Kailashchand Kumawat

A miniature painting is an intricate form of illustration, executed meticulously with delicate brushwork. This exquisite form of art was used in early times to document historical accounts, literary works of poetry and prose, biography and important texts. Though the history of miniature painting can be traced to the sixth century AD, this form of art flourished in the court of the Moghuls and then spread to other kingdoms of north India creating the Rajput, Pahadi, Punjab, Jaipur, Kota, Boondi, Kangra, Alwar, Malwa, Bikaner and many other schools, each with its own distinct style of miniature paintings. The artists painted on a variety of materials like paper, ivory-panels, wooden tablets, leather, marble, cloth and walls and used colours derived from minerals, vegetables, precious stones, indigo, conch shells, pure gold and silver. The brushes were made from very fine hair, mostly squirrel hair. Even today masters of miniature painting follow the same methods and use the same natural colours to create their masterpieces. They frequently use paper from old manuscripts and books for their paintings.