Palekh Artist Work Place

Palekh artist needs a special table. The table roof must be strictly horizontal for paint not to pour out from the subject painted. In the table-roof there must be a special rectangular opening (40x30 sm.) for the work with high subjects. Case or casket must be in on the same level as table-roof. For painting the sides the case is put on a special plywood comb with the help of which it is balanced in the opening.

The table must have an open drawer for keeping things in work, different materials and tools. Every artist has a special case for keeping tools, materials, brushes, pencils and others. It's size is 35x22x8 sm.

For painting sketches the master needs pencils, elastic, compasses, ruler, small knife and set square. For painting they need a sharp squirrel brush. For drawing the sketch on the surface of the thing they use tzirovka (needle in the wooden hand).

Palekh masters use 6 kinds of brushes:

1. The largest one is thinner than a pencil and it is the bluntest. They put colour on the largest places of the thing painted (roskrysh).
2. The brush of the middle size and middle bluntness. It is used for putting colours on the smaller places of the thing painted.
3. The next brush is thin and sharp. It is used for detailed painting (dress, head and so on).
4. The brush of middle size, middle sharpness and special thinness. It is used for painting heads and naked parts of the body.
5. A very sharp brush is used for painting with gold.
6. A brush like the fifth one is used for painting with aluminium.

The brushes number 5 and 6 are never washed. They are dried and kept carefully from work to work. For spike of the dried brush not to spoil they are put some tubes from duck feather.

Other instruments used by painters:

• a wooden shovel (or metal halo) for mixing egg emulsion;
• a phial for keeping egg emulsion;
• a glass for washing brushes during the work;
• a pot (usually of plastic) for keeping dry colours, elastic and pumice;
• a cup for preparing colours for work;
• three small porcelain saucers: for making up colours, for gold mill, for aluminium mill;
• wolf tooth for polishing gold and aluminium;
• round end scraper for cleaning the cups of dried colours;
• some flannel for wiping hands and brushes;
• goose feather for dusting the thing painted;
• a small bench (size 30x6x4 sm.) for hands (podruchnik) not to put on the thing;
• magnifying glass.