In the 1980s, Norbu Sidar participated in the repair and renovation project at the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Xigaze, where he honed his drawing techniques with seasoned painters.

He says the most difficult part is the eyes. "Even the thinnest line matters. Each pen stroke tells the level of mastery for thangka, which varies from one painter to another."

Norbu Sidar later repaired murals in the Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery in Tibet and became a skilled conservator.

From 2005 to 2015, he worked independently in the Potala Palace to repair 18th-century paintings, a job only the best conservators can handle.

"Some of the lines disappeared, and images were hardly decipherable. I had to read books, make out what's missing, draw on my sketchbook before I laid my pen on the wall of paintings," he said.

ART AND LIVING

A two-story building lies on the Pargor street in downtown Lhasa where Norbu Sidar, Konchoge, and their students retreat to sharpen their skills.

Around 40 students are divided into the beginner, intermediate and high levels at the academy, and take the classes for free. Some leave to find jobs after they learned the basics of the painting, but students like Tenzin have their minds set on becoming masters.

Tenzin, a 24-year-old student from an impoverished family in Lhasa, has spent seven years taking classes with Norbu Sidar. The academy, supported by government funds, gives him 2,000 yuan (about 298 dollars) every month as an allowance. He keeps one-fifth and sends the rest to his parents.

"I want to use my pen to change my life and that of my family, but before I can do that, I have to be really good at the skills," he said.

Soft-speaking Norbu Sidar is uncompromising when it comes to training.

"A single thangka may have hundreds of images of deities, so the lines are crucial. The minimum practice each day is seven to eight hours, for two years. It takes that much effort to be able to work the lines right," Norbu Sidar said.

In 2006, thangka was listed as a national cultural heritage, a status that has since given the art a strong boost. Over 10,000 people now work in the thangka industry in Tibet.

Government funds for heritage protection and sales revenue of the paintings help cover the operational costs of the academy. Every year the academy hosts a seminar to carry out scholarly exchanges, research and training.

Over the years, more than 300 craftsmen have graduated from the academy.

March 25, 2019 -- Visitors view Thangka, or the Tibetan art of scroll painting, from northwest China's Qinghai province, at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, Jan. 17, 2018. (Xinhua/Lu Peng)

INHERITANCE, INNOVATION

Though many shops in Lhasa sell inexpensive thangkas to undiscerning tourists and buyers for a quick profit, Norbu Sidar and Konchoge insist on the slow and traditional way, using expertly-made brushes from horse, goat and cat hairs.

"The value of thangka lies in the history and art it contains. You can never be hasty about it," said Konchoge, who started learning the art at the age of seven.

He has traveled extensively across China to give lectures on thangka. "I want to be a messenger of thangka. It is probably a good idea to live broadcast how we approach the art to a wider public online," he said.

"Thangka, as one of the pearls of Tibetan culture, must be passed on and relived in modern times. I hope my students will inherit the culture and pass on the persistent spirit the art embodies", said Norbu Sidar. Enditem