This is my digital painting. The idol of Lord Ram in the center is surrounded by people in Warli art style celebrating the Ram mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony .
I’ll be providing insights into the fascinating Indian folk art form known as Warli Art. It is a tribal art indigenous to the Maharashtra state in India. Warli Art used to be done as murals outside the walls of houses. Today also Warli art mural outside or inside house wall looks very fascinating. People of all age groups like to do this art form. The simplicity and monochromatic nature of Warli art give it a unique charm.
Key features of Warli art include simple geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and squares to represent human figures, animals, and other elements. The art is characterized by its use of a dark-colored background with white colored lines, or vice versa. One of the most popular themes in Warli art is a spiral chain of humans around one central motif. This is said to represent life’s ‘eternal journey’ that has no beginning and end. Other themes include daily life, rituals, and celebrations.
Here’s a basic guide on how to create Warli art:
Materials needed: Paper or canvas, Acrylic or poster colours, Brushes, and Pencil, and a palette.
Steps:
1. Prepare the Surface:Start with a clean, smooth surface. Traditionally, Warli art is done on walls, but you can use paper, canvas, or any other surface of your choice.
2. Create Background: Choose the background color, either dark or light. Apply one or two coats to get a nice background. Allow it to dry completely.
3. Draw Basic Shapes: Draw basic shapes with pencil such as circles, triangles, and squares, and lines. It is two-dimensional, so no perspective is needed. Humans are made using a circle for the face and two inverted triangles as a body, with thin lines for hands and legs. To depict a woman, on the circle (face), draw a curved line to depict pony hair or make a little circle for a bun. Remember to keep the lines simple and use dots or other minimal details. You can also add some details such as jewelry, clothing patterns, leaves in the trees using dots and lines. Use a pencil or light-colored chalk to sketch. These will form the foundation of your Warli painting.
4. Paint Figures: Paint with black or white or whichever colour is in contrast to the background, trace over the sketched shapes to create human figures, animals, trees, and other elements.
5. Let it Dry: Allow your painting to dry completely before handling or framing.
It’s a great experience make Warli paintings inspired from traditional Warli paintings. Although, you can also add your own creative elements to make your artwork unique. Have fun experimenting with different compositions and themes within the stylistic framework of Warli art.