MADHUBANI PAINTINGS :

Madhubani painting comes from the Indian villages of Madhubani and Mithila in Bihar. These paintings are done on various mediums such as cloth, hand made paper and canvas. The main themes of Madhubani paintings contain images of Hindu deities such as Krishna, Ram, Shiva, Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati. Also you will be able to find beautiful Madhubani paintings of sun, moon and tulsi or the sacred basil plant revered very much by the Hindus. Scenes of royal courts and social events such as celebration of wedding are also beautifully depicted in Madhubani paintings The main categories in Madhubani paintings are:
Traditional, Monochrome, tattoo, Contemporary, Animals and Birds.

Technique: Technique requires simple raw materials that are easily located in villages such as bamboo sticks and cotton. Firstly the cotton is wrapped around a bamboo stick to serve as a brush. Then the brush is dipped in colors and applied on to the fabric. No shading technique is used. The outline is done with double lines. Colors are not used in linear paintings. Vegetable colors are used making use of natural resources. For e. g. Black – By blending soot and cow dung Yellow - From turmeric, pollen, lime, milk of banyan leaves, Blue –Indigo, Red - Kusam flower juice or red sandalwood Green - wood apple tree leaves White - Rice powder Orange - Palasha flowers. In the Madhubani painting, the treatment of color is beautifully done. The themes of daily activities, nature, flora and fauna and Hindu Gods are the most prominent. The Madhubani painting is a traditional folk art form, which has succeeded in creating a place for itself internationally and is recognized world over.