Course Contents

Lesson 1 : Introduction of the Artist ( KalaKaar Ka Parichay )

7 Minutes

Lesson 2 : Introduction of the Artform ( Kala Ka Parichay )

6 Minutes

Lesson 3 : Introduction of Materials used in Bikaner Miniature

13 Minutes

Lesson 4 : Composition

29 Minutes

Lesson 5 : Colour Theory

15 Minutes

Lesson 6 : Main Artwork : Sketching Colouring and Finishing

2 hours 20 mins

Details

Lesson 1

Meet Mahaveer Swami, the last remaining pillar of the Mughal-born Bikaner School of Painting, Join his efforts to safeguard and revive his Bikaner’s heritage artistry.

Lesson 2

Understand the birth and evolution of Bikaner art as Master Artist Mahaveer Swami takes you through historical, religious and regional influences that contributed towards its development.

Lesson 3

Learn about the materials that build Mahaveer Swami’s unique palette. This lesson will teach you the basics of natural colour-making using minerals, stones and insects.

Lesson 4

Become familiar with composing a traditional Bikaner painting. This lesson will teach you how to use canvas space effectively, and illustrate precise human anatomy and facial features.

Lesson 5

Mix and match the subtle colours of Mahaveer Swami’s palette to compose the perfect Bikaner painting. Understand the shades and hues of popular motifs from this short display of his works.

Lesson 6

Pick up your brushes because we will try to replicate one of Mahaveer Swami’s Krishna paintings. Pace yourself and carve up some time daily to follow this tutorial and bring to life your very own Bikaner painting. This lesson is divided into three videos - sketching, coloring and finishing.

Artist

Mahaveer Swami

Born in 1959 at Bikaner in state of Rajasthan in India, Mahaveer Swami received his initial training at home and later accomplished Diploma in Painting & Sculpture at the Rajasthan School of Art in Jaipur. Meanwhile he mastered in traditional style of painting under guidance of his mentor late Shri Vedpal Sharma “Bannu”.
He has exhibited in over 60 galleries in India from 1986 to 2021 in the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Pune, and internationally in Paris, Brussels, Jerusalem, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Wave Hill, New York and Denver in the U.S.A., Japan, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Spain and Australia. He has given workshops in India at over 15 locations in various festivals and camps in Bikaner, Jaipur, Udaipur, Mount Abu and Haryana from 1996 through 2021 and given Demonstrations and Training Programmes in India from 1986 through 2021. Internationally he has taught in Paris, Cairo, Jerusalem, Dubai, Bhutan, Algeria, Taiwan, Belgium, Shanghai, and Hong Kong and in the USA in Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. He has received around 10 major awards for his exquisite artwork, including the Master Craftsman Award (National Award). Swami’s work is in the collections of over 17 museums and galleries in India and internationally in Jerusalem, Berlin, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA), Camden, Maine (USA), New York, Paris, Belgium and Algeria. His artwork appears in several books, magazines and online blogs. His work is in the permanent collection of Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, the Museum Of Sacred Art in Durbuy, Belgium, the Cultural International Festival of Miniature & Illumination in Tlemcen, Algeria and in One Asia Project, Auroville, Pondicherry.

Art Form

Bikaner

The Bikaner style of painting is a sub-school of the Rasjasthani miniature art. It is also the closest sub-school to the Mughal miniature style. A famous painter Rukh-ud-din bought many decani art elements to the Bikaner painting style. Such as rendering fountains, and depiction of nature and nature based background. The Bikaner paintings can be seen on the walls of the heritage monuments across Bikaner, Jodhpur and Shekhavati. The main themes of Bikaner paintings are scenes from Indian mythology and the Rajasthani way of life. Also depicted are the episodes from religious stories such as Bhagwad Gita, Shivpurana, etc. Bikaner paintings depict beautiful portraits in an almost Mughal miniature style and are made with delicate lines.

Customer Reviews

FAQs

What is the difference between Masterclasses and LIVE workshops?

Masterclasses are complete pre-recorded courses of 7-8 parts that have been researched and recorded by us at the Master artists homes. LIVE workshops happen in real time over zoom along with the Master Artist and a small like-minded group. Live workshops have different levels. We only have a few Masterclasses right now - Lippan art from Kutch and Pichwai art from Nathdwara, Rajasthan and are producing and adding more every month. While we cover more than 60 heritage art and craft forms in our live workshops already.

I am a beginner, which class would you recommend for me?

You could attend a beginner friendly live workshop (or even a masterclass if its Lippan or Pichwai you are interested in) and then join the foundations or advanced LIVE workshops. The different levels for the LIVE workshops are- Beginner, Foundations and Advanced.

Are materials included in the masterclasses and LIVE workshops?

Materials are not included in the masterclasses but you can order from our list of authentic art kits and materials in addition to the masterclass. For the live workshops, materials are included in some of the live workshops as part of the workshop and it would be mentioned in the workshop description.

What is covered in the different levels of the LIVE workshops and in the Masterclasses?

Beginner Friendly- These are usually 1-2 classes of 2 hours each and one of the simpler artworks and motifs of that art style are covered in the beginner friendly workshops as an introduction to that art form.
Foundations- In the foundations live workshops, the workshops are structured to teach you the basic motifs and foundations of that art style , the focus is not on completing a painting but the elements taught in each class are incorporated in a painting and a few different compositions are also taught
Advanced- in the Advanced live workshop, usually the focus is on completing a more elaborate and intricate painting - no basic motifs are covered in the advanced workshops.
Masterclass-A masterclass is structured as 7-8 pre-recorded classes covering introduction of the artform, introduction of the artist, introduction of the different traditional materials used in that art and then 3 artworks are usually taught ranging from beginner to intermediate.

Do I get a certificate for completing a LIVE Workshop or a Masterclass?

Yes, going forward, our platform will automatically award you a certificate on behalf of MeMeraki for completing a workshop with us and being a patron of the arts. This will be accessible via the ‘My Workshops’ section under each workshop that you have attended after Nov 2021.