THANGKA PAINTING
Sacred Buddhist Art
Thangka painting is a divine process of transformation whereby the artist creates imagery based on Buddhist philosophy. The symbolic figures and deities represented by the artist often manifest one of the ten paramitas, perfections, which are attributes of universal merit like true generosity and loving-kindness. The themes depicted in a thangka are wide-ranging, from those related to Buddhas of past, present, and future,
Bodhisattvas, or other deities to those of astrological and cosmological diagrams. The attributes corresponding to the painting’s chosen embodiment emit light upon the artist, onlooker, and patron alike.
Thangkas are often meditated in front of for if this illumination is internalised, it may guide us on the path toward enlightenment.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​There exists a divine relation between a thangka painting and its creator; they are indeed inseparable. Although the artist refrains from forming any attachment to their work and likely will not sign their name, the bond forged in the creative process endures through the rendered imagery. For the artist, who must be endowed with a spiritual background and Buddhist temperament, making a thangka is an act of devotion. Before even attempting to draw an image, the artist invests years of practice and learning about the tradition, methods, and sacred significance. Through the mindful realisation of each step, the artist will become a medium through which the deities find their foothold in our realm.
From the creation of the canvas, where a piece of cotton cloth is stretched on a wooden frame, coated in gesso grounds, and polished, the artist envisions and meditates upon the image that will take form. Orientation lines are placed on the canvas so that the central deity may be centred on the vertical axis. The entire composition is drawn first in pencil and then sealed in ink. The artist will not hurry the drawing process as it is here that the imagination is transposed to a visual configuration.
Each paint comes from a mineral pigment; Mother Earth provides us with each colour. Azurite, Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Cinnabar, Orpiment, and others are ground and mixed with glue and water to make the paints. The longevity of a painting is assured by the use of these natural materials, which preserve their colours for centuries. The artist begins to paint colour by colour, starting with the blue sky, until every detail has been compassionately attended to. Shading, the step to follow, lends a three-dimensional feel to the scene. This process requires intense concentration and a pure mind, as the masterful artist applies one-haired lines or tiny dots to achieve the desired effect. With each brushstroke, more harmony of colours is brought upon the canvas—whispering prayers of Buddhist teachings through each precise mark. The figures are outlined with the finest brushes in inks. Pure gold lines and patterns are delicately applied throughout the landscape and adornments of the deity. The gold is polished with a sharp stone to make it glow, ground into particles, and then transposed onto the image, enriching its virtue.
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In the final steps of creation, the artist prepares for the “opening of the eyes,” which always look inward, of the deity, allowing it to return its gaze upon the artist and to intimate its presence before us. The artist consecrates the transcendental thangka by writing “om, ah, hum” on the back of the canvas behind the deity’s forehead, throat, and heart. While the consecrated painting is mounted, blessed, and seemingly finished, the truth is that a thangka may never be finished as it ceaselessly nurtures its onlookers until all the world’s suffering is eliminated.
From the creation of each thangka, the artist receives wisdom and purpose, prompting a return to the blank canvas, and so the process begins anew.
By- Sophie Vernon
