The island of Bali has a high artistic element, such as painting. Various streams of painting can be enjoyed in some exhibitions in Bali. Even so, the characteristics of Balinese paintings make the shape of the paint incision on the canvas known to be distinctive. In general, the characters in the paintings refer to the Ramayana and Mahabarata stories. There are also characters that describe the natural beauty and activities of the local community.

The first form of painting that has character and is well known to the world is Kamasan painting. It is called Kamasan style painting because it was born in Kamasan Village, Klungkung Regency. Kamasan favored stylistic techniques in the paintings. Well, what is a stylistic technique? This technique is thick with artistic ornaments in depicting characters or stories on the medium. There are also various kinds of mediums, such as canvas fabric, walls, wood, and so on.

Most commonly, the Kamasan painters have Ramayana story theme. With the incision of dark to bright colors produces a unique perspective. Even more unique, Kamasan's paintings, that are depicting male and female characters, are quite interesting. Male characters have curved eye lines at the top, while the female characters have the curve under the eye. While the top is straight. Kamasan's paintings are also known as wayang kamasan because they prioritize portrayals of character figures. For example, the protagonist will be emphasized with ornaments.

Furthermore, the character of a Balinese painting that has a specificity is the Batuan painting. The style of Batuan painting has a density in the color incision. Batuan style paintings will be considered to have a high aesthetic if it gets more complicated.

Batuan style paintings are the result of expressions from the artists of Batuan Village. It’s different from the color choices in Kamasan Style paintings. Batuan style paintings have various themes. At the beginning of its birth, around the 1920s, the themes that are often portrayed in paintings were mystical, traditional rituals. Then, the themes of the wayang Ramayana and Mahabarata has appeared. Well, the latest theme is closer to the activities of local communities such as agricultural activities, market hubbub, and so on.

Legendary paintings with darker color choices are typical of Keliki style paintings. Keliki is also an area in Bali which gave birth to famous artists. One of them is I Lunga. Some objects in the paintings are enlarged to emphasize the atmosphere. The figures with faces of the imagination of the painter look slick. I Lunga's painting, called Rajapala which depicts Jaka Tarub peering at seven angel baths, looks very beautiful. It consists of pale skin color and watercolor surrounded by natural color of tree trunks and leaves.

Another unique character of painting in Bali is the Sanur style. You can certainly guess what is drawn from Sanur style paintings. Yes, the stretch of beach and activities on the seashore are the objects depicted. Even though it is more imaginative and figurative, but the symbolization is quite easily captured through ornaments and related objects that are able to establish the existence of a place.

Of the four distinctive characteristics of Balinese paintings above, all of them can still be enjoyed during your holiday in Bali. Many galleries and art centers exhibit paintings from various time periods, styles and themes. Do you want to enjoy or buy a character painting from Bali? Check your maps and decide which place you want to visit.