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Activities / Pattachitra / Pattachitra Leaf-Etched Bookmark

Pattachitra Leaf-Etched Bookmark

Etched Bookmark Inspired by Odisha's Palm-Leaf Manuscripts

Level
Beginner
Duration
30 - 45 mins
Budget
₹171 – ₹436
Age
10+
State
Odisha

Materials

  • Kraft or tan card, A4 or Letter, 175 to 300 gsm
  • Black ink pad (stamp pad)
  • Single hole punch
  • Natural jute cord or twine
  • Dry ballpoint pen (one that no longer writes) as a stylus
  • Pencil, eraser, scissors, cotton ball
  • Old magazine or folded towel, clean cloth, newspaper

Steps

  1. Learn the idea and set out your card, pen and ink
    This is an inspired-by exercise. In Odisha, palm-leaf manuscripts (talapatra) are etched with a sharp iron stylus and then rubbed with ink so the lines show dark. Here you will try the same etch-and-rub idea safely on thick card. Lay out a sheet of kraft card, a dry ballpoint pen (one that no longer writes), an ink pad, a cotton ball, a pencil, an old magazine and a clean cloth. Cover your table with newspaper.
  2. Cut a 5 x 18 cm strip and round the corners
    Cut a strip of kraft card 5 cm wide and 18 cm long (2 x 7 in). Round the four corners with scissors, by cutting off each corner in a small curve about 5 mm across. Rounded corners look neater and do not bend as easily in a book. Common mistake: using thin paper. It tears when you press the lines in, so use card at least as thick as a postcard.
  3. Pencil a border and a simple design
    Draw a straight border 4 mm in from the edge all round. Inside it, lightly sketch one simple design: a lotus, a bird or a curling vine, about 3 cm wide. Use single, continuous lines because each line will be pressed into the card and you cannot make thin double lines easily. Keep the design plump and open, with at least 3 mm between lines.
    Tip: Sketch on scrap paper first, then redraw the best one on the card.
  4. Rest the card on a magazine so it gives slightly
    Place the card on top of a closed old magazine, or a folded towel. The soft surface lets the pen press a groove into the card instead of sliding over it. Hold the card steady with your left hand (right hand if you are left-handed), keeping your fingers away from the line you are pressing. Test the pressure first on the back edge of the card.
  5. Press along every pencil line with a dry ballpoint pen
    Hold the pen upright like a pencil and press firmly as you trace each line, slowly. You are making a groove about as deep as a thin scratch, not cutting. If you hear the card crackle, you are pressing too hard. Go over each line twice for a clear groove. Common mistake: pressing so hard that the card tears. The tip: a little pressure, repeated.
    Tip: Tilt the card to the light. A good groove shows as a thin shadow line.
  6. Rub out the pencil lines gently
    Use a soft eraser to rub out the pencil lines, with light strokes. The grooves will stay. Brush off the eraser crumbs with your hand. If a groove looks too shallow in places, press it again now, because you cannot fix it after the ink goes on. The card should now show a clear pattern of pressed lines with no pencil marks left.
  7. Rub black ink over the whole card with a cotton ball
    Press a cotton ball onto the ink pad so it picks up a little ink, then rub it over the whole card in small circles, covering the grooves and the plain surface. Use only a thin layer: the ink should not look wet. Stained fingers are normal, so keep the pad away from clothes. Work in about 20 seconds so the ink stays damp.
  8. Wipe the surface and let the design appear
    Right away, wipe the whole card firmly with a clean dry cloth, in one direction. The ink stays in the grooves and comes off the flat surface, so the design shows up dark against the card. A light grey tone left on the card is normal. Wipe again with a clean part of the cloth. Let the card dry for 10 minutes.
  9. Punch a hole, add a cord and clear away
    Punch a hole in the top middle of the card, about 8 mm from the top edge. Fold a 25 cm piece of jute cord in half, push the loop through the hole, pass the tails through the loop and pull tight. Knot the tails together and trim them. Wash the ink off your fingers with soap. Put the cap back on the ink pad and throw away the newspaper and cotton ball.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses card scraps. Inspired-by exercise: real palm-leaf etching uses dried palm leaf and an iron stylus

Safety

Use a blunt stylus only (a dry ballpoint or knitting needle with a capped tip); ink stains on fingers and clothes