It is difficult to imagine that there was an actual beginning of artistic expression. Nevertheless by reading various legends which try to describe this we can have an idea about the impetus which underlies creation.

The texts explain that during the epoch when the human lifespan, which was originally one hundred thousand years, started to decline, there lived a king named Jiktul. One of the king's subjects was a brahmin whose child had just died. The brahmin accused the king of having some responsibility for this death, because according to him his manner of ruling was contrary to the Dharma.

Therefore the king went to see Yama the lord of death in order to demand him to give back the life of the brahmin's son. Yama however completely denied having anything to do with this death since only the exhaustion of the child's karma had caused it. However the king was stubborn and would not back down. In fact he argued with such virulence that Brahma (the god of creation) had to intervene. Brahma explained that once karma comes to its maturation death is inevitable and that he should not criticise Yama. However faced with such insistence, Brahma invited the king to make a drawing that bore some resemblance to the poor child. He did this and presented the drawing to the god who blessed it and gave it life. In this way the father regained his son. This made the king 'the first artist'. From then on he continued to visit the divine realms in order to receive instructions on the graphic arts.

This legend demonstrates the ideal behind all artistic work - the giving of life. It is often mentioned in texts recounting great Tibetan painters that the supreme quality of a thangka is to possess a 'lifelike' energy. However this is not only specific to Tibetan art. This is an aspect found in many traditions. For example the icon painters in Russian monasteries considered that life was given by the final lights that were painted at the end of a work's elaboration.

These finishing touches were given such importance that they were preceded by a week of fasting and meditation. In the Tibetan tradition this giving of life takes place through the 'opening of the eyes' whereby the principal deity is given a final touch to the pupils.

This last intervention was often reserved for the painting master who gave the seal of approval in this way to his student's work. The ultimate consecration was the responsibility of the lamas who performed rituals and breathed the blessing of the buddhas' body, speech and mind into the work by drawing the three syllables - Om Ah Hung. It is said of certain painters that their work was of such an inspired quality that there was no need for them to be consecrated.