Once the paint is ready, the artisan takes this paint in their palm, and mixes it with a blunt needle called the kalam. When it reaches room temperature, they wave it magically 1-2 inches over a canvas or cloth to create mind-boggingly intricate motifs.
Interestingly, Rogan paintings are mirror paintings. Once one side of the artwork is complete, the artisan folds the cloth along a central line to print its mirror image on the other side.
While it may look simple and fun to some, doing this work takes years of practice. The artisan not only needs great dexterity and precision to form such perfect and intricate motifs, but also needs to do simultaneous quick maneuvering of the cloth. This is perhaps one of the rarest types of paintings where the canvas moves as much as the kalam (paintbrush or needle) during the process of painting.
The traditional Rogan art is a beautiful array of bright oil colors. It is mostly made on dark colors so as to contrast against the dark canvas of cloth. The designs are often derived from familiar components of Persian and Kutch folktales, including the Tree of Life, geometric flowers and peacocks.