A lot of Indian painting started as an act of worship. A Pichwai hung behind Shrinathji in the Nathdwara temple. A Madhubani wall painting went up in a Mithila home before a wedding. Kerala's temple walls were covered in gods painted in five colours. In Sikkim, a Thangka was painted with measured grids so that the Buddha's proportions would be exactly right.
These traditions share something that matters when you learn them. There are rules, and the rules have reasons. A god's posture, the number of petals on a lotus, the colour of a particular face: none of it is a style choice. Learning from someone raised inside the tradition means you learn the reasons as well as the brushstrokes.
Rooftop has recorded four devotional painting courses taught by master artists. This guide covers what each one teaches, how demanding it is, and how to choose between them.
Pichwai painting with Rajaram Sharma
A Pichwai painting is built in layers, with the fine outlines added last
Pichwai painting comes from Nathdwara near Udaipur. Pichwais are large painted cloths hung behind the idol of Shrinathji, a child form of Krishna, and they change with the seasons and festivals: lotus ponds in summer, monsoon clouds and peacocks in the rains, full moons for Sharad Purnima, mountains of food for Annakut. Cows, lotuses and gopis appear again and again, each with a meaning.
Rajaram Sharma trained in the guru-shishya tradition at the Nathdwara temple under the late Tulsidas Chitrakar, and has been painting for more than four decades. He works in both Pichwai and miniature, and one thing collectors notice is that his miniatures often leave out human figures entirely, while his Pichwais are full of them. He has received the National Merit Certificate and the All India Award of Traditional Art.
What the Pichwai course covers
The Pichwai art course online is about nine hours long and runs across several levels. You learn Pichwai the way it is actually built, in layers: background and base colours first, then the main figures, and the fine dark outlines last, once everything underneath has dried. That order surprises most beginners, and it is why a good Pichwai looks so crisp. You also learn the main motifs and what they stand for, so your painting says something to anyone who knows how to read it.
Gold work on a Pichwai, one of the last layers to go on
If you have been searching for a Pichwai painting tutorial, this is the most complete way to learn Pichwai painting from someone trained at the source.
Who it suits
Pichwai suits patient learners who love detail and devotional themes. It also pairs well with our Nathdwara miniature course, since both come from the same temple town. If you want to try it in person first, Rajasthan Studio runs a Pichwai painting experience in Udaipur with Rajaram Sharma, and Rooftop has a Pichwai painting experience too.
Before you start, our guide Your first Pichwai: 9 things nobody tells you is a good way to learn how to look at one.
Madhubani painting with Padma Shri Dulari Devi
Padma Shri Dulari Devi, who teaches Rooftop's Madhubani course
Madhubani painting, also called Mithila painting, comes from the Mithila region of Bihar. For centuries women painted it on the walls and floors of their homes for weddings, festivals and rituals. It moved onto paper in the 1960s, and today it hangs in museums around the world. Its two best-known styles are Bharni, where shapes are filled with solid colour, and Kachni, where they are filled with fine lines.
Dulari Devi is one of the most remarkable artists teaching on Rooftop. She came from a fishing community, worked as a domestic helper in the home of an artist, and learned to paint there, later training with the master Mahasundari Devi. She now holds the Padma Shri, and her paintings tell stories of women's lives and social change alongside the gods and myths of Mithila.
What the Madhubani course covers
The Madhubani art course online has about ten hours of lessons in eight chapters, in Hindi and English. Dulari Ji opens with her own story, the struggles and what kept her going. Then Soma Ghosh of the Salar Jung Museum explains the history of Madhubani, from floor painting to a recognised art form, along with its regional variations and leading artists.
In the basic level, you paint a scene of Chhath Puja. You sketch in pencil, outline in black, and learn the floral, geometric and symbolic borders that frame every Madhubani painting, while Dulari Ji explains the festival as she works. Later lessons cover Bharni and Kachni, colour mixing and natural pigments.
A Madhubani painting of Saraswati, with the bold black outline and patterned fills the course teaches
Our walkthrough of how to make Madhubani paintings goes deeper, and 5 reasons to start learning Madhubani art today makes the case for trying it.
Who it suits
Madhubani is one of the best first courses on Rooftop. The line work is bold and the patterns are easy to repeat. It is a good choice if you want online Madhubani painting classes that go beyond copying motifs, and the bilingual format makes it easy to share with parents or children.
Kerala Mural with PK Sadanandan
Kerala mural painting covers the walls of temples and palaces like Guruvayur and Padmanabhapuram. Most of the surviving murals date from the 9th to the 12th century onward, and they show gods and scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas. The style is unmistakable: large, rounded figures, heavy ornament, and a limited palette built around red and yellow ochre, green, black and white. Faces are colour-coded by character, so a viewer knows at once who is divine, who is noble and who is a demon.
PK Sadanandan is known for reviving the mural tradition and for working new ideas into it while keeping its grammar intact.
What the Kerala Mural course covers
The Kerala mural painting course focuses on the bold strokes, bright colours and symbolism of the form. You learn how a mural figure is proportioned, how the line is built up, how the colours are layered, and what each colour and gesture means.
Our history of Kerala mural painting is a good read before you start.
Who it suits
Kerala Mural suits people who like strong line, large forms and a calm, steady way of working. If you want to learn Kerala mural painting online and have tried looser styles before, it will teach you discipline. It is also one of the best courses for anyone curious about how colour carries meaning.
Thangka painting with Padma Shri Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia
Thangka painting with Padma Shri Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia of Sikkim
Thangka is the Buddhist scroll painting of the Himalayas, painted on cloth and used for meditation and teaching. Every deity is drawn on a precise grid of measured proportions, and the painter works slowly in mineral colour and gold. In a Thangka, accuracy is a form of devotion.
Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia is a Padma Shri Thangka painter from Sikkim. His teaching is calm and exact, and Rooftop's recording captures that.
What the Thangka course covers
The Thangka course is the longest on Rooftop at about 18 hours. You learn the grid systems that set a figure's proportions, brush discipline, work on cloth, gold highlights and the symbolism behind each element. Close-up footage lets you see every stroke.
Who it suits
This is not a weekend course. Thangka is for people who want a long, absorbing practice and who enjoy precision. It is a beautiful second or third course after you have built some brush control, and an extraordinary one if you have an interest in Buddhist art.
How the four compare
| Course | Teacher | Length | Difficulty | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pichwai | Rajaram Sharma | About 9 hours | Medium to high | Detail and Krishna devotion |
| Madhubani | Padma Shri Dulari Devi | About 10 hours, Hindi and English | Beginner friendly | Bold line and pattern |
| Kerala Mural | PK Sadanandan | See course page | Medium | Strong line and colour meaning |
| Thangka | Padma Shri Khandu Wangchuk Bhutia | About 18 hours | High | Precision and long practice |
If you are new to painting, start with Madhubani. If you already paint and want a challenge, go to Pichwai or Thangka. If you are drawn to big, sculptural figures, try Kerala Mural.
A note on painting sacred subjects
Every motif in a Pichwai carries meaning, from cows to lotuses
People sometimes worry about painting gods as a beginner. Will it be disrespectful to get it wrong?
The artists who teach these courses tend to see it the other way. Learning the proper form, with its rules and meanings, is a way of showing respect. What upsets traditional artists is not a learner's wobbly line. It is a god printed on a cushion with no thought about who they are. Learn the story, follow the proportions, take your time, and you are doing it right.
What you get with every course
All four are recorded courses you can take at your own pace. You can submit your work for feedback, you receive a certificate on completion, and Maestro courses include an art kit delivered to your door. Course lengths and languages vary, so check each course page.
When you enrol, you are paying master artists for knowledge that has usually been passed only within families or temple workshops. That is a good use of money.
Browse all Rooftop courses, or compare these with miniature, tribal and story painting in our guide to learning traditional Indian art online from anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can I learn Pichwai painting online?
Yes. Rajaram Sharma's Pichwai course is about nine hours long and covers the layered method, motifs and their meanings, across several levels.
Is there a Madhubani painting course by a Padma Shri artist?
Yes. Dulari Devi, who holds the Padma Shri, teaches Rooftop's Madhubani course in Hindi and English.
Which devotional painting course is easiest for beginners?
Madhubani. Its bold outlines and repeated patterns make it the most forgiving of the four.
How long is the Thangka painting course?
About 18 hours, the longest course on Rooftop.
