This practice-based course focuses on a beautiful Shamsah (Sunburst), a folio taken from a 16th-century manuscript of Nizami’s Khamsah. The course aims to instruct how to simply analyse, draw and paint this shamsah in the Safavid style. The participants will practice various steps of making an illumination work; from drawing the design and preparing the paper to a finished work. The course aims to develop several skills at the same time, i.e., 
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How to construct a Shamsah in general
Drawing individual motifs in this page including:
           Khataei motifs (flowers and leaves)
           Islimi motifs
3. Where to add your creative touch?
4.  Preparing the paper; staining, sizing and burnishing procedures
5. how to make the shell gold
6. Tracing the pattern on our prepared papers
7. Gilding, mixing colours and applying them
8. Delicate outlining and shading the Khataei motifs
9. How to draw the braided narrow band
9. How to draw and paint the needle-like patterns and finish the work