About the Artform

The ancient art of Chitrakathi dates back to the 17th century. This style of painting originated in the small village of Pinguli, in the Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra.

The word "chitra" means picture and "katha" means story. As the name suggests, it a sequence of pictures used to narrate a story. These stories are usually taken from the Mahabharata and other ancient Puranas. Folk stories are also narrated. These stories were narrated by artists to the audience using visual aids accompanied with music. The visual aids could be leather puppets, stringed wooden puppets or the actual Chitrakathi paintings themselves.

About the workshop

The Canvas

Overall Details

In this two-day workshop, the participants will be introduced to the Chitrakathi style of painting in detail. They will learn the history and the significance of the art. They will also learn how to paint top and bottom borders, variations of a tree, lamp, ornaments, headgears and sari pattern designs.

Flow of the Workshop

Day 1

• Brief introduction to the artisan and the artform
• Showcasing artworks made by Chitrakathi artists
• Learn how to paint top and bottom borders on traditional Chitrakathi painting
• Learn about possible variations in trees, lamps, animals, ornaments, headgears and sari pattern designs

Day 2

• Learn how to draw male and female characters (like a king and queen)
• Create your own character as well!
• Learn how to water the illustrations you have created and give them a bold, black outline using a marker or brush

The colours in the palette

Elements you will learn

• Gain in-depth knowledge about the ancient art of Chitrakathi
• Learn to connect with the artform and interact with professional Chiktrakathi artisans
• Learn about the process of story telling and iconography used in Chiktrakathi paintings

Who is this workshop “just right” for?

• This workshop is for anyone who wishes to learn and explore an authentic, heritage artform
• If you enjoy learning about ancient Indian artforms, this workshop is perfect for you!
• It is a beginner friendly workshop (Age 10+)

Materials Required

• A4 size drawing book
• Handmade paper for the final painting (optional)
• Pencils, eraser, sharpener, ruler
• Water colors - (crimson, ochre yellow, lemon yellow, sap green, viridian green, dark blue, orange, white and black)
• Round brushes - (000, 3 and 4)
• CD marker
• Crayons or Pencil colors for younger kids (optional)

The scope of creativity

Further prospects and application of what you will be learning

The skills you acquire during the workshop can be applied to create your own contemporary characters. You can even make a storybook using these characters and tell a beautiful story using the art of Chitrakathi.