Integrating Digital Tools and Sustainable Practices for Pattachitra Painting

This study explores the feasibility of using layered recycled cotton fabric samples coated with tamarind seed paste, digitally designed, and traced as a canvas for painting to integrate the traditional heritage and sustainable technological interventions. The layered sample consists of alternating layers of cotton fabric and tamarind paste, arranged as follows: a layer of cotton fabric, followed by a coating of tamarind paste, then another layer of cotton fabric, and topped with an additional layer of tamarind paste. The layered sample was oven-dried at optimized conditions for a stiff, foldable, and sheet-like structure. Motifs were created in Adobe Illustrator using digital design inspiration and then manually traced for outlining purposes. Further color fill was done using natural pigments, per the aesthetics of examples from much Indian painting heritage like Pattachitra. The study shows that utilizing digital tools and sustainable materials can enhance the preservation and promotion of Pattachitra.