THE ART OF MINIATURE PAINTING
4 - 7 February 1997

Two-day advanced miniature painting workshops were led by artist Anita Chowdry and were directed at confident amateurs who had experience of miniature painting.

The course began with viewing the beautiful Elizabethan miniatures on display on the top floor of the gallery. Hilliard's portrait of Elizabeth I and others of her courtiers were compared with postcards showing those produced in India at the same time. The remainder of the morning was spent discussing miniature painting techniques, making and mixing the paints, and the application of real gold to a vellum surface.

The rest of the course was devoted to painting individual miniatures. The long sessions allowed students to better understand and explore the technique of miniature painting. The colours displayed in the original paintings with their contrasting surfaces of drapery, clothing, hair and jewels provided students with inspiration and an interesting challenge.

British and Indian miniatures painted by students
using postcards for scale and detail references 

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All images and text are subject to copyright protection. 20 November 2008