All About Tangkas
If you are familiar with Tibetan art work, then you may have encountered Tangkas. Tangkas are large-scale works of art originating from Tibet. These large-scale paintings often feature animals and landscape scenery and are traditionally created using water paints. There are many different styles of Tangkas, and they are typically classified according to the level of detail in the painting. The following art forms are the most common type of Tangkas.
Tangkas, spelt as tingka, tangkanset, or tarzanset, is generally a large-scale, traditionally illustrated meditation or prayer painting on silk, cloth, or wood. A traditional example of a tangkas is the so called Kyan Khyenter. This is one of the most popularly preserved examples of tangkas. The main aim of the artist is to create a collage of images related in the most natural way to the natural phenomena in and around meditation. The artists who created this beautiful artwork used a wide range of tools such as brush, ink, charcoal, water, silk flowers, paper, and grass.
Tibetan Tangkas online can be painted on a variety of surfaces, including paper, canvas, wood, metal, and bamboo. It has been said that, in addition to painting, an artist should also practice dancing when using this medium. The forms of this type of painting are highly appreciated in today's contemporary art scene. The main aim of the artist is to bring forth the full essence of reality, while bringing it into a meditative state. Many people consider this type of painting to be spiritual in nature, because the imagery involved can bring enlightenment to the artist as well as the viewer.
Another form of the artwork is called gongpo. In many temples located in China and Tibet, you will find an area called the guru temple where artists painted various aspects of the guru, such as the colors red and yellow representing the Buddha and flowers, grass and leaves, which are representative of nature. The artist must also bring out the various characteristics of each object by painting it with different shades of red and yellow. The colors used in the Tibetan tangkas are generally monochrome. However, there are many different depictions of nature and natural objects in these paintings, which can be mixed and matched to create a unique painting.
The mandala is the central figure in the tangkas, and this particular shape was especially chosen for the profusion of colors associated with the Buddhist religion. Masks of Buddha, figures of animals, and other icons of nature and the spiritual world were created with the help of different mandalas. The artisans had to carefully choose the shapes and colors of the mandala that would best depict the Buddhist concept. Every aspect of the Mandala was carefully considered to make a well balanced Tibetan wallpaper. This is because the symbols on the Tibetan wall paper are supposed to represent not only the spiritual world but also the everyday world of man.
Tangkas are traditionally painted with different images, and these are usually used as instruction tools for meditation. The anpa cloth, which is also known as the rosary in some Tibetan circles, is one of the most commonly used meditation deities in the mandalas. It is believed that the anpa cloth was discovered by a monk while he was alone carrying out his meditation practices on a mountain, and from there it was taken up by the religion. The anpa cloth is often used as a loose material, worn on the head, to help lead the mind into inner peace and serenity. The rosary is very much a part of the tradition of the tangkas, although the anpa cloth is also often used to give protection during the sessions of the meditation deity.
Some tangkas have very rich colors, and they may be used to depict the king of kings, the lord of lords, the protector of holy things, all according to the preference of the practitioner. As the tradition of the tangkas evolved, there were many different types of tangkas, and among them there were sampus and sampingi. Sampingi is a more simplified version of the tangkas, which features colorful motifs and ornate designs.
In modern times, the traditional forms of the tangkas and of the Tibetan Buddhist paintings are still very much prevalent. There are even classes on both topics in most local temples. You will often see the picture of Buddha, the mandala, and a vase of flowers when you take up a class on the symbolism of tangkas and Tibetan Buddhism.