Description
All textures done by hand using a chalk brush and sometimes a hard rounded. no reference used
The artwork is based on descriptions from Valmiki Ramayana:
Rama's matted hair:
Ayodhya kanda chapter 52, verse 67 and 68:
"I as such, wishing well of my father, Sita as well as Lakshmana and having taken up a discipline to be followed by ascetics, want to proceed further, wearing matted hair. Please bring the latex of a banyan tree."
"Guha immediately brought that latex to the prince. With that, Rama made matted hair to himself and to Lakshmana".
(note: Sita does not get her hair matted)
Rama's and Lakshmana's physique and features:
in Kishkinda kanda,chapter 3, verse 12-15:
When Hanuman sees Rama and Lakshmana for the first time:
"Eyes of yours are like fine lotus petals, are you superhuman?... nay, you wear tufts and braids, are you some undaunted human ascetics... nay, you look identical to each other, are you from some world of gods... nay, you are on earth, does this earth have a chance to receive Sun and Moon on her by her fortune... nay, are you some broad-chested deities in human form... lion-shouldered!, very powerful and vigorous like Sacred Bulls... who you might be...?"
"Also lengthy are your arms, and spherical are your shoulders, similar to maces... they are worthy for decoration with every kind of ornament, for what reason are they not decorated?"
Rama's deer skin and bark-cloth:
Rama says to his borther Bharata in Ayodhya kanda, chapter 101, verse 20
"The great king is the master, who has a discretion either to make me reside in the forest, wearing bark robes and a black antelope skin or to sit on the throne, O gentle brother!"