Commissioning a Custom Tanjore Painting: How It Works
Written by
Swathi Katta
A custom Tanjore painting is made by hand, for you: your deity, your size, your stones and frame. Here is exactly how a commission works, from enquiry to delivery.
Key takeaways
- A commission is made to order — your deity, size, composition, stones and frame.
- The process runs: enquiry → confirm subject, size and budget → quote → creation → your approval → delivery.
- Most pieces take a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on size and detail.
- Custom work is priced on enquiry, because real 24 karat gold, hand-set stones and size all change the cost.
- To begin, browse our gallery and send us an enquiry.
At Tanjore Collective, our studio in Basavangudi, Bangalore both makes bespoke paintings for patrons and teaches the craft to thousands of students around the world, in a lineage carried on from the master artist Vani Bhaskar, who has painted and taught Tanjore art for 35 years.
If you have ever stood in front of a Tanjore painting and wished you had one of your own, of your chosen deity, at your size, for your home, this guide is for you. A custom Tanjore painting is exactly that. It is made to order, by hand, for you. There is no add to cart button and no ready stock. You tell us what you have in mind, we plan it together, and then our artists build it over several weeks. Here is how it works, from first enquiry to delivery.
Watch a painting come to life
Before we get into the steps, it helps to see what goes into one of these paintings. This short clip shows how a traditional Thanjavur painting is built up, from the raised gesso relief to the kundan stones and the real gold.
What you can customise
Almost everything. A commission is a conversation, not a fixed menu, and we shape the painting around what matters to you. Here is what usually gets decided together.
- The deity or subject. Almost all Tanjore paintings are devotional. Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha, Krishna as a child, Balaji, Hanuman and many other forms are all part of this tradition. If there is a deity your family prays to, that is usually where we start.
- The size. A small piece for a mantle reads very differently from a large painting made for a pooja room or an entrance wall. Size affects the detail, the materials and the time, so we settle it early.
- The composition. Seated or standing, a single deity or a whole parivar, and how much of the ornate prabhavali arch surrounds the figure. These choices decide the grandeur of the finished work.
- The stones and gold. Kundan stones and Swarovski crystals are set into the raised relief for that jewelled sparkle, and 24 karat gold foil is laid over the embossed areas. How much of this ornamentation you want is part of the plan.
- The framing. A Tanjore painting is usually finished behind glass in a frame chosen to suit the piece and your wall. We can guide you on what sits well with the painting.
The commission process, step by step
The path from idea to finished painting is simple, and we keep you in the loop at every stage. Here is the order it follows.
- Send an enquiry. You reach out through our paintings gallery or message us, and tell us roughly what you have in mind: the deity, a rough size, and where the painting will live.
- Confirm the subject, size and budget. We talk it through with you. We suggest a composition and a size that suits your space, and we are honest early about the budget so there are no surprises later.
- Receive your quote. Once the subject, size and level of ornamentation are settled, we share a price. Because every commission is different, this is a quote made for your painting, not a fixed shelf price.
- Creation over several weeks. Our artists prepare the board, build the raised gesso relief for the arch, jewellery and crown, set the kundan stones, lay the 24 karat gold foil, and then paint the deity. The face is painted last, and for us it is the most sacred part of the whole journey.
- Your approval. We share progress along the way, so the finished painting is one you have watched take shape and are happy with, not a surprise at the end.
- Framing and delivery. The painting is given its final touches, framed, and carefully packed. We have safely shipped our work to patrons and students in India and abroad, so distance is not a problem.
Timeline and cost
Most custom Tanjore paintings take a few weeks to a couple of months. Smaller pieces move faster, while a large painting with a lot of gold work, stone setting and detail naturally takes longer. As a rough sense of scale, the paintings our students complete in class run about six and a half weeks, and larger, more advanced pieces can take around two and a half months. A bespoke commission is scheduled around our studio's work, so we always give you a realistic date when we quote.
Custom work is priced on enquiry for a simple reason: no two commissions cost the same. The price moves with the size of the painting, how much of it is covered in real 24 karat gold, how many kundan stones and Swarovski crystals are hand-set, the complexity of the composition, and the framing you choose. Real gold and genuine stones cost what they cost, and the hours of skilled handwork are the bigger part of the value. If you would like to understand what shapes the number before you enquire, our guide on what it costs breaks it down, and our complete buyer's guide walks through buying one online from start to finish.
How to start your commission
Starting is easy, and there is no pressure at the enquiry stage. Browse our paintings gallery to get a feel for our style and the deities we paint most often. When something speaks to you, or when you already know the deity you want, send us an enquiry with a few details: the subject, a rough size, and where the painting will hang. We will reply with our thoughts on the composition and a quote made for your piece.
If a commission is meant as a gift for a wedding or a housewarming, tell us the occasion and timeline when you enquire, and our guide to Tanjore painting gifts has more ideas. We have made bespoke paintings for families and for larger patrons alike, including a piece we created for the Isha Foundation, and we would be glad to make one for you. If you would also like to be sure of what makes a piece genuine before you buy, our note on what Tanjore painting is is a good place to read more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a custom Tanjore painting made?
Yes. All of our paintings are made to order, so a custom commission is simply the normal way we work. You choose the deity, the size and the composition, we send you a quote, and our artists create it by hand over several weeks using real 24 karat gold, kundan stones and the traditional gesso relief. You can begin by sending an enquiry through our gallery.
How long does a custom Tanjore painting take?
Most pieces take a few weeks to a couple of months. Smaller paintings are quicker, while a large piece with heavy gold work, many hand-set stones and fine detail takes longer. As a guide, a standard painting is comparable to the six and a half week pieces our students complete, and larger, advanced works can run to around two and a half months. We give you a realistic date when we quote.
How do I commission a Tanjore painting?
Browse our paintings gallery and send us an enquiry with the deity you have in mind, a rough size, and where the painting will live. We confirm the subject, size and budget with you, share a quote, create the painting over several weeks with progress updates, and then frame and deliver it once you approve.
Why is a custom painting priced on enquiry?
Because no two commissions are the same. The price depends on the size, how much real 24 karat gold is used, how many kundan stones and Swarovski crystals are set, the complexity of the composition, and the framing. Rather than a misleading fixed price, we quote for your exact painting. Our price guide explains what drives the cost.
Can you ship a commissioned painting to me?
Yes. We carefully pack and ship our paintings to patrons in India and abroad, so you do not need to be in Bangalore to commission one. Just tell us your location when you enquire.
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