Page 138 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

the brocade motifs in successions of parallel, more or cloth were the most common application of gold
less vertical lines. By spacing each element in the next finishing details, similar detailing was also applied to
line halfway between (and equidistant from) the other objects. The various depictions of chain-mail
elements of the previous series, the elements also became armor, for instance, could be finished with gold out-
aligned along diagonal lines. The repeated motif could be lining. In that case the design was already established by
as simple as a small dot or circle, or it could be as ornate the dye outlines, and the gold was just a secondary
as a detailed cloud or flower; but as long as the elements outlining applied as a finishing touch.
were placed in regular sequence they would produce the
effect of a design woven with gold threads in silk Gold Details on Back Curtain"s
brocade. It was more difficult to position the larger
design elements at regular intervals when drawing them Nimbuses, it will be recalled, were usually
one at a time freehand; hence for such patterns the completed with undulating gold lines that represented
painter often began by laying down a series of simple radiating light rays. However, for a backrest or "back
dots to determine the centers of the repeated motif. curtain" (rgyab yol) - the other main type of back-
Some beginners even sketched their brocade designs with ground for a figure - the artists did not employ light
charcoal before painting them. As with the border rays. Instead, they completed it by means of various
designs, so also here a slight staggering of the design at brocade motifs.
creases and folds in the fabric lent a greater realism to The painter Wangdrak depicted two main types
the painting. of back curtains. Both were of similar shape, but while
Sometimes the artists combined simple and one type portrayed a smooth cloth curtain hung over a
complex elements for their brocade designs. First a blue, disc-shaped background, the other type represen-
series of large, complex elements was painted at regular ted a blue or green field draped with a white cloth or
intervals as described above, and then the space in ceremonial scarf on the top and sides. Since the first
between the larger elements was filled in with repetitions type mainly consisted of 'l cloth, the gold details were
of a simpler element, such as a dot or circle. For a more no different from those used for finishing brocade robes.
striking result the artists left a thin border of unpainted The large field in the middle required one of the usual
area between the large elements and the surrounding repeating brocade motifs, while the blue or green edges
field of small elements. of the cloth curtain could be completed with one of the
Although brocade designs on areas representing standard brocade border designs.
By contrast the second type of backrest -- a blue
or green disc-shaped field draped with a long white
scarf - required some characteristically different gold
designs. To execute these designs the artist began by
dividing the blue or green background field into upper
and lower parts. During the shading stage he would
darker. ~ither the top or the bottom part of the backrest
using indigo washes. Then during outlining he would
produce a more pronounced division of the field by
means of one or more horizontal gold lines near the
middle of the field. Once the field was so divided, the
artist would finish this middle horizontal band by
developing it into a gold border design that incorporated
the original lines. Then he would fill in the empty space
in the upper half with large repeating brocade motifs.
One characteristic feature of the gold brocade designs
used in the top half of the backrest field was the
employment of stylized crags, water and clouds along
the bottom edge of the area, just above the central strip.
This elaborate design was a well-known motif taken
from Chinese brocades, but our main informants com-
monly used it in thangka paintings only on such back
curtains.
Beneath the central border strip the artists used
another characteristic design, one which originated
from India. This was a depiction of hanging loops and
strands of precious beads (dra ba dang dra ba phyed).
Such auspicious decorations were thought to be
essential features of palaces, and Tibetan artists also
Thangka of Khri-srong-lde-btsan with fine brocade commonly depicted them when painting the walls of
detail. temples, palaces and so on.

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