Rooftop – Where India Inspires Creativity

Kerala Mural Workshop With Sushila Prakash

Kerala Mural Workshop With Sushila Prakash

The Kerala Mural painting is an intricate hand painting that reflects traditional mythologies in form of art. These paintings can be easily found on the walls of temple and churches in South India. Most of the noted mural works of Kerala were done between the 15th and 19th centuries. They bear a stamp of uniqueness in techniques used and aesthetics. Today the trend has shifted from wall murals to those painted on canvas and paper. Mrs Sushila Prakash is a Lawyer by profession and also an absolute art enthusiast who learned Kerala Mural painting by organizing art workshops for others. She would observe the technique of painting and later practice at home and share the work with the master. 

At the beginning of the workshop

Before drawing the art subject on paper, Sushila explained to the participants about the autonomy of different mural paintings. Kerala Mural usually includes a lot of human figures, but to start for beginners, the main subject for this workshop was louts. Sushila is very particular about her designs and uses scales to measure and mark the drawing points. Once all the drawing points were marked, it was time to connect the dots and draw the petals and stem of the lotus flower. It was by far the perfect symmetrical we have ever seen! 

After the drawing was in place, it was time to add colour to our canvas. Sushila shared a few important tips on the size of the paintbrush and the quantity of colour to water. The first step of painting was to outline by combining two red colours and completing the arch in one stroke. After the red outline, it was time to fill the combination of yellow colour in the stem and the petals. 

Towards the end of the workshop

After the yellow colour on the petals was dry, the next step was to add the tint of ready to it and let it dry before we gave the final shading and outline to it. In the meantime, Sushila taught how to give the shading of green to the stem of the flower. At the end of the workshop, the final touch was given to the masterpiece. 

The entire process of painting the Kerala Mural with Sushila was no less than an art meditation where we focused on the minute art details, forgetting about the world outside. 

Rooftop as always was successful in connecting artists and curating a magical and positive vibe together. We keep organizing such creative workshops to keep everyone productive and creative.

Stay safe and stay creative! Here’s us signing off, until next time!

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