Marble painting as an art form originated in Rajasthan during the sixteenth century. The Rajput kings and nobles of this state were dedicated patrons of arts and crafts. In Rajasthan there are around 4000 marble mines and since marble was readily available, it became the canvas for Rajput painters. Intricate images are drawn on stone and the brush of the painters seals it with eternal beauty. Although marble comes in varied hues of white, pink, gray and black, it is generally milky white marble which is used by artists to bring to life human figures, nature, landscapes, objects and animals. The artist successfully captures an image on marble and then uses his unique blend of color schemes to fill that image so that it catches the eye of every beholder.

Various objects with marble paintings make impressive gift items and decorative accessories, and can also be used to add that touch of Rajput royalty and elegance to a home.

A few distinct techniques and styles used in marble painting are

’Minakari’ work: Minakari is a method by which a design is engraved on marble and then painted with vibrant colors like red, green, black, yellow and blue.

Devotional paintings: Legendary characters from Hindu epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata are painted on marble and bright colors are used to bring back the glory of the past.

Jewelry paintings: This art has its origins in Jaipur and consists of a design being drawn on marble and skillfully made gold leaf being pasted on the jewelry design. Enamel colors as well as glass pieces are used to decorate the design and add to its intricate beauty.

Miniature paintings: The use of delicate brush strokes can transform an ordinary marble tile into a showpiece worthy of being called a collector’s item. A common depiction is that of Indian musical instruments. These are painted with colors drawn from substances as varied as minerals, vegetables, conch shells and even gold and silver.

Marble paintings are influenced by local schools of art from Kishangarh, Jaipur, Kangra and Mandi. All major centers have their distinct style and many have attained expertise in the depiction of a certain aspect. The Kishangarh School can boast of having attained world class perfection in paintings of women. The Jaipur School focuses on mythological depictions. Many paintings depict local legends and famous royals like Pabuji, a Royal Rajput Prince who is revered by tribesmen for his valor. He fought and defeated the cruel cow-slaughtering ruler Mirza Khan. The brushes of the painters also depict the universal theme of the victory of good over evil through scenes from religious epics and eternal love through the life of Mumtaz and Shahjahan, the famous Mughal couple whose love story is immortalized in the Taj Mahal.

The marble paintings of Rajasthan make memorable and unique gifts for your loved ones. Each one is an exemplary display of the skill of local artisans.

Materials You Will Need To Get Started

You can’t get just any paint that you find at your local craft store. You will need a paint made especially for face painting in order to get desired results. There are many inexpensive options available that have been tested for safety and that comply with European and American regulations. You can purchase face paint colours individually or in variety packs. To begin I suggest getting a variety pack of not more than 6 colors. Once you get used to them and see how they apply and mix then you may want to order additional colours and application tools.

Which brings me to the next subject.

You will need a variety of a few different types of brushes and some sponges. Brushes come in many different shapes, sizes and materials. So which ones will you need? It is best to get sythetic brushes that are soft for young skin and sensitive faces. I suggest a fine tip brush for small detail, a medium size pointed brush for bigger strokes,and a large brush for covering larger areas. These should be sufficient

to get you started. Because most face paints are water based they are easy to apply and easy to wash or wipe off between applications of different colours. Ordorless baby wipes are an efficient and quick way to clean brushes between applications. As for the sponges, there are many types made specifically for face painting. I usually cut mine in half for two reasons. First, to get more for my money and also to straight

edges that are usefull in painting clean lines if the design calls for it. The sponge is particuliarly good at covering the face to acheive a base colour. For example if you are making a ghost face for Halloween you can use the sponge to cover the face with white paint. If you dampen the sponge first with water it will give you a thinner base or an irredescent look, changing the shading and intensity.

Now that you know the basics. Order your supplies and then go wild. Use your imagination and creativity to make one of a kind designs. Both you and your children will have hours of fun!

Thus in the XIX century items with khokhloma painting were famous not only in Russia but in Persia, India, Middle East, the USA and Australia as well. The export of khokhloma items grew after the worldwide exhibition in 1889 in Paris.

In 1916 Nizhegorodskoye Zemstvo established the first School for Wood-Working Arts and Crafts in Semyonov. The folk arts and folklore flourished in Volga region near Nizhny Novgorod province. No other territory in Russia could equal it in the number and originality of the folk arts and crafts that had sprang to life and were developed in the local communities. The Khokhloma art painting on wooden tableware is the type of Nizhny Novgorod folk art craft that became most popular in Russia and foreign countries.

The “grass-leaves” decorative ornaments and their peculiar color scheme suggest that the Khokhloma art is rooted in the ancient Russian decorative culture while the imitation of gilt ornaments on wood dates back to the medieval Russian handicraft skills. The painting technique has been somewhat upgraded but remains essentially the same as in the ancient time.
Khokhloma russian painting amazes you with its delicate grass pattern and festive coloring, which is based on combination of scarlet cinnabar and flittering gold against the black lacquer background. This is Khokhloma specific feature. Masters used tin powder and lacquer to obtain such gold color. Now they use aluminum powder.

First, the art tableware are shaped on a lathe from the dried lime wood, which are turned into bowls, vases, mugs, dishes and spoons.

They are dried and covered with red and brown primer, so that they start looking like earthen. The unpainted articles are now coated with drying oil. Next they are polished with powdered aluminium. They become dull shining, like silver, and go to the painting division. Painted articles are then varnished and hardened in ovens at the temperature of 120-130 degrees. The heat turns the varnish yellow, the “silver” into “gold” and mellows the vivid design with an even, golden tone.

The Khokhloma dishes, cups and wooden drink pots were used for serving food at holiday feasts. The wooden tableware using at the Moscow house of an important statesman had to look valuable; accordingly, they were modeled on the rich painted plates decorated with real golden fabricated by the jewelers for the luxurious homes of the Russian nobility. Thanks to the special varnish and high-temperature processing they are quite practical and safe in use. You can drink and eat using these Khokhloma tableware, because such wares not sensitive to cold and hot, salty and sour food.

Apart from Khokhloma wood presents of tableware most visitors to Russia will have at least one set of Matrioshka dolls in their luggage. These dolls within dolls have long been a source of fascination. The undoing of the main doll to reveal others almost ad-in-finitem has always produced wonderment and appreciation for the woodcrafts art.

Examples of beautiful Khokhloma wood art presents, Paleh and Mstera lacquered miniatures you can look at art store online site. It is amazing that what started out as a true folk tradition over 300 years ago is still thriving and remains basically true to it’s roots, albeit on a more organized scale.

High school teens have enjoyed painting faces for pep rallies for quite some time. They paint their mascot paws, team logos or names, school names and colors on their faces for both fun and fundraising. It’s an easy way to earn money for the junior prom, senior class or an upcoming class trip. They set up booths at local arts and crafts shows, midnight madness sales, and during special school functions. Low prices keep the student customers coming back, along with their friends.

Face painting is also used as a way to earn money for special needs, such as a charity event. It can help fund an account for someone hurt in an accident or give financial support to someone who has a chronic illness, such as a heart condition, cancer, or multiple sclerosis.

The ideas for kids face painting are limited only to your imagination. When painting faces of young children, you must have patience, allow time for fidgeting, and keep your design simple. It helps perfect your talent to practice the pre-selected designs in advance of an event. Most children are happy to be your guinea pig for your practice sessions.

Ideas for designs come from many places: popular cartoons, movies, coloring books, the animal section in your local library or bookstore, magazines featuring flowers, catalogues, and toy stores. Try asking the neighborhood kids for their ideas. They know what’s ‘hot’ our there on their scene and what they’d be happy having drawn on their own faces. Kids can be extremely helpful and imaginative. Ask them to show you their favorite characters or to choose pictures from their own book collection.

Fingerprints are always fun. Try painting a fingerprint of a parent on a child’s face, using the person’s own finger, of course. And in reverse, you could even paint a toe print of a child on a parent’s face! Paint the name of a favorite pet on a kid’s face. Try dipping a willing pet’s paw into the paint and stamping it onto the kid’s face.

For quick fun, try face painting stamps. Draw a picture of a face onto a large piece of paper and have the child stamp a design on the face. Regular rubber stamps can be used for this, of course. But for actual human face use, there are special face stamps.

Lastly, where should your face painting take place? Try shopping malls, hospitals, birthday parties, charity events, festivals, school events, flea markets, church functions, craft shows, parades, and open house events. Hobby stores may offer classes for kids face painting or might allow you to teach a class yourself. After all, you’d be appealing to the younger shoppers along with their parents, and that would bring in more business.

Face painting is fun and creative. Think about it … you can have a lot of good times with this activity.

For lots of hobbyists, beginning a new project feels much like the anticipation of cooking a gourmet meal. There’s the sense of buildup, and the gathering together of supplies and ingredients, and finally the meticulous but ultimately rewarding process of creating the object of your fascination. 

Losing control of the painting, however, is like finding the stove is broken, or the recipe’s ingredients have all gone mysteriously sour. There’s nothing like the disappointment – fortunately! – of watching the best-laid hobby plans go wrong through no deliberate fault of your own.

But there are solutions to even the biggest painting crises, and most of them require nothing more than a little forethought. The seven techniques presented below allow you the freedom to avoid mistake by getting around them in the first place. Prevention, after all, is the best medicine.

- Use a sealant before you paint. Sealants such as Dull-Cote give your subject material a slightly adhesive coating, meaning it better holds primer and other forms of spray paint. Coating with a sealant first is like primer for the primer.

- Plan to take your time, and use multiple coats. Sooner or later everyone gets ahead of themselves, applying paint like there’s no tomorrow out of enthusiasm for the finished project that’s already taking shape before their eyes. Going too fast is a mistake: use multiple, light coats, letting the paint thoroughly dry between coats. If you’re using transparent paint, don’t paint in the same direction each time but paint in a lattice pattern, to make a smoother coat.

- Don’t be afraid to use different tints of colors. You can mix most acrylic paints to get a different and original hue than the ones offered in the stores. Actually, the paint sold in hobby stores is cheap and lasts a long time, so don’t be afraid to pour a little out of several tubes and mix them together. You might be pleased with your “original” color shade creation.

- Stock up on brushes. Brushes are comparatively cheap, too, and can be found in the clearance sections of most hobby stores. Plan to buy a lot, so you don’t run out.

 - Accept that adhesive glue will likely be necessary.  Chips, edges and outright breaks happen all the time, especially when you’re working with ceramic, wood, and plastic. Have the super glue ready just in case, but remember to use it sparingly to avoid cleanups later. A little craft glue goes a long way.

 - Ask for help before you get stuck. There are hundreds (if not more) online pages and forums about using all manner of arts and crafts supplies. If you’re confused, or just want to get advice from people who’ve likely had the same problems you’re having with your project, check there first. You can always benefit from someone else’s experiences.

- Make time to do your hobby thing. Because hobbies aren’t “essential,” they’re often the activity first bumped from any hectic schedule. But painting and other hobby pursuits recharge us mentally and give us a real sense of gratification that easily carries over into the rest of our busy lives.

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:0

Expert: Angela Larsen
Contact: www.PetalwinktheFairy.com
Bio: Angela Sage Larsen has been a professional artist for 14 years, including running her own studio and gallery and painting murals coast to coast.
Filmmaker: Ross Safronoff

Duration : 0:1:35