How Are The Matryoshka Dolls Painted?
The matryoshka is one of the objects most commonly associated with Russia; Also called Russian nesting dolls, the matryoshkas are composed of 3 to 10 dolls of increasing size, which fit into each other.
The first matryoshkas were created at the end of the 19th century and represented a peasant woman holding a rooster under her arm.
This is where the matryoshka take their name because in Russian we call a “matryoshka” a countrywoman of robust appearance. The rooster symbolizes fertility, and in fact, matryoshka dolls are still often seen as a pledge of fertility.
Preparation of the matryoshka before painting
Having become a specialty of Russian craftsmanship, the creation of matryoshkas is a delicate process that requires great mastery. The painting of the dolls is a key step in this process, as it is the quality of the paintings that make the matryoshka an everyday object or a true work of art, prized by collectors.
But before you can apply the paint, you first have to carefully prepare the shape and surface of the matryoshkas.
Matryoshkas to paint are usually made of linden wood, but also birch or alder; the matryoshkas of the same set are all drawn from the same piece of wood, to ensure that the characteristics of the wood are identical from one doll to another.
The matryoshkas take shape thanks to the work of the woodworker, then let the wood dry. The future nesting dolls are then cleaned, and they are coated with oil to prevent cracks. But it is not finished, because it is necessary to carry out a final preparation of the wood before the application of the painting.
For this, a mixture of glue, water, and talc is used to obtain a stable surface. We also do a very fine sanding and then re-coating the wood. The matryoshkas are ready to be painted when their surface is perfectly smooth.
The Painting Of Matryoshkas, An Art By Its Own
The craftsmen in charge of matryoshka painting are real artists who each have their own style and their favorite techniques. It is indeed necessary to know perfectly the nature of the wood to succeed in the painting on matryoshka; you must also have a good dose of creativity and knowledge of Russian traditions to invent and reinvent the faces and costumes of nesting dolls.
Originally, matryoshkas were mainly painted with gouache. Today, renowned artists often prefer to use tempera, a type of paint based on an egg-based emulsion. This technique is appreciated for the quality of the gradations it allows to achieve, and for its slightly transparent and refined appearance.
But other techniques are also used for painting a matryoshka: oil painting, watercolor, acrylic, and gilding. The latter can be made of gold leaf for collectible matryoshkas but is more often made with fine metal particles that give very close to gold. Finally, pyrography is used in particular to realize the details of the face of the elements of the costume.
For beginners (particularly If you have children in this movement), it’s liked to paint each doll a uniform tone. Painting them with a couple of layers of white can act as a base layer for more dynamic tones. Others decide to paint the examples and details straightforwardly on the dolls without a uniform shading which also works.
When painting nesting dolls, we experience the distortion of proportions because of the doll’s convex surface. We use a little mirror to accomplish wonderful balance and characteristics, female highlights when painting the nesting doll. We use characteristic zero-size brushes. Using such brush size is moderate and troublesome. However, this is the best way to accomplish the common and modern highlights of the matryoshka face.
Conclusion
After molding and burrowing out the dolls, they are then covered with oil to hold the dampness of the wood accordingly keeping them from breaking. From that point onward, a starch-like substance is applied as a preliminary to make a smooth surface for painting and to prevent smudging. All matryoshka dolls are hand-painted.
Once his work is finished, the artist adds in principle his signature at the bottom of the matryoshka as well as the number of nesting dolls present in the series. Then he paints the matryoshka dolls with lacquer to guarantee their durability.
