brushes
The for finer details are made by the craftsmen themselves from bamboo stick, thread and squirrel tail. At the very end the piece is varnished and left to dry.
gold
Before the figure is painted, or metallic areas are highlighted with aluminium foil or gold leaf if the budget allows. If aluminium is used, it immitates gold leaf by using a yellow stain to turn the aluminium golden.
colours
Next the are added. The choice of colour is dictated by religious tradition: skin tones are usually blue or yellow.