Process

Thangkas are usually placed upright in a rectangular shape while there are a few that deal with subjects of Mandala that are square. Cotton canvas and linen cloth are the common fabrics on which pictures are painted with mineral and organic pigments (important Thangkas use ground gold and gemstones as pigments). A typical Thangka has a printed or embroidered picture mounted on a piece of colorful silk. A wooden stick is attached on the side from the bottom to the top to make it easier to hang and roll up.

Painting a Thangka usually starts by stretching a piece of cotton cloth on a wooden frame along its sides. Then, a certain type of gesso is spread over both the front and back of the canvas to block the holes and then scraped off to produce smooth surfaces. Afterwards, some orienting lines are drawn to guide the sketching. By following a fixed proportion, images are then roughly drawn. The featured deity or saint occupies the center while other attendant deities or monks surround the central figure and along the border, and is comparatively smaller in size. Next is coloring. Painters apply pigments on the sketch. Black, green, red, yellow and white are the basic colors used in coloring. All the colors are mixed with animal glue and ox bile to keep them bright. Shading is then done to produce better pictorial effects. At the final stage, facial features and eyes are finished, which is sacredly done only after a ritual held on a fixed day. After detail finishes, the canvas is removed from the frame and mounted on a piece of brocaded silk. The wooden sticks are attached to the top and bottom of the silk. After a dust cover of gossamer silk is attached it is ready to be hung up.

 Classification

Thangka can be made in a wide variety of techniques: silk tapestry with cut designs, color printing, embroidery, brocade, applique, and pearl inlay. The content ranges from Buddhas to the history and folk customs of Tibet. Hence the various types.

The common appearance of Thangka, with a scroll at the bottom, is usually 75 centimeters long and 50 centimeters wide. Besides, there is the banner style, and this kind of Thangka is 1.1 meters long and about 3.5 meters wide.

According to the material, Thangka can be divided into two types: one is made of silk and this kind is called gos-thang; the other, called bris-thang, is made of pigment. The gos-thang is printed on the canvas while the bris-thang is painted on the canvas.