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She Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsur Gyanmandir
4.2
84 Technique of miniature painting. MSS. and large paintings on cloth. Preparation of Wasli board i.e. paste board.
The first and foremost requirement for miniature painting is the support i.e. paper, about which we have discussed in the chapter on calligraphy. In principle, the same quality of paper was used for drawing and painting in India in general and in Rajasthan in particular.
Thin sheets of hand made paper are cut to size and are pasted one on top of the other with the help of a flour-paste called Lei in Rajasthani language. This makes the board thicker. While pasting the sheets it should be ensured that there are no air bubbles in them. Generally three to four papers are pasted in this way to obtain a thick board. The last surface on which a picture in to be painted should also be coated with the paste and burnished so that it does not absorbe the first paint wash. This is known as astar or primer.
The Lei or the flour paste or chikki as it is generally called, is made in various ways: 1) of wheet floor, 2) of maida floor 3) of arrowroot powder and 4) of singhada floor i.e. a thorney fruit of an aquatic plant-Tarpanataus! These fruits grow in lakes in the courtry side. The traditional, common method of preparing Lei is to obtain clean wheat floor, mix it with water 1. Sumahendra, Miniature Painting Technique Jaipur. 1990 P. 10
Preparation of Wasli board
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