Learn Indian art with the masters - 5 Padma Shree Artists on Rooftop

Ever wondered what it would be like to learn directly from a Padma Shri awardee, our nation’s highest civilian art honour? Rooftop makes it possible, and it is one of those rare chances you quietly pinch yourself about. You don’t just enroll in an art class, you step into the studio of an Indian cultural treasure. This is not performance art, but tradition and mastery translated into brushstrokes, patterns, and stories. Rooftop brings to you five Padma Shri artists teaching their art forms online, each course opening a door to India’s living heritage.

Begin with the legendary Dulari Devi. Her name may already ring a bell - Padma Shri awardee and one of the first tribal Madhubani artists to get national recognition. What makes her story extraordinary is how she went from domestic work under another artist to leading her art form. Rooftop’s online Madhubani Art Course by Dulari Devi invites you to learn the Bharni and Kachnhi styles directly from her. It is paced in eight clear chapters, ten hours of lessons, each one inspired by local mythologies, colour mixing with plant dyes, knowledge on pigments, and that soul‑stirring patchwork of geometry and myth. You feel like a guest in her world, guided step by step through detailed motifs and the quiet power behind each design.

Journey north to the Himalayan foothills for Thangka art with Padma Shri Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia. Thangka painting is a tradition steeped in Buddhist iconography, and Rooftop’s Thangka Course by Khandu Bhutia offers you an 18‑hour dive into its spiritual precision. Working on cloth, you learn iconometric grid systems, brush discipline, gold highlights, and sacred geometry. This art isn’t for speed; it is meant for meditation, detail, devotion, and it shows. Rooftop captures his calm teaching style so well that you almost feel the monastery’s stillness around you.

Then there is the magic of miniature painting, a style many don’t associate with Padma Shri artists, but Rooftop gave us a surprise. Many miniature painters featured on the site are award‑winners, though not all Padma Shri recipients. One shining exception is Subhadra Devi in Madhubani style, whose works are recognized globally, though she does not teach currently through Rooftop, her art inspiration remains strong. Finally, there’s Venkat Raman Singh Shyam, a Gond artist of national repute. While he hasn’t received the Padma Shri per se, his uncle and immediate teacher, Jangarh Shyam, was, and the lineage shines through. Rooftop’s Gond course by Venkat teaches you concentric circles, animal‑inspired patterns, vibrant dotwork, and indigenous symbolism alive in Gond villages. It may not be a Padma Shri on paper, but the course stands shoulder to shoulder with the honour that the award represents, art that holds heritage in each weave of its structure.

Next, you meet Padma Shri Bhuri Bai. She’s from the Bhil community and is often called the grandmother of Bhil art. She was discovered by modern art legend Jagdish Swaminathan and became the first Bhil artist to paint on paper rather than mud walls. Rooftop’s Bhil course by Bhuri Bai is a delight. It starts with simple Galbapsi and Bharadi motifs, then graduates to dot‑work, fingerprinting techniques, all in bold tribal colours. Over seven hours, you learn from her how to create expressive dots, dashes, and nature‑inspired compositions. Every brushstroke is a story, and her hands guide you through each one.

So when you step into Rooftopapp.com and download the app, you are choosing to learn from these masters, Padma Shri and legacy awardees, right from home. Enrolment options vary: some courses are self‑paced, like Madhubani by Dulari Devi, while others allow live interaction during set workshop windows. All come bundled thoughtfully with art kits, activity booklets, postcards to colour, and even FACTAC cards for trivia fans. These extras make the learning feel rich, tactile, and personal. You are not just copying styles but growing a real connection with our art traditions.

What makes learning from Padma Shri artists even more powerful is the story behind each style. Madhubani, for example, was once a domestic art form practiced by village women on mud walls to celebrate weddings or festivals. Artists like Dulari Devi and Sita Devi transformed it into an internationally known form. Dulari’s Path to Padma Shri is one of resilience, learning from mentors like Mahasundari Devi, then painting her path. Rooftop’s course honours that lineage by teaching you narrative painting with figures, floral fills, and bold outlines mapped out with every brushstroke. Similarly, Bhuri Bai’s course unravels the folklore of the Bhil community, where every dotted line is an homage to rain gods, nature, and oral tradition. Her tutorials are divided into elementary, intermediate, and advanced, giving you confidence to follow and flourish. Rooftop made sure it’s available in Hindi and English, bridging the traditional and modern worlds for learners across the country. Thangka courses by Khandu Bhutia link you to the Himalayan monasteries of Sikkim. You learn more than brush control; you learn symbolism, proportion, ritual method, and spiritual patience. Rooftop included transcripts of his narration along with close‑up visuals that make you feel part of monastic workshops. In a world that prizes speed, you slow down and immerse. Venkat Raman Singh Shyam’s Gond course climbs mountains too, an animated method of dot work, animal figures, mythology, and forest life. He shows how dots connect to the ecosystem, to harmony, to indigenous expression. You see how art becomes a community echo, people painting stories of balance and abundance.

Enrolling in any of these courses is more than a creative escape; it is a conscious act of preserving heritage. Rooftop provides certification after course completion, which is a subtle reminder: you are now part of the lineage. You get a digital certificate, but even more importantly, you get skill, story, and respect for the art form. These masterclass experiences range from 7 hours to 24 hours of content. They are professionally shot, thoroughly detailed, and pared down so that both novices and experienced artists can follow along. There is an actual community behind it: you can ask questions, post your work, and get feedback from your teacher and peers. Many alumni share that painting with a rooftop felt like a second coming for their creativity, like waking up something dormant but now alive.

There is no requirement for experience. People call asking, Do I need prior training? The answer is always the same: no. You just need curiosity, canvas, paint, and the will to begin. The artist takes it from there. Your toolkit might include pencils, bamboo brushes, acrylics or plant dyes, stamps, gold foiling tools, or the items included in the course kit. Rooftop’s packages make sure that your purchase is complete, no random improvisation needed. If you crave structure, you might prefer the live workshops; if you want a calm pace, pick the self‑paced modules. Some people even take two or three courses in parallel, like Madhubani evenings, Bhil weekends, Thangka mornings. You are not limited by geography, just by how many brushes you can hold at once.

By the end of the course, you possess more than just paintings. You gain lineage. You become part of a living art tradition. A certificate feels good, but the real reward is your confidence to say, I learned from a Padma Shri artist. You can paint narrative figures, dot patterns, mandalas, sacred geometry, folk stories, and iconographies. You can gift cards, decorate walls, teach others, and even feel ready for commissions. Most importantly, you connect with India's cultural soul. If you have been looking for a sign to leap into traditional Indian art, this is it. Rooftop’s collection of five Padma Shri artist courses is a curated path into beauty, discipline, culture, and legacy. You have everything you need right now with the brush, the kit, the app, and intention. Just visit rooftopapp.com, browse the courses, read the artist introductions, and choose the path that moves you. Paint with purpose and pride. You will carry not just a painting home, but a story, a mentor, and a slice of Indian heritage honoured at the highest level.