Hand Painting

Pichwaii are Indian religious paintings done in a variety of styles and used to tell stories, including the loose watercolor and the highly refined miniature styles of animals pictured here. On my pillows, you can really see the amazing painted details – a bird’s smallest feather and an elephant’s ankle bracelet-that sometimes are too small to see in the traditional miniatures.

The Process

My painters are skilled artisans in Jaipur who will spend up to two whole days working on a single pillow. Occasionally, one design will receive special attention: a lucky elephant gets decked out in a few extra jewels or a peacock gets a few extra feathers.

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Step 1: Mixing Colors

The painter begins by mixing his paints. He does this by hand, and as precise as he is, there are likely slight variations between batches.

Step 2: Tracing

The painter first traces the design with a pencil or a light brush. The outline is then made with the darker colors. The fabric we use to paint on does not absorb color easily; so, one has to go over the same line several times to get it right.

Step 3: Fill In

Then, the assistants fill in the various colors, again painting them in several layers to get consistency. If not, the ground fabric is visible. In some cases, the ground showing is good, but in most cases, it needs to be made opaque.

Step 4: Master Details

Finally, the master painter finishes each piece individually with all the highlights and the various shadings to give it that special look to it.

Step 5: Many Moons Ago

John and the master painter many moons ago when we started working together.

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