How it is made

Different kinds of non-painted Thangkas:

1. EMBROIDERED THANGKA
2. GLUED APPLIQUÉ THANGKA
3. APPLIQUÉ THANGKA
4. WOVEN THANGKA
5. BLOCK OR SCREEN PRINTED ON CLOTH THANGKA

Each has its own backgrounds and unique features, but here we will focus only on appliqué thangka.

The technique of making appliqué thangka is that each section of the image is produced separately, then dovetailed into one to another and fastened onto a background material to form the overall visual impact of thangka. Pieces are laid one next to another to create a smooth surface or sometimes they are overlapped to give a slight semblance of the third dimension. There are ten stages of drawing in making a complete appliqué thangka. Unlike the painted thangka where detailed linear is done on the last stages, the linear detailing of an appliqué thangka is worked into each piece as it is constructed. The outline cording (tangchey) is the last sewn part to be added to the individual piece before the form is finally cut, clipped and tucked into a completed piece of the puzzle.