ists ▁Category : 2 1 st - century ▁American ▁guitar ists <0x0A> </s> ▁A ▁vel vet ▁painting ▁is ▁a ▁type ▁of ▁painting ▁distinguished ▁by ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁vel vet ▁( us ually ▁black ▁vel vet ) ▁as ▁the ▁support , ▁in ▁place ▁of ▁canvas , ▁paper , ▁or ▁similar ▁materials . ▁ ▁The ▁vel vet ▁provides ▁an ▁especially ▁dark ▁background ▁against ▁which ▁colors ▁stand ▁out ▁bright ly . ▁ ▁Vel vet ▁painting ▁is ▁an ▁ancient ▁technique , ▁and ▁took ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁popular ity ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁▁ ▁Black ▁vel vet ▁paint ings ▁origin ated ▁in ▁K ash mir , ▁the ▁hom eland ▁of ▁the ▁fabric . ▁These ▁original ▁paint ings ▁were ▁generally ▁religious ▁and ▁port rayed ▁the ▁icons ▁of ▁the ▁C au cas us ▁region ▁which ▁were ▁painted ▁by ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁pri ests . ▁Marco ▁Pol o ▁and ▁others ▁introduced ▁black ▁vel vet ▁paint ings ▁to ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁early ▁works ▁still ▁hang ▁in ▁the ▁V at ican ▁Museum s . ▁ ▁Modern ▁history ▁ ▁The ▁paint ings ▁are ▁widely ▁sold ▁in ▁rural ▁America , ▁and ▁frequently ▁have ▁k itsch ▁them es . ▁They ▁often ▁dep ict ▁images ▁of ▁El vis ▁Pres ley ▁( see ▁Vel vet ▁El vis ), ▁D ale ▁E arn hardt , ▁John ▁Wayne , ▁Jesus , ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁dogs ▁playing ▁pok er , ▁wol ves , ▁and ▁cow bo ys , ▁and ▁the ▁colors ▁are ▁often ▁bright ▁and