep the boxes equal in size.
  4. Draw a plump lotus in each box, repeating the same shape
    In the first box, draw a plump almond-shaped centre petal pointing up, about 4 cm tall and 2 cm wide. Add one petal leaning left and one leaning right, each slightly shorter, and a short curved line under them for the base. Draw the same lotus in the other 3 boxes, copying the first. Keep shapes plump and outlines clear.
    Tip: Trace the first lotus on tracing paper and rub it onto the other boxes if you want them identical.
  5. Fill the narrow borders with a repeating triangle pattern
    In each border band, draw small triangles about 5 mm wide pointing up, side by side along the full length, then a dot between neighbours. The pattern should run along the strip without a break. Pencil the pattern lightly, then check that the triangles are the same size. Triangles, chain loops and dots are the classic pattachitra border motifs.
  6. Paint the lotus petals and triangles in flat red and ochre
    Use the size 2 brush. Paint the centre petal of each lotus red, and the side petals yellow ochre. Paint the border triangles alternately red and ochre. One colour at a time: let it dry for 5 minutes before the next, and wash the brush between colours. Keep the paint flat with no shading. Common mistake: thick paint, which cracks and takes long to dry.
    Tip: Mix a little water in the paint so it flows, but not so much that it runs over your pencil line.
  7. Paint the dark background around the motifs
    Mix blue with black to get a deep indigo. Use the size 2 brush for large areas and the size 0 brush near edges. Fill the space around each lotus, between the motifs and the borders, in a flat, even coat. Work from one end to the other so a wet edge does not dry in the middle. Let the strip dry for 15 minutes.
  8. Outline every shape in black, then add white dots
    When the paint is completely dry, trace around every lotus petal, triangle and border line with the black fineliner in one confident stroke. Then use the tip of the size 0 brush with white paint to add small dots inside the dark shapes and between the triangles, about 3 mm apart. Take your time: steady lines are what make the sampler look finished.
  9. Frame the strip, let it dry overnight and clean up
    Draw a fine black line around the outside edge of the whole strip, about 2 mm from the cut edge. Lay the strip flat to dry overnight before using it as a bookmark or hanging it. Rinse the brushes in water and shape the tips. Put the lids back on the paint tubes, and wipe the plate. Rub out any pencil lines still showing after the paint is dry.

Sustainability

Medium - paper and water-based paints; a practice sheet can be reused as a bookmark or card

Safety

Paint stains; fine-brush work can tire the eyes, so rest every 20 minutes