An ancient Indian shading technique wherein the artist retains their brush to paint miniature dots of differing density. The technique has been outlined in the chitrasutra (art of painting) section of the Vishnudharmottara Purana. From the Sanskrit words binduja, meaning “dots” and varttana, meaning “shading.”
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Drawing & Painting | Techniques & Processes | Premodern Culture | All India | Ancient (300 BCE–600 CE)
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ChicagoImpart Encyclopedia of Art. "Bindu-Varttana." Last updated February 17, 2026. https://imp-art.org/definitions/bindu-varttana/.
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MLA"Bindu-Varttana." Impart Encyclopedia of Art, Feb. 17, 2026, https://imp-art.org/definitions/bindu-varttana/.
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HarvardImpart Encyclopedia of Art (2026) Bindu-Varttana. Available at: https://imp-art.org/definitions/bindu-varttana/ (Accessed: 3 March 2026).
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