BASIC GUIDELINES FOR PAINTING A KERELA MURAL. Outline is given to the whole design. White colour of the canvas is retained as the white colour in the design, only outline is done in these areas. To each and every part of the design a diluted base coat is given.

Then shading is done with a little darker shade of base colour such that colour is darker at the outline and lighter in centre. Lastly stippling is done with even more darker shade of base colour which is denser near the outline and less dense at the centre.

After it completely dries a very watery wash is given on top with the base colour (the lightest shade that you had used in the beginning).

Now lets begin..

Preferably draw the design on the Fine Art Canvas lightly. Or you can trace the design.

Outline the whole design using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Crimson. Refer picture.

Fill the base colour using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Chrome Yellow + Yellow Ochre. Use diluted colour and paint the whole design leaving areas that have to be coloured white and blue (Krishna’s body). Refer picture. White portions are retained as white colour of the canvas.

Shade the background using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Orange + base colour. Stipple with the darker shade of background colour using thicker Fine Art Brush. Note that stippling is not very dense and use gradation from light to dark- where darker shade is used around the figures. Refer picture. Leave to dry completely. Give a wash on the above coloured area with a diluted Fevicryl Acrylic Colour-Orange.

Follow the same technique to paint other areas to which you have already given the base colour of Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Crimson. i.e. Radha’s body, dress and ornaments, Krishna’s dress, ornaments, etc. Shade with a darker shade of base colours and then stipple with more darker shade in gradation from out to in. Refer picture. Leave to dry completely. Give a wash on the above coloured area with a very diluted Fevicryl Acrylic Colour-Orange.

For Krishna’s body use Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- White + Prussian Blue + Black. Give diluted base coat of lighter shade, then shade outline using a bit darker shade. Refer picture. Stipple with a darker shade from outline

Paint the hairs of Krishna & Radha using the outline colour i.e. Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Crimson + Black. Paint the eyes of Radha and Krishna using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna and Orange for the eyeball & use Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Black to outline the eyeball and kajal. Paint the lips pf Radha & Krishna using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Crimson + Orange. Outline the same with Crimson colour. Ornaments are kept base white with only outline. Refer picture.

Similarly paint the tree and leaves with diluted base coat, darker shading at outlines and stippling from out to in with a more darker shade using Fevicryl acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Chrome Yellow + Yellow Ochre. Refer picture.

You can repeat the outlining the whole design using Fevicryl Acrylic Colour- Burnt Sienna + Crimson. Leave to dry completely.