Black Velvet Painting Views
Black velvet paintings originate in ancient Kashmir, the homeland of the fabric. These original paintings were generally religious and portrayed the icons of the Caucasus region which were painted by Russian Orthodox priests. Marco Polo and others introduced black velvet paintings to Western Europe, and some of these early works still hang in the Vatican Museums.
Ciudad Juárez, Mexico was a center of velvet painting in the 1970s. A displaced Georgia farmboy, Doyle Harden, was the pioneer who created an enormous factory, where velvets were turned out by the thousands by artists sitting in studios.[citation needed] One artist would paint one piece of the picture, then slide the velvet along to the next artist, who would add something else. Velvet paintings mass produced by hand in this manner fueled the boom in velvet paintings in the 1970s in the United States. Edgar Leeteg has been called the father of American black velvet kitsch .[2]
Velvet paintings date back to the 14th century in Kashmir, where paintings portrayed religious icons. Typically, they were painted by Russian Orthodox priests. Upon discovering them in his travels, Marco Polo introduced them to Western Europe. They can still be seen today in the Vatican Museums. This doesn't mean velvet isn't used any longer as a painting support, just not as prominently. It provides an especially dark background which allows vibrant colors to stand out. The trick to creating a velvet painting is easy: use a lot of contrast and very little or no water as you apply acrylic paint to the surface of the fabric. Allow black areas to remain the blank fabric.
The Velveteria does not sell any of their paintings, but you can bring some home in their new book, Black Velvet Masterpieces which has 300 of their varied collection along with a history of the art and a tutorial on how to make your own. Check it out at cover is even velvety!
Black Velvet Painting Images
