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Activities / Sawantwadi Lacquerware / Sawantwadi Ganjifa Cards

Sawantwadi Ganjifa Cards

Sawantwadi-Style Ganjifa Cards: Hand-Painted Round Playing Cards

Level
Intermediate
Duration
3 - 5 hours (plus drying)
Budget
₹745 – ₹1,070
Age
12+
State
Maharashtra

Materials

  • Thick cardstock, A4 or US Letter, 200 to 300 gsm
  • Acrylic paints with red, yellow, green, blue, white, black and orange
  • Round brushes, sizes 0, 2 and 6
  • Black waterproof fineliner, 0.5 mm
  • Gold paint pen
  • Clear matte acrylic varnish
  • Round lid or small bowl, 7 cm (2.75 in) wide, to trace
  • Scissors, pencil, plate for paint, jar of water, newspaper, baking paper

Steps

  1. Set up your table and gather your supplies
    Ganjifa are round playing cards from India, and Sawantwadi in Maharashtra is known for hand-painted sets. You will make a small set of 8 cards. Cover the table with newspaper and lay out the cardstock, paints, brushes, fineliner, gold pen, scissors, a pencil and a round lid about 7 cm (2.75 in) wide. Put a little of each paint colour on a plate. Use only a pea-sized drop of each, because acrylic dries quickly.
  2. Trace and cut out eight 7 cm circles
    Place the lid on the cardstock and trace around it with a pencil 8 times, leaving 5 mm between circles. Cut along each line with sharp scissors, turning the paper as you cut instead of turning the scissors. Keep the curve smooth, because a bumpy edge shows up when you paint the border. Common mistake: cutting many short snips. Use long, smooth cuts.
    Tip: If the card is stiff, cut slightly outside the line first, then trim the edge to the line.
  3. Paint the backs of all eight cards deep red
    Mix a little water into deep red acrylic so it flows. Paint the back of each circle in one thin even coat with the size 6 brush, going around the edge as well. Let it dry for 15 minutes, then add a second coat. Lay the cards on baking paper or a plastic sheet to dry, so they do not stick to the newspaper. A card that curls is normal, and you will flatten them later.
    Tip: Paint all 8 backs in one go, then clean your brush once.
  4. Pencil a double ring border on the front of each card
    Turn each card over to the plain side. With a very light pencil, draw a circle 4 mm in from the edge, using the lid as a guide, then draw a second ring 3 mm inside the first. The ring between the two lines will be painted gold or red later. The space inside the inner ring, about 5 cm wide, is for your picture. Press lightly, because you will paint over these lines.
  5. Choose a theme and sketch one subject on each card
    Pick a theme of 8, such as a peacock, tiger, elephant, fish, parrot, lotus, deer and cow. Draw each subject big enough to fill the inner circle, about 4 cm across, using simple shapes: ovals for bodies, circles for heads, and curves for tails and petals. Keep the drawing simple, because you will paint it small. Common mistake: tiny drawings. They are too small to paint with a size 0 brush.
    Tip: Look at 3 or 4 photos of Ganjifa cards first and notice how the animals are drawn flat, with no shadows.
  6. Paint the background of each card cream or yellow
    Mix a little yellow into white to make cream. With the size 2 brush, fill the space around each sketched figure, inside the inner ring, with 2 thin coats, waiting 10 minutes between coats. Keep the paint away from the double ring, because flat, even colour is the look of Ganjifa. Common mistake: painting over the pencil figure, which hides it.
  7. Fill each figure with bright flat colours
    Use the size 0 brush and thin acrylic. Fill the figures in bold colours: blue and green for the peacock, orange for the tiger, grey for the elephant. Paint one colour area at a time and wait 5 minutes before painting a colour next to it, so the two do not run together. Use 2 thin coats. Keep every colour flat, with no shading, as in traditional Ganjifa.
    Tip: Rest your wrist on the table and use only the tip of the brush for small parts.
  8. Outline and add fine details with the black fineliner
    Let all the paint dry for 20 minutes. Then, with the waterproof black fineliner, draw a thin outline around each figure and add small details: feathers on the peacock, stripes on the tiger, an eye on every animal. Draw the lines in smooth strokes. If the pen skips on a thick patch of paint, wait longer for it to dry.
  9. Paint the border rings gold or red and number the cards
    Paint the ring between the double lines gold with the gold pen, or red with the size 0 brush, going round slowly in one steady stroke. Add a small dot of the other colour every 5 mm if you like. Then write a number from 1 to 8 in the top of the inner circle with the black fineliner. Wait 10 minutes for the border to dry before you touch the cards.
    Tip: Shake the gold pen and test it on scrap paper first, because the first mark can blob.
  10. Varnish both sides and let them cure for 24 hours
    In a well-ventilated room, brush a thin coat of clear varnish over the front of each card. Let it dry for 30 minutes, then varnish the backs. Lay the cards on baking paper, not newspaper, and leave them for 24 hours before playing. If they curl, press them under a heavy book for a day. Common mistake: a thick coat of varnish, which drips and stays sticky.

Sustainability

Medium - reuses card; acrylic is plastic-based. Inspired-by exercise: traditional Ganjifa cards are painted by hand with mineral and vegetable colours and lacquered

Safety

Scissors are sharp; take eye breaks during fine detail; ventilate when varnishing