Painters and techniques of phad painting

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The traditional skills of painting pars are typically handed down from father to son. Besides painting pars, these artists also paint other pictures for the villagers and sometimes wall paintings. A par painting is commissioned by a bhopa, who uses the painting in the rituals described above. Beginning in the twentieth century, pars were painted for collectors as well. These pars are of a much shorter length than ceremonial pars.

Traditionally, the painting is done on cotton cloth that has been prepared with an application of a paste of flour and gum and then polished with a stone. However, this process is not necessarily followed in pars painted for patrons other than the bhopas.

The traditional painting of a par commissioned by a bhopa is a religious procedure. An auspicious date is chosen for beginning the painting, on which date an offering is made to Sarasvati, goddess of learning and the arts. The first stroke of the brush is done by a virgin girl who is a member of the painter’s family or a member of a high-caste family.

The artist sketches the whole painting in a light yellow color. The colors used to paint the figures themselves are earth colors, vegetable colors, or indigo. Colors are mixed with gum and water and are painted one at a time on the cloth. That is, the artist will paint all the areas that require orange first, then yellow, and so forth. Finally, the artist finishes with an outline in black.

Again on an auspicious day, the final transaction is made between the artist and the commissioning bhopa. The artist signs the painting in the middle, near the image of the hero-god. He may include the name of the purchasing bhopa and any patrons, as well as the date. Finally, the artist paints the pupil in the eye of the hero-deity in order to “awaken” the deity and the painting. Now the bhopa pays for the picture.