Mysore painting

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A Mysore Painting depicting Goddess Laxmi
A Mysore Painting depicting Goddess Laxmi

Mysore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting that originated in the town of Mysore in Karnataka. These paintings are known for their elegance, muted colours, and attention to detail. The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu gods and goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. In modern times, these paintings have become a much sought after souvenir during festive occasions in South India.

The process of making a Mysore painting involves many stages. The first stage is the making of the preliminary sketch of the image on the base. The base consists of cartridge paper pasted on a wooden base. A paste made of zinc oxide and [[arabic gum] is made called "gesso paste". With the help of a thin brush all the jewelery and parts of throne or the arch which have some relief are painted to give a slightly raised effect of carving. This is allowed to dry. Thin gold foil is then pasted onto the surface. The rest of the piece is then painted using watercolors. Only muted colors are used.

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