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 Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting

Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting

by Fatima Zahra Hassan
Materials and Tools

The main disciplines in the art of miniature painting

are tarh (drawing or composition), naqqashi (general
painting), surat-gari or paiker sazi (portrait painting),
tezhib (illumination) and jadual-keshi (border design).
However, practically nothing has come down to
us concerning the rules of the composition of
miniature paintings. Although we may notice a
similarity in the pattern of composition that can be
attributed to a particular artist or school, we do not
have a set of rules that can be clearly identified as
principles of composition. We can perhaps get a better
understanding of the process by analyzing the stages of
production and the different artists that are involved.
The composition of a painting is set up by the
master painter with the help of his assistants and after
consultation with his patron. This process is called
tarh (an Arabic word meaning suggestion). It involves
setting out the middle ground, the background and
the foreground. The middle ground (darmian nama) is
generally the most important part of the painting. The
main theme or subject matter is placed in the centre,
while elements of the surrounding environment Charcoal/soot
scenes from nature, a garden setting or architecture,
related objects such as carpets, textiles and utensils Wasli
are usually placed in the background (dur nama) Pencils (2H6H)
or the foreground (qareeb nama). This central form Squirrel-hair brush
of composition is generally used in the Mughal and Liner (used for capturing ink/colour
provincial Mughal schools. pigments for drawing lines, especially
The master painter lays out the sketch of his border lines)
composition on deer skin or directly on the painting Black ink (charcoal may also be used for
surface or ground. Corrections are transferred by outlining)
an assistant, using a technique that involves making Eraser
small perforations along the outline of the drawing. Pigments
A muslin cloth containing a fine powder (red earth Brushes
or terracotta red, called gairu) is then padded on the Agate, seashell or marble for burnishing
drawing. Once the drawing is removed, an outline Above: Night of Union. Various brushes, a magnifying glass,
of the sketch is left in powder form on the paper. Watercolour, gouache, natural pigments in oyster shells and a conch
This outline is then made permanent by the master pigments and gold leaf on tea- shell for burnishing
painter by either using charcoal or a brush and stained wasli paper.
black ink (soot black). Liner

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 Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting | Creating a painting

Creating a painting

Traditionally, miniature painters perform their art

while seated on the floor. They are taught certain
positions that allow them to maintain comfort and
concentration for long periods of time. The first
position is sitting cross-legged with the drawing
board placed firmly on the lap: this posture is adopted
principally for laying out the ground, the painting
of large areas and other general work. The second
position is sitting with the back against a wall, legs
bent and pulled towards the body, with the board
supported on the knees and thighs: this position
allows the painter to do more careful, detailed work.
The third position a kneeling posture is highly
favoured among traditional miniature painters.
Pigments, brush and wasli paper need to be
prepared (see pp. 15063 and 18493). Although the Step 2: Drawing the outline in pencil (Persian and Mughal examples)
wasli should be ready for painting on, the artist needs
to choose between leaving it in its original white
colour or staining it with tea to achieve a sepia tone. Step 1: Planning the subject matter
Before drawing starts, the wasli must be burnished.
This seals the paper and makes it smooth to draw on. Drawing for this style of artwork does not rely on
perspective because the nature of miniature painting
Step 1: Planning the subject matter is two-dimensional. Islamic art is not concerned
Before beginning, you need to decide on the subject with accurate or figurative portrayal, but rather a
matter or theme of your painting, the range of colours representation of a higher dimension reflecting the
to be used and the desired size of the artwork. A primordial principles behind the physical world.
collection of photographs, sketches, illustrations and
books can be laid out for visual reference. Several Step 3: Drawing the outline in charcoal or ink Step 3: Using charcoal and ink
sketches should be done to establish composition, Once the pencil drawing is complete, the outline
scale and range of elements. is over-drawn with the qalam (squirrel-hair brush)
and Chinese indelible ink (this comes in stick form
Step 2: Drawing the outline in pencil and can be from China or Japan, or charcoal/soot is
You should then begin to draw on the burnished more traditional; these can be bought at specialist artist
wasli, using hard pencils (usually 2H6H). The pencils material shops). The pencil line is then erased.
are sharpened in a special manner, by exposing the
lead and rubbing it on fine sandpaper. The point of Step 4: Applying white pigment
the pencil should be as fine as a needle. Hard pencils If the painting is planned to be in full colour, white
are used because they are light in tone and maintain pigment, or zinc white (safaida) with gum arabic,
their sharp edge longer. Drawing is generally done is applied to the whole surface with a thick brush.
gently, with very little pressure applied on the pencil. This will later enhance the brilliance of the colours. Step 4: Mixing white pigment

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 Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting | Creating a painting Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting | Creating a painting

Step 5: Applying colour

Substantial areas of the composition such as the
sky, the floor or large surfaces can now be filled
out with the appropriate colours. Once these have
been completed, smaller areas of the painting may
be coloured in. It is important that application of
the colour is constant in quality and tone. When the
paint is applied, the brush should be full. Once it is
placed on the surface of the work, the paint should
flow off it smoothly. The technique of applying the
paint is very delicate: the brush should hardly touch
the surface of the paper, but should simply move the
liquid paint on it. Consistency is achieved by mixing
the pigment well in its container before application.
The paint should not be too light or too heavy, but
should be just enough for the brush to hold. This can Step 5: Applying colour
be checked by dipping the brush in the paint and
placing it on the painting surface. If the paint falls off Step 7: Adding detail
the brush, then it is too thin; if the pigment does not Once the colour surface of the painting is even in
spread smoothly, then it is too thick. The paint should tone and quality, the detailing and finishing begin.
always flow smoothly off the brush. This stage is called pardakht, a Persian term that
literally means upbringing and is used because this
Step 6: Correcting inconsistencies is when the painting is brought to maturity. There
The paint should be left to dry, and, once dried, it are two ways in which the stage can be achieved.
should be checked carefully for inconsistencies or First, a series of very thin dots can be applied while
areas that need to be corrected. To amend these, mix moving the qalam in a clockwise, circular motion:
a minute quantity of pigment with some water to these dots gradually build up the required element in
create a tone of the same colour. This tone should be terms of tone and intensity. Alternatively, a series of
applied very delicately with a medium-sized brush. very thin, small lines can be applied by moving the
The liquid that is mixed should be barely perceptible, brush from left to right. This process is considered to
and several layers will be needed to build up the be the most delicate stage of the painting and has to
constant tone of the colour surface. This procedure be executed with great patience. Once all details and
is equivalent to darning a textile and should in due highlights have been painted, decorative elements
course become invisible. The procedure is called tapai such as ornamental, floral and geometric patterns
and is probably the most difficult stage of the painting can be applied. This is done with the qalam, using
process, since the brush is relatively large and the line drawing.
tones have to be applied in a very subtle manner.
If the pigment is applied incorrectly at this stage,
the painting may be ruined.

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 Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting | Creating a painting Methods and Techniques | Mughal and Persian Miniature Painting | Creating a painting

Step 8: Creating a border

Once the painting process is finished, a line, or a series
of lines, is drawn to define the edge of the painting.
This is called hashia, which in Persian means drawing a
line around. The lines are drawn with black or brown
ink, and the gaps in between are sometimes filled with
colour. An appropriate pattern for a border is then
chosen to complement the lines and the composition
of the painting. The border is often drawn on a roll of
paper, the thickness of which is related to the scale of
the painting. The border is then cut and pasted around
the painting, or else it can be painted in position and
then adorned with painted or gilded effects.

Step 9: Burnishing the painting

Finally, if necessary the painting should be burnished
to give a glazed finish. This is achieved by placing
a thin tissue on top of the painting and rubbing it
gently with a seashell, agate or marble.
Step 8: Creating a border
Alternative techniques
The technique of miniature painting described above A completed Persian miniature by Jethro Buck
is called gach rang. Gach literally means chalk, and rang
colour. This process is the most common traditional
method of miniature painting. There are, however,
two other methods that are also used: neem rang and
siah qalam.
Neem rang is another Persian term, meaning less
colour. With this style of painting, the artist uses very
small amounts of colour, usually just a light wash that
is laid onto the surface. Details and features are applied
using the technique of pardakht, as described above.
Siah qalam involves no application of colour at all.
Instead, a line drawing is applied by the technique of
pardakht, using the squirrel-hair brush.
Neem rang and siah qalam are usually used when the A Mughal miniature, its outer border still in progress
subject matter is fairly simple and needs an appropriate
style of presentation. Both techniques require the
highest degree of skill and patience. They are delicate
and errors are more difficult to conceal. Step 9: Burnishing the painting

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