Page 123 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

The shading of nimbuses.

be shaded either from the outside in or in the reverse nimbus was also depicted. The shading of such lotus
direction, depending on which effect was desired. But seats is described below in the section on flowers since
the head nimbuses in general received less shading than the seats are basically stylized flowers. Another common
the other areas surrounding the body such as the seat, seat was the padded cushion ('bol gdan), which was
back curtain or body nimbus. The blue and green often depicted beneath figures who had back curtains
portions of the back curtains (rgyab yol), however, behind them instead of body nimbuses. The artists
commonly received additional shading. Large fields in usually painted these padded cushions as thin rectangles.
these back curtains were shaded from the top down- The rectangular bands representing the front of the mats
ward, while thinner strips along the edges 'were usually .were initially given base coats of blue and green. Later
shaded from the inside out. they were shaded with indigo from the bottom upward,
The most common type of seat used in thangka fading out near the top.
painting was the lotus seat (padma'i gdan), and this was One other type of seat that deserves at least a
the usual seat placed below a figure if a standard body brief mention is the animal-skin mat. To paint one, the

THE SHADING OF PARTICULAR OBJECTS 119