Page 125 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

The shading of monochrome lotuses.
Flowers
where the detailed shading of each petal was difficult. Apart from lotuses the main flowers of Tibetan
In this technique a simple lotus had to be painted in painting were stylized peonies, which were also favorite
monochrome, and it was almost always pink, red lac floral motifs in Chinese decorative art. When peonies
dye being applied over a white background. As with the appeared in thangka painting, they were commonly
detailed monochromatic lotuses, the darker tints were painted in shades of pink or pale blue. The painters
applied to the inner parts of the petals, but here no shaded a white or off-white pink or blue undercoat with
petals were shaded individually, and instead the pink red or blue washes, using techniques that were more or
shading was applied in a single band along the base of less identical to those used for tinting monochromatic
the lotus. The petal tips of the lotus could face either lotuses. Each petal had to be shaded separately, working
upward or downward; hence the shading could be from the dark center toward the white outer edges.
applied to either the top or bottom edge, whichever was A slightly more complex technique involved
the base. The white unshaded edge was where the outer monochromatic shading on two-tone backgrounds. The
edge of the petals would be drawn. All further details purpose of this was to obtain greater contrast. Here the
such as the shapes of individual petals were not indicated painter began painting .the peony by leaving the area of
by detailed shading, but instead were rendered by means the outer petals white, while applying an off-white hue
of lac-dye line drawings. (pink or bluish White) to the inner zone of flower
petals. Later, both areas received the same shading
tints. When completed the inner areas appeared to be
darker immature petals while the outer petals with their
lighter colour and white edges appeared mature and fully
blossomed.

The shading of flowers.

THE SHADING OF PARTICULAR OBJECTS 121