Page 153 - Tibetan Thangka Painting Methodsand Mat, Jackson

Appendix B:

Resources

Painting Materials Europe and North America

Although many of the younger generation of Tibetan Most major cities in Europe and North America
painters no longer prepare their paints from mineral have stores that specialize in artist's supplies, and they
pigments, we believe that the use of the old colours are the first place one should go when searching for
should be maintained - even if this entails extra expense pigments. Even if they do not stock all of the require.cI
and work. Much of the charm of old thangkas derives pigments, such shops can often order them specially
no doubt from the intrinsic beauty of the pigments and or will advise one about possible sources.
dyes themselves. Moreover, the mixing of paints from In London one of the oldest and best pigment
raw pigments has a special appeal for students of shops is L. Cornelissen & Son, 22 Great Queen Street.
thangka painting coming from countries where pre- They are agents mainly for Sennelier pigments of Paris,
mixed colours are the rule. But whether in South Asia or and they sell all the major pigments except azurite and
abroad, the basic problem for those wanting to use the malachite. They also have a long list of pigment dealers
traditional colours is how and where to obtain them. in all parts of the world. Other reputable dealers in
Therefore it may be helpful to say a few words about London include E. Ploton Ltd., Atlantis Paper Co.,
the present sources of the old pigments. Windsor & Newton, C. Robertson & Co., Rowney & Co.,
and Brodie & Middleton. E. Ploton Ltd. is an agent for
South Asia the colours of 1£ Franc & Borgeois of Paris. In Italy a
colour supplier of note is G. Maimeri Fratelli in Milan.
Students in India or Nepal who are studying under Again, azurite and malachite are the least readily
Tibetan painters should have little trouble in locating available of the pigments. Though excellent in tempera
most of the pigments and dyes. The majority of them and distemper, these two are unsuitable for oil painting
are readily available in the bazaars. But since they are and watercolour, and thus have almost completely
not sold in any single shop, it is best if one's teacher dropped out of use in the West. In the Southwest
directs one to the various shops and stalls the first time United States, however, these minerals are plentiful, and
one goes shopping for them. Synthetic cinnabar, minium with a little effort one can obtain all that one needs.
and indigo are widely available, and one can even find Though small amounts of azurite and malachite can be
orpiment and realgar, though modern substitutes are bought or ordered from local rock and mineral stores, it
advisable for the latter two. is best to purchase larger quantities by mail from dealers
The major difficulty is finding the mineral blues specializing in minerals and geological specimens. A good
and greens. For these, many artists are now substituting way to find out the names of several such mineral
high quality artist's colours, while others are using suppliers is to ask the geology department of the nearest
poster colours or even commercial cement colours. college or university. Some of these dealers can be very
The latter may sound particularly dreadful, but certain ~ooperative. One should explain that these minerals
brands give muted colours combined with a slight are to be ground for pigments because they will then
granularity reminiscent of the traditional pigments. A supply small pieces of good pigment quality - pieces
serious problem with many cement colours is that they that otherwise are of little use to rock collectors or
contain a large proportion of soluble dye. geologists.
Real azurite and malachite are relatively hard to
come by. If the artists have any, they jealously reserve
it for only the most important commissions. This is a Conservation of Old or Damaged Thangkas
sad state of affairs, for copper minerals - including
malachite - are mined in parts of India. Forgers of old
Indian miniatures have been obtaining these colours In Tibet it was not uncommon for ordinary artists to
for years. But it is also understandable that the pigment retouch or repaint old works, sometimes with the result
sources of such secretive and illicit entrepreneurs would of piously and unwittingly defacing ancient master-
remain unknown to the thangka painters from Tibet. pieces. Nowadays if one needs to restore an important
For the time being the best way to obtain azurite painting the preferable course is to entrust the work to a
and malachite is from firms that sell semi-precious trained conservator. Such professionals can be located
stones to jewellers or that sell mineral. specimens to through local museums or knowledgeable dealers in
schools. High-quality malachite can be bought in Asian art. One conservator in North America who has
quantity from such dealers, and sometimes they also worked extensively with thangkas is Ms Ann Shafte!,
have a.zurite in limited amounts. One established mineral Fine Arts Conservation, P. O. Box 1306, Boulder,
Colorado 80306.
dealer in New Delhi is Starke & Co., 138 Kamala Market.

149