Forum
Welcome! Have a look around and join the discussions.
Come across any new miniature-related exhibitions or exciting projects recently? Launched or completed your own?
What initially sparked your interest in miniature painting? Where are you now on your journey? Where do you hope to go?
All the essential equipment you need for miniature painting, reviews, tips and recommendations, where to buy..
Want to learn miniature painting? Online and studio-based courses, classes, tailor made bespoke private lessons, tutors
All about the wider world of miniature painting: style, line, shadow, perspective, memory, mastery, poetry...
Put your brushes down for a mo, stretch your legs and arch your back, and come and have a cup of tea and a chit chat
What do you think of the Conference of the Birds Miniature Painting Forum? How can it better?
Welcome to our Monthly Miniature Meeting, free and open to all, usually on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Details and Zoom link here.
Share your work in progress, get feedback, ideas and support from the community, stay motivated and encourage others too
Tracing, transferring, inking in, colour filling, rendering, tapai, pardakht, shading, details, mi rang, siyah qalam...
Have a general concern or specific query about a painting you'd like to troubleshoot? Share your challenges and advice
As a painter, I'm very inspired by writers writing about painting and love to read about it through their eyes. Do you?
- NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTSThis traditional 16th century painting is by Persian artist Habiballah of Sava. Considered to be one of the best known illustrations in Islamic art, Concourse of the Birds depicts the main story in the original manuscript of Farid al-Din Attar's mystical poem Mantiq al-tair (Language of the Birds). To see all 8 illustrations in this manuscript, and for more detailed information, see https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/mant/hd_mant.htmLike
- TUITIONA Unique Analytical Approach to Manuscript Illumination in Several Layers Starts 7 May | £600 | Online Book now Welcome to the Make a Carpet Page course! It's my analytical approach to manuscript illumination in several layers and the course is divided into 12 chapters. I'll really hold your hand throughout the whole process and we'll take it very slowly so you understand the methods and methodologies. I'll break everything down into small parts so that you can really absorb them. By the end of the course you'll have your very own carpet page, unique to you with the colours you've chosen. Alternatively, and if you're a beginner, you are welcome to use my drawings and either trace or redraw them and colour them in your own way. This version of the live class is to make a Western carpet page (as shown in the images), using the same or similar techniques as in my carpet page manual, including analysis, traced elements and colour design (you are free to recreate or choose your own colours). Recreate the carpet pages of Luke and Mark from one of the most famous manuscripts in the world, the Book of Kells. You can work from real or imitation vellum, parchment or paper, as you prefer. This is for the LIVE online classes in which we work through the Make a Carpet Page e-course together. I will likely run only one Carpet Page cohort per year for the next couple of years only (there are only so many carpet pages one wants to produce among the myriad other splendid things there are to paint!). The separate, standalone e-course can be found here: https://vaishaliprazmaricarpetpage.thinkific.com/courses/make-a-carpet-page You do not need to get both: you could do the live classes and I can take you through the process live, step-by-step. Or you could just do the self-paced, self-study e-course alone, which I designed to be like an old fashioned painting manual or textbook. The live classes will be based on this textbook I created, and there are some aspects that can be a little complex if you're doing it alone as a beginner, and that I can help you with during the live sessions. If you do decide to get both it will likely save you a lot of note-taking and record-keeping time as there is a whole wealth of information and knowledge contained there conveniently, and you can then focus your energies on making your own carpet page. It will also serve as a souvenir of the class and jog your memory for future. Additionally, should you decide to get both, when the e-course is purchased once and downloaded it is yours to keep forever! There are 12 sessions (no class on 2 July). Upcoming Sessions Dates: 7 May 2024 - 31 July 2024 Total of 12 sessions • Tuesday 7 May, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 14 May, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 21 May, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 28 May, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 4 June, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 11 June, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 18 June, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 25 June, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 9 July, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 16 July, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 23 July, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time • Tuesday 30 July, 11pm - midnight British Summer Time Book nowLike
- TUITIONThe most beautiful building in the world Starts 7 May | £199 | Online Book now Paint the most beautiful building ever built - the Taj Mahal. It's also known as the most perfect building in the world (I guess symmetrically, geometrically, symbolically, aesthetically, historically...?). That's it - just a simple painting honouring this wonder building and a fitting end to the official Architecture in miniature painting series. We'll still paint the built environment - we'll just be more equipped with the skills to do so and even to design our own. Little buildings and crazy perspectives will continue to pepper our paintings. And I hope you remember the Taj Mahal forever, and also that we all get to see it once in our lifetimes. I recommend the play 'Guards at the Taj' by Rajiv Joseph - if you are unable to see it, the script is fairly cheap to buy and very quick to read (an hour or less, and certainly in one sitting or evening). The play really makes you think about the legacy of beauty, the point of beauty and also the cost of beauty. Please note that the third session will run at a slightly earlier time: 5pm - 6pm London time instead of the usual time. You're welcome to join the Miniature Monthly Meeting, link over at the Forum. Upcoming Sessions Dates: 7 May 2024 - 28 May 2024 Total of 4 sessions • Tuesday 7 May, 6pm - 7pm British Summer Time • Tuesday 14 May, 6pm - 7pm British Summer Time • Tuesday 21 May, 6pm - 7pm British Summer Time • Tuesday 28 May, 6pm - 7pm British Summer Time Book nowLike