Customer Reviews

Tibetan Thangka Painting: Methods & Materials

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This book starts with a survey of Tibet's artistic wealth, then immediately begins with the detailed methods needed to paint a thangka, from the canvas, to the brushes, to the pigments. In-depth discussion of proportions is included, and how they were established from varying traditions. Techniques for applying traditional pigments and the methods are covered, as well as how precious metals are applied. The book concludes with how a thangka is finished and framed in brocade. Four appendices cover differences in thangka traditions, where to get traditional tools, a selection of traditional symbols, and how to use modern materials for thangka painting.

I had only two disappointments with the book: That there are no color illustrations, which would have been very nice for the photographs of thangkas and for shading techniques. In some places Tibetan words and names are presented only in Wylie transliteration, which is almost unreadable for most people. It is somewhat understandable, though, since there's no real standard way of phonetically transcribing Tibetan words.

Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to the art of painting Tibetan thangkas.

If you are interested in learning how to create traditional Thangka paintings then this book is for you. I discussed Thangka painting methods and materials with Bhutan Thangka painters at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival this past summer and after purchasing this book I discovered that the methods and materials outlined in this text are aligned and equal to what I learned from my discussion with those who practice this art and create Thangka paintings. I was excited to find the methods and materials in writing. I had wished that the volume would be available in hardcover and wanted it to include an abundance of color plates because this book is a keeper for all serious painters. I recommend this volume for any artist whose has a goal to learn about and preserve a traditional painting art form.

I hope nobody pays any attention to the know-it-all who set about telling the "beginner" all the reasons why they shouldn't just set about trying to paint a thangka. I mean, isn't there always somebody out there telling us why we can't do something, attempting to kill the seed of inspiration before it even has a chance to germinate? There are many, many, many paths one may take in approaching the dharma and if yours is to purchase a book on Tibetan Thangka painting and try your hand at replicating some sacred images, I say go for it. I certainly can't tell what initiations and training you many have undertaken in a previous life and I highly doubt Mr. Know-It-ALL is able to either.

The beook is great! not trying to detract from it but I just want to bring to peoples attention that in the entire book (aside from the cover) THERE ARE NO COLOR PICTURES. That is quite unfortunate, there are tons of great pictures but they are all black & white. A good amount of the beauty of these paintings is derived from the unique color palate associated with this particular art form. Still a very useful & informative book but it should have addressed the color issue in a more comprehensive & visially enhanced manner, ie: with color pictures!
Oh Well! Have fun.

Tashi Delek,

I don't own this book but I do know a lot about thangka + statue painting.

In Colette Evans's review, she says in part:
"If you are like me, a beginner, and you want to learn how to draw Tibetan Thankas - this book won't teach you.".


It shouldn't. Beginners don't draw and paint thangkas.


To properly paint a thangka, you MUST have completed the following:

1) Are well into or finished the preliminary practices.

2) Taken all the necessary vows needed to qualify to take an empowerment of the deity you want to paint. The first vow is taking refuge - you promise to help ALL sentient beings, the 2nd set are the five vows - No killing, No drinking, No lying, No sexual misconduct, No stealing.

3) Taken an empowerment of the deity you want to paint. The ceremony of empowerment can take less than a minute to a couple of weeks. The higher the level, the more vows and the longer and greater your practice will become.

4) Found a qualified teacher and become their student. Your teacher will explain how to properly perform the practice the of the deity. The practice can be simple or very complex. You may only be requested to repeat a short mantra (sentence) a few times a day. The practices of greater depth and difficulty (the Diamond Vehicle for one) require you to take more vows (sometimes several hundred), reciting the sadahna (text) of the deity, making the proper offering, prostrations, reciting the deity's mantra and so forth. It CAN BE very elaborate and time consuming. If you want this kind of teaching.

5) You must actually keep your vows and do your practice, exactly the way your teacher told you to do it.

6) While you are practicing, you will visualize the deity. Yes, this is where you learn the shape, the color, the ornaments, the weapons, the consort, etc. that you now want to paint. This is why it can take years to learn. Some deities have many faces, each a different color and expression. Some deities have many arms and each holds a specific item. That item is a specific size, at a specific angle, is painted specific color(s). you can't put the drilbu in the hand that holds the trident or worse, you can't give an item to the consort that the diety, of your empowerment, is supposed to hold. Just so you know, the hand is usually one color on the outside and another on the palm. The fingers can have a different color on each joint and the fingernails all have a white moon at the base of the nail and well manicured tips! The jewelry all has special meaning, so you have to put it exactly where it needs to be. The 3 necklaces that ment wear and the 2 that women wear. Women wear 2 because they don't need to gain the one representing true caring for others. It's the one that lies over the heart chakra. Men have to learn this, so they wear 3.

There are other things one needs to do before attempting to paint a thangka. I'll skip those and get on with the painting part.

When you are getting ready to paint, you MUST use the best possible materials in your paints. To not do so, is to insult the deity. This is why most paint colors have precious stones, ground into dust, added to them. I was surprised to find out that they always use PURE 24 kt. gold (or as close as they can get to it) on the thangka or statue, when that color is needed (on statues - all skin and parts of patterns on the clothing, the jewelr, etc.).


So, now you are ready to paint. What do you do now?

1) You start your practice and become one with the deity. You have learned this by doing the practice over and over, over many years.

2) You MUST hold the union with the deity AND separate a part of your mind. A part that will visualize exactly, to the smallest detail, what the deity looks like. * You will be the deity AND you will not be the deity at the same time. *

3) ... There is more I can't write about here.

4) It is in this union, with the deity, that a thangka is painted.

No Tibetan monk, lama, tulku, etc. would ever paint a thangka, if they could not achieve this union. ... more things I can't write about. ...

This union is the major part of the empowering of the thangka. Some of the energy of the union goes into the canvas, paint and the figure of the deities.

Thangka's are NOT made to sell to tourists. They are made for spiritual reasons. A student can be greatly helped by one. The energy of the deity will be available to assist them when they need it. It also makes it possible to learn, exact, without mistake, what the deity looks like. A student studying for a test might hang a thangka of the deity Manjushri (He removes impediments to learning) and ask for his help.


Now you know why beginners don't paint thangkas.
They could paint an image, but it wouldn't do what a thangka should do.



I think of it this way.

You want to cook a special meal for a special person.
So, you go find a cook and ask them, to let you watch and talk to them as they prepare the meal that you want to learn to make. When the meal is ready, you sit down and eat the meal. You are able to enjoy the smell of the food, the way the food looks, the way the food feels on your tounge and of course you also enjoy the company of the cook who helped you.

After doing all these things, you are almost certain to succeed in replicating the meal for that special someone.


*An alternate path*

You want to cook a special meal for a special person.
This time you can't find anyone to help you. The only item you do find, is a old newspaper clipping with the recipes needed to make the meal printed on it, in a language you know only a few words of. Along with the recipes is a small black and white photo of the all the dishes on a table.

If you try to make the meal from this piece of paper, you'll most likely
fail, horribly so! You may add the wrong ingredients or add them in the wrong order. You may ... well this is a tragedy waiting to happen.


I hope that now, you can understand why I said that you need to do the things I have listed above before trying to paint a thangka. Things just go, so much better when you take the proper steps, in the proper order, with the proper persons.

If all you really want, is to paint some Buddhist images, try the Tara coloring book. It really is a great book for adults. Many members of my sangha have it and love it.


Now, I ask a favor of you.

Please remember that Tibetans and Buddhists hold all images of this kind to be sacred. If you do get the coloring book or paint some images, please don't toss them out in the trash. They should be burned.

If you can't do that, please take them to a temple and ask a person there to give the papers to one of the monks to burn for you. The people I know would be very impressed that you took the time and made the effort to honor this custom.


I hope this helps,

Janis (Kunga)

I've been Tibetan area in China and Nepal many many times, and have met several Thangka masters, this is the most comprehensive book on the topic. from symbolic meanings to actual techniques, it covers all with genuinely interests and humbleness. i just with they had colored pictures in the book.

This book is not meant for beginners who want to learn how to paint thangkas, since it is impossible to do that from a book. It is a very useful guide for those already learning thangka painting and those interested in the techiques of thangka painting (artists, art students, art scholars).

It takes a minimum of 6 years, full-time, 8 hours-a-day of training to become a beginning thangka painter. There are very few places to learn from true Master's. One is the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamasla, India, but that tends to be only for Tibetan's. The other is at Thangde Gatsal Tibetan Tangkha Painting School and Studio ([...]), also in Dharamsala, India. They have a one-month course for those who want to give it a try before committing to the 6-year program (also good for art students). While spiritual practice is an essential part of thangka painting, long-term student of the Dharma or Tibetan Buddhism should not think that there is any substitute for the 6-year basic training. After 20-30 years of constant painting would someone even begin to be considered a "good" thangka painter let alone a Master.

-- Lopon Claude d'Estree

Excellent book on Thangka painting methods and materials. What I found after reading this book is that there are many similarities in painting Greek Orthodox Icons and that reminded me of something else that I had read in a magazine on spiritual subjects, that in the early days of Christianity when there were monks in hermitages in the desert outside Egypt there was a Tibetan monk or priest that went there and met these Christian monks and when he saw how they were trying to meditate he taught them the correct way to do that (the Buddhist way) and this is the reason that Orthodox Christian meditation is very similar to Buddhist meditation. And there was also in the article a photograph of an Orthodox Monastery from the Holy Mountain of Athos and this Monastery looked exactly like another famous Monastery in Tibet as another photograph from Tibet was showing. So to the author of the article it was evident that there was contact even from very early times between these two religions. Greek religious icons are painted on wood but they like the Tibetans use colors in a powder form and they also use the gold color. And in general there are many similarities. But asides from all that this is a very good book on Tibetan Thangka painting and it is highly recommended.

If you are like me, a beginner, and you want to learn how to draw Tibetan Thankas - this book won't teach you.

An example of what I mean is that the book mentions that students spend years perfecting hands and facial features, and then does not provide examples from which to draw. I suppose the authors felt that since the complete diagrams have hands, that you practice as you draw the entire figure. But these are very complicated figures, and when learning a new art form, it's important to have the process broken down into accessible parts. The complexity of the figures are hard to take in all at once. The references throughout the book of outlines, draping and flowers are completed drawings, not "how-to's".

Unfortunately, this book is very poorly written too. Usually with technical books, the writing is very forgiving because one is looking for 'how to', not pros. But this book is almost incoherent at times.

I was very excited when I ordered this book and very disappointed when I received it.