Mysore

The Mysore paintings are the emblems of beauty originating from the classical South Indian painting in the town of Mysore, Karnataka These paintings are renowned for their sophistication, subdued colors, and attention to detail. The subjects for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from the legends like, Ramayana, Bhagavata Purana and also the Jains epics.
These paintings are used as mementos during the festive occasions in South India. Stylish demarcation of the images, frail lines, and convoluted brush strokes are all the characteristics of Mysore paintings. The Mysore painting is made of cartridge paper pasted on a wooden base. A paste made of Zinc oxide and Arabic gum is prepared called jesso paste, which is applied to the base. The primary sketch is then made on the canvas. On which the images like thrones or the arch is painted with a thin brush. A gold foil is pasted after the painting is dried. The coloring is done using the watercolors for which only the subtle colors were used. Extracting colors from different plants and minerals. A paper, wood, cloth or a wall formed the canvas for painting,using thinner gold foil. Grass blades are used to give a sharp edged effect to the painting. The colors is made by crushing the minerals in the stone mortar and then adding some water to make it into a soft paste. Goat, camel and squirrel hair was used to make brushes.