Gond artists develop signature motifs that they repeatedly use in their paintings. There are 4 steps to painting: 1) outline in pencil, 2) add primary color bands, 3) outline with pen, 4) fill in with motif. Motifs are inspired by tattoos, everyday objects like lemons, or scenes from imagination. Artists like Satrupa Urveti use repetitive tattoo patterns while Rajkumar Shyam features cut lemons and Nankhusia Shyam depicts marriage processions or dancing figures.

1. Gond Artists
Signature Motifs

2. Gond Artists: Signature Motifs
Steps in Painting
Step 1
Outline in pencil
Step 2
Add primary color
bands
Step 3
Outline with pen
Step 4
In-fill with
signature motif

3. Gond Artists: Signature Motifs
Origin of Motifs
 Inspired by ancient tattoo
patterns: eg artist Satrupa Urveti
 Symbols from everyday life: cross
section of lemon eg artist Rajkumar
Shyam
 Imagination: marriage procession
weaving through village, dancers
forming a chain eg artist Nankhusia
Shyam

4. Signature Motif: Satrupa Urveti
Tattoo pattern
Repetitive use
of tattoo pattern
Tattoo pattern
Final Painting
1 3
Tattoo pattern
1
Final Painting
3
Repetitive use
of tattoo motif
2
Tattoo pattern
1

5. Signature Motif: Rajkumar Shyam
Tattoo pattern
Repetitive use
of tattoo pattern
Tattoo pattern
Final Painting
1
2
3
Tattoo pattern
1
Cut Lemon
1
Repetitive use
of lemon motif
2
Final painting
3
Cut Lemon
1

6. Signature Motif: Nankhusia Shyam
Tattoo pattern
Repetitive use
of tattoo pattern
Tattoo pattern
Final Painting
1
2
3
Tattoo pattern
1
Cut Lemon
1
Repetitive use
of lemon motif
2
Final painting
Village chain
dancers
1
Repetitive use of
marriage procession
motif
2
3
Marriage Procession
Repetitive use
of Motif
Final Painting
1
2
3

7. Gond Artists: Signature Motifs
©Padmajaa Srivastava