Lippan art on wall is gorgeous. This is not just some Pinterest fad, either it is OG folk art straight from Kutch, Gujarat. We are talking about lippan art by mud, mirrors, and patterns that make your eyeballs do a happy dance. Wanna turn your boring wall into a piece of Indian heritage?
What is Lippan Art?
Lippan art is a bunch of crafty folks in Kutch the Rabari, Mutwa, Marwada Harijan, and Kumbhar tribes, if you wanna get nerdy about it, slapping clay mixed with cow, camel dung, and straw onto their walls, then embedding little mirrors that catch the sun and throw sparkles everywhere. Hardcore rustic, but also—thanks to modern updates kinda glam. Old-school Lippan art on wall was all earthy tones. These days, you’ll see neon pinks and metallics if you look around Insta.
In this, the dung of a camel or cow is used. This is a part of the culture of the region of Kutch. Cow dung also works very destructively, which is why the houses there are often plastered and decorated with it.
What will you need?
Clay or mud:
If you are decorating the walls of a rural house, then mud and cow dung will be right for you, and if you are decorating a rural home where your walls are concrete, then you can use clay. Traditionally, people used to decorate their walls with mud and dung only.
Mirrors:
Tiny, Shiny, Geometric Ones, Circles, Squares, Triangles – Using these types of mirrors will enhance your decor and give a beautiful look to your walls.
Wall or Board:
your wall needs to be clean. To do Lippen art on wall should be dry and flat. Whether it is a raw wall or a cemented wall, its layer should not be peeling off.
Glue:
Fevicol’s the classic, but any strong craft glue will do for sticking those mirrors.
Pencil, ruler, eraser, stencils. Unless you’re a freehand pro.
Palette knife or old butter knife for shaping.
Acrylic paints if you’re feeling extra.
Varnish or sealant to keep your masterpiece safe.
Cloths and brushes for cleanup and paint.
Let’s Do This Lippan Art Step-by-Step
Foe lippen art on your wall wipe it down, No dust, no grime. Seriously, if you skip this, your art will flake off, and that is just sad. Let it dry. Sketch Your Design Think what vibe are you after? Mandala? Peacock? Some geometric flex? Lightly pencil it on, or use stencils if you want crisp patterns.
Mix the Mud or Clay:
Combine your clay with water. Should be a soft dough, not a puddle. If you’re channeling your inner village artisan, add some straw and dried dung for real. But honestly, modern clay and a binder are fine.
Start the Relief:
Load up your palette knife and trace over your pencil lines, building up a raised pattern. Roll bits for coils and dots. Shape petals, leaves, whatever floats your boat. Wet your fingers or tools to smooth out the edges. It’s a little messy, but that’s the charm.
Mirrors:
While the clay is still damp, press those mirrors in. Arrange ‘em how you like, just make sure they’re flush. If they’re slipping, a dab of glue fixes it.
Extra Details:
Add more clay shapes if you’re feeling fancy. Use a toothpick or the end of a brush for texture dots, lines, and squiggles. Let it dry. I mean it. Don’t poke it every five minutes.
Paint Optional:
If you want the classic look, leave it raw. But if you need colour in your life, wait until it is bone dry, then go nuts with acrylics. Use a fine brush to dodge the mirrors. Metallics look killer.
Seal the Deal Last step: slap on a coat of varnish or clear sealant. Keeps dust off, adds a bit of sheen, and locks everything in.
Pro Tips That’ll Save Your Sanity
Practice on a board first, unless you like living dangerously.
Buy good mirrors. Cheap ones look, well, cheap.
Tackle big walls in chunks. Your arms will thank you.
Be patient. No, really. If you rush, it’ll just look sloppy.
Need Some Inspo? Imagine a living room wall with a giant, sunburst Lippan art mirrors catching every bit of light, patterns swirling out in symmetry. Or maybe go minimal: a single row of geometric shapes, painted white and gold, for a modern twist.
Pattern Ideas for lippan art?
Geometric Shapes:
Shapes like triangle, square, circle, and hexagon can be used. These shapes can be repeated and combined with each other.
Flower:
Flower lips are a wonderful part of black, due to which this black becomes more beautiful. In this, you can also include rose, sunflower, lotus, and other flowers .this artworks were very popular as wall art in rural areas, but in today’s modern times, it has come back once again; people like such artworks in which colourful flower designs are made.
Birds:
If we talk about birds, you can take birds like peacock, parrot, pigeon, etc., as art.It gives a natural look to the walls of our house and also reflects our culture.
Animals:
Animals like buffalo, horses, camels, cows, etc. are a part of Lippen Art. People like to make such art on their walls. Animals have been a part of our lives since the beginning, be it in the form of work or as a member of the house, our attachment is still inclined towards them, which is why people used to do such artworks on the walls of their houses earlier also.
Final thought:
Lippan wall art is not just an art but a part of a culture that is still alive in many places, and people even today decorate it on the walls of their homes. It is such an art form that has been mixed with new techniques and things. Old culture and traditions are coming back in a new form; there are some changes in it with the passing of time, but it is connected with the culture only. If you also want to decorate the walls of your home with Lippan wall art, then start now and make your walls beautiful.