Patachitra

Patachitra Painting was originally done on strips of palm leaf with a brass stylus. This particular art form always shown human figures in profile, and their eyes are painted in at the very end to imbue life into the figure. If it is a picture of a god or goddess, the moment the eye is painted it is believed that the spirit of th esacred entity comes to reside within it. The stances of human figures in this art form have a sculptured quality, akin to classical odishi dance. 

Patachitra painting is highly stylized and often miniaturized when done with a handcrafted etching pen on palm leaf. Traditionally, Patachitra artists prepared illustrated manuscripts in Odisha. Even when art works are done on paper or canvas, they are specially treated to create the required surface for painting with stone colours that are prepared locally by te artist himself.