May 11, 2002

Salwat Ali probes into the problems of finding quality art material in a market that has not kept pace with THEAT RICS: mushroom growth of art institutions and a growing number of practitioners

Artists communicate their visual messages through the expressive possibilities and limitations of the particular media, techniques and forms. Art materials are the main tools that transfer these ideas. Painters, sculptors, commercial artists and architects have always begun their work with initial sketches to get ideas flowing.

The basic artist stationery begins with drawing equipment and the list grows as the artist branches out into his/her particular medium. Some bring energy and excitement to their work through a special paper, be it hand-made, pastel, watercolour, soft etching or ricepaper. Still, others prefer the grainy grounds of cotton or linen canvas or the hard sound backing of a wooden board.

To get the best out of painting it is vitally important to be familiar with the behaviour of paint. Artists need to know what it can and cannot do under different conditions and when used for different purposes. The main distinctions among water colour, oil and gouache need to be thoroughly understood. Water colour is used for transparent, flowing and gradated washes; gouache, for opaque, bright and flat effects; and oil, for richer tone, thicker paint and glazes, and an overall slower drying period.

A well-primed canvas, perfect working light, brilliant pigments and a sturdy easel, will all go to waste if an artist’s brush does not perform. A quality, responsive, brush is imperative for a good painting, whether it is hand-made of natural fibres like bristle, sable or badger or synthetic polyester and flat, filbert fan or round in shape.

Art in Pakistan has never been a mainstream activity. In the last two decades, though, it has fanned out to a fresh growth of art schools, galleries, advertising agencies and outlets of hobby courses. These institutions and centres support a mushroom growth of budding artists and a growing art student population.

Is the art material market sufficiently equipped to handle the changing scenario? Is the demand and supply factor being met to the satisfaction of the consumer and the seller? These are some of the questions that need to be answered, as the number of art practitioners grows.

Art teacher Seemi Piracha gives art lessons and has been training students for various examinations for well over a decade. She says that quality of local drawing and shading pencils in the HB and B ranges have deteriorated when compared with what it used to be twenty years ago. “Today, the students need to sharpen their pencils constantly. The lead breaks easily, so the students prefer imported brands like Mono of Korea or Staedtler, Conte, etc.”

Piracha says that, in rubbers, the favourite brands are Pelikan and Staedtler, which are imported from Europe. Even pins and clips come from China. Locally produced drawing boards are slightly heavier but compare favourably with the Chinese and German brands. Students use imported dry pastels by Talens or Faber Castell, again European makes, and in water colour, Chinese colours are popular. Paper by and large is imported even for basic drawing purposes as local brands do not withstand pencil erasures. Oil colours are also imported but canvas by Ored, which is made in Pakistan, is quite acceptable.

Artist S.A. Noory, who has also taught at the Bhittai School of Art, feels that for initial learning purposes, especially in miniature painting, locally produced Wamiq colours are quite popular, but they do not carry any warranty. For marketable paintings, therefore, only tried and tested foreign brands are preferred, he opines.

Artist Akhtar Hilal Zuberi runs FACTS, an art school offering basic and advanced courses and preparatory classes for admissions to the leading art colleges. His students patronize imported brands. He also feels that locally made pencils have poor/weak lead and lack the rich tonal values, and ranges extending beyond 6-B are not available. He points out that imported canvases have acclimatization problems and it was best to use the Ored ones or get them made to order.

Artist Naheed Raza heads her own art school, Studio Art and voice the same opinions regarding art materials usage among her students. She is very particular about the quality of her materials. She is not entirely satisfied with the local canvas. In colours she buys imported brands only, after a bad patch with local colours.

Naheed purchases her products directly from the wholesalers and has lately felt that A grade pricing was being charged for B & C grade materials. She complained of fungal growth inside the paint container lids and dried-out tubes coming from old stocks picked up at cheaper rates. She also points out that local colours have faulty grinding and improper use of binders, which becomes apparent in texture manipulation on canvas.

In charge of the National Gallery, Islamabad, Mussart Nahid Imam, reveals her own experience with local colours, specially white, which, she says, turns yellow after three or four years. She buys only foreign paper and oil colours.

In charge of the VM Gallery, Karachi, Riffat Alvi, does not find local products satisfactory for professional use. She adds that, because art material shops are scarce, art colleges should have art retail outlets on the premises to facilitate students. “Sale of quality products at these outlets will save the students the hassle of sifting through a confusing array of dubious products.”

Artist/educationist Mehr Afroz, on the other hand, takes a positive stance on the issue. She stresses on self-sufficiency and is all praise for major local producers like Wamiq Enterprises and Ored canvases, and finds painting support by Lasani wood most satisfactory. She also feels that if imports are restricted, locally made products will shape up. She cites India as an example.

Mehr believes that students should be taught to size and prime canvases for themselves and their reliance on imported goods should be restricted. Paper production, in Mehr’s opinion, is manageable and should be initiated by enterprising investors.

Artist/educationist Qudsia Nisar is also appreciative of, and strongly in favour of home production of art tools and colours. She has personally used hand-made paper made by NCA students and found it satisfactory. She asks, “If wasli for miniature can be managed here, what stops other experiments in papermaking?” She cited the example of Nepal, which has its own paper making facility for artists.

Artist Ahmed Anver of Sabuha Art Gallery, Karachi, speaks out against the exorbitant rates of foreign products and feels they are quite unaffordable. He also feels that importers should take a keener interest in art activities and play a supportive role in sponsoring art events, offer bargains, discounts, etc.

It seems that the debate on the art materials available today — both local and imported — and their quality and accessibility, will go on until people have more choices. But, because art material is a niche product, and there still is not a big enough consumer base for it, it will be a few years hence before we have better choices — provided the art market keeps growing at a steady rate.