15 Border and Animal Designs

Madhubani border design samples:

COPYRIGHT NOTE: you can copy, use and sell (use for commercial purposes if you give credit to CrazyLassi).

Indian Fabric Designs - Ideas for Madhubani Paintings

When making a Madhubani painting, many things can act as an inspiration. Indian fabric designs is one of them. Indian clothes' embroidery and prints are somewhat like Madhubani paintings. They have borders, flowers, contrasting colors.

One day I just went through all my mother-in-law's and my saris, suits, shawls, dupattas and bed sheets and took photos of the flowers and borders on them. When I finished all our cloth patterns and designs we went to our neighbor to take photos of her saris.

This is to show you some folk designs commonly used on Indian clothes and fabric. I have noticed that flowers and patterns are very similar as to those in Madhubani paintings. So why not use some in your paintings?

Shawl border design      

Using Madhubani Style to Illustrate Stories

Japanese story "Rashomon" illustrated in Madhubani style:

(Excerpts are from the story "Rashomon" from the book "Breaking Into Japanese Literature" by Giles Murray).

"One day, in the evening, a servant was waiting beneath the Rashomon gate for the rain to stop. 

There was no one but this one man beneath the broad gate."

COPYRIGHT NOTE: you can copy and use it but not sell!

"Shiva-Parvati" Madhubani Painting - Step-by-Step

Warning: this post is being written by someone who loves painting Madhubani but is not a professional Madhubani artist. These instructions on how to make a Madhubani are based on some drawing experiences via copying and researching the village art but are not supervised by any Madhubani teacher. This is meant for sharing the already learnt experiences. This post is written by a foreigner who lives in India.

Painting a Madhubani Painting

If you are reading this post, you have probably seen what a Madhubani painting looks like and would like to learn how to paint it. Indeed, painting a Madhubani painting can be extremely relaxing and fulfilling at the same time. Any art enables the mind to flow free and that's how we feel nice and fresh afterwards. There are  always things we cannot talk out loud or there are things we want to do but can't and art is the medium through which we can achieve these goals on the mental level and calm down the soul. When painting a Madhubani painting you might keep these things in mind:

* Drawing a Madhubani is easy;
* No previous artistic experience is required;
* Often look at other Madhubani paintings;
* Remember the way you drew as a child;
* Madhubani art is a primitive art;
* You can make mistakes, it's OK;
* Imagine every object of the world as a circle; a square or a triangle;
* Relax and draw; don't think (It's a little like those drawing you do when speaking on the phone...)

What will you need:

* A handmade paper (only because handmade paper absorbs the paint);
* Use the paper that is yellowish or brownish to create a cow-dung coated village wall illusion;
* Draw straight with you nib and ink or a marker. Small mistakes will make your painting more primitive, more human;
* A box of acrylic paint (I use only acrylic at the moment).
* 000 size brushes (very thin brushes)...

We are going to make this picture:

COPYRIGHT NOTE: you can copy and use it but not sell!

How to Make a Madhubani Painting - Outline Later

I have been captivated by Madhubani ever since I saw a painting of Lord Ganesha at our neighbor's house. It was a small and simple Madhubani painting made on a handmade paper using poster colors and outlined with a black marker.

I haven't been in Bihar and all my Madhubani knowledge came from looking at the Madhubani paintings at the art shops, other people's homes and - the Internet.

As a beginner I am trying to experiment with different materials in order to discover the second most authentic way of making it after the flower extracts mixed with the cow dung.

Madhubani painting of Lord Ganesha at the neighbor's house 

Popular Madhubani Designs

DOUBLE OUTLINES

One of the most important Madhubani features is - double outlines. Double outlines create an authentic Indian pattern that is used in printing (bed-sheets, clothes' designs), sculpture, metallurgy and mehendi (or henna) designs.

Leave design samples

Introduction to Madhubani and My First Paintings

Recently I really got interested in traditional Bihari art - Madhubani. It is performed by the women in villages of Bihar. They draw traditional designs and epic scenes on their house walls during festivals.

COPYRIGHT NOTE: you can copy and use it but not sell!

Mother Sun

Why I Like Madhubani

Once I went to our neighbor's house for some dahi khatta* and saw these amazing  Madhubani paintings hanging on the wall. There were the paintings of gods Shiva and Parvati, Lakshmi and Ganesh. I was completely new to India that time and there were many things that stunned me but unlike other things, Madhubani didn't come out of my mind.

About Introduction to Madhubani Painting

Introduction to Madhubani Painting

I have tried to write an introductory post about Madhubani paintings but failed. I wanted to introduce you to Madhubani and Mithila, to tell you about its origins and the story of how it became commercialized however there was some lie about it, some untruth that stopped me from writing such a useless post. I have never been to Bihar or Mithila, I have never attended any class to teach myself Madhubani, I have never read a book nor met anyone who liked painting Madhubani. If you are interested in Mithila art, you could read through those very similar articles in section "Other Madhubani Blogs" on the right side of this blog.

The Madhubani Artist that sold me two Madhubani paintings,  Delhi Hath