Methods of Making Thangka

Methods of Making Thangka - Brief Introduction

Tibetan Thangka, the construction is serious, balanced and plump; the distribution is dense, use vague to supply the entity and which is changeable. The main methods of making Thangka include paint with exact delineation and enriched colors and line drawing in traditional ink and brush style. It starts from the standard of making statue. The proportion of facial features, head, chest, waist and every part are strictly regulated. Then, color it. The color should emphasis contrast, rich and beautiful, after for magnificent effect; use gold and other color to unit the picture. At last, use lines to sketch the picture. One kind of line is in same width, both softness and hardness. The other kind of line is different in width, use different lines base on the picture. Both of the lines can reah vivid and moving effect.

Methods of Making Thangka – Canvas

Before drawing Thangka, one should choose appropriate canvas base on the size of picture. Fix the canvas on a wooden frame along its rim. The wooden frame is made up of branches which are as thickness as common pencil. Then, tight the canvas on the frame, use strong strings to fix the frame on bigger frame – "Thangzhuo".

Commonly, the canvas is in light color, neither too thick nor too hard for it will make the color fall down and cockle. The most appropriate canvas is well made pure white poplin, or cotton fabric. The white silk without any designs on it is also very appropriate.

Methods of Making Thangka – Preparation Work

After fixing canvas on "Thangzhuo", it's time to do the following works: first daub the caves with a slight layer of glue to be "background". Then, dry it. The aim of daubing glue is to prevent the canvas to absorb paint so that the paint becomes dirty. Then, daub a layer of lime paste. When the second layer dried, put the canvas on flat place. Then, use a piece of glass, shell, stone or some smooth things to rub the canvas, until you can't see the cloth marks on the canvas.

Then, it's time to draw the main lines, include sideline, center vertical lines, two diagonal lines and other contour lines. First, use charcoal pencil to draw out the Buddha statue; then, use ink to make the lines into ink lines; follow it, to color the picture based on its scenery. Only color one color for once, and from light to dark. When draw Buddha, first draw the lotus seat, then draw the decoration, Buddha body and leave the eyes. When draw the background, first draw light color, and then dark color. After these steps done, use gold to draw the decorations on the cloth, hence these golden designs are named "golden picture". Some decorations and some parts in the picture are line by "golden line". At last, to draw the ink lines again, and add up the eye. So, this work is complete.

Methods of Making Thangka – Color

Except the Thangka which drawn with water color, there are other three kinds of Thangka: golden Thangka, vermilion Thangka and Black Thangka. The names of these three kinds Thangka originated from the color in the blank part in background of Thangka. In a piece of golden Thangka, only mouth, eyes, fingernails and hairs use other colors commonly. Simply say, the rules of color in drawing Thangka is emphasis some single color.