Masterclass Preview: Learn Phad Art with Kalyan Joshi

There’s something magical about Phad paintings, the way a single scroll transforms into wonderful stories of gods, legends, and communities. In this art form that originated in Rajasthan more than 700 years ago, priest-singers (Bhopas) would travel with these painted scrolls, narrating the epics of Pabuji and Devnarayan, bringing the entire village together for nights of storytelling. Learning this art is like a gateway to the culture, tradition and community of Phad folk artists in Rajasthan. At Rooftop, you can experience this legacy through the Phad Maestro Course led by National Award-winning artist Kalyan Joshi. Belonging to a family of Phad painters that has kept this art alive for generations, Joshi doesn’t just teach technique, he brings to life storytelling behind every stroke.

A journey through traditional Phad art in 2025

What makes this course unique is not just the technical training, but the way it connects you to centuries of tradition. Kalyan Joshi has not only preserved Phad but also expanded its vocabulary to tell contemporary stories, including his scroll of democracy that hangs in the Indian Parliament. Learning from him means inheriting not just skills, but also an understanding of how art can embody culture, history, and community values. In this online Indian art course, you don’t just learn how to hold a brush, you learn how to narrate through art. Kalyan Joshi takes you through every stage of the journey. With every module, you’ll move closer to completing your own miniature Phad scroll, guided step by step by the maestro himself.

Discovering Phad’s cultural history

The course begins with an immersion into the origins of Phad painting. Why were these scrolls created? How did they travel across Rajasthan? Why are certain gods and motifs repeated? These questions form the foundation, allowing you to see Phad not just as a visual art form, but as a cultural movement.

Introduction, borders and designs

One of the most unique aspects of Phad is the hand-prepared canvas. Instead of simply buying paper or cloth, Phad painters treat their canvas like a sacred ritual. You’ll learn how artists prepare the fabric with starch and natural processes until it shines with the perfect polish, ready to absorb colours that will last for generations.

Storytelling through composition

How do you tell an epic across a scroll? This is where composition comes in. You’ll understand how to divide the scroll into episodes, balance figures across space, and create a rhythm where every frame feels connected to the next. This is storytelling in its purest visual form, where gods, humans, animals, and nature share the same stage.

Motifs that speak

Every symbol in Phad has meaning. The lotus for purity, the horse for valor, the sun and moon for eternal cycles. In this course, you’ll learn how these motifs are not just decorative but integral to the story itself. By the end, you’ll be able to read a Phad painting like a text, understanding why each figure, gesture, and detail matters.

The magic of natural colours Equally fascinating is the exploration of natural pigments used in traditional Phad art paintings - a quick lesson on how earthy reds, yellows, and greens are made from minerals and plants, and why these colours would give Phad its timeless richness.

Bringing it all together

Step by step, you’ll combine these elements to create your own miniature Phad scroll. As your brush moves, you’ll find yourself not just painting, but narrating. It’s this blend of storytelling and technique that makes Phad such a powerful learning experience.